ISLAMABAD: With 138,158 candidates registered for the Medical and Dental College Admission Test (MDCAT) 2026, Pakistan Medical & Dental Council (PMDC) President Prof. Dr. Rizwan Taj has held a high-level meeting with vice chancellors of the universities conducting the examination, relevant provincial secretaries and health authorities to review preparations ahead of the September 20 test.
The September 10 meeting focused on ensuring that the arrangements for MDCAT 2026 are completed in time and that the examination is conducted across the country in a smooth, transparent, fair and orderly manner.
The examination will be held in 35 cities and towns across Pakistan, along with an international centre in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
The scale of the test makes coordination between the national regulator, examination-conducting universities and provincial authorities critical, particularly for examination security, centre management, emergency response and candidate facilitation.
PMDC stresses zero tolerance for compromise
The meeting reviewed preparations involving universities responsible for conducting MDCAT and provincial authorities responsible for supporting its on-ground execution.
According to PMDC, Prime Minister Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif has desired that MDCAT be conducted in a highly transparent, fair and orderly manner, with zero tolerance for any compromise on the integrity of the examination.
Prof. Dr. Rizwan Taj emphasised strict adherence to PMDC policies and guidelines and called for the highest standards of professionalism, efficiency and examination security throughout the process.
The council's role in the process is primarily regulatory. PMDC clarified that it has provided unified regulatory standards for the MDCAT papers, while responsibility for the on-ground conduct and administrative arrangements rests with the respective provincial authorities and universities.
That responsibility includes maintaining transparency and the secrecy and security of examination papers at the respective centres.
The distinction is significant for MDCAT 2026 because the examination will involve more than 138,000 candidates spread across dozens of locations, requiring the regulatory framework to be implemented consistently by the institutions conducting the test.
138,158 candidates set to appear on September 20
A total of 138,158 candidates have registered for MDCAT 2026, which is scheduled for September 20, 2026.
The examination network extends across the four provinces, Islamabad Capital Territory, Azad Jammu and Kashmir and Gilgit-Baltistan, as well as the international centre in Riyadh.
The designated universities conducting MDCAT include University of Health Sciences (UHS), Lahore for Punjab, Sukkur IBA University for Sindh, Khyber Medical University (KMU), Peshawar for Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Bolan University of Medical and Health Sciences (BUMHS), Quetta for Balochistan.
Shaheed Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto Medical University (SZABMU), Islamabad is responsible for the examination arrangements for Islamabad Capital Territory and the designated regions including AJK, Gilgit-Baltistan and the Riyadh centre.
The examination arrangements follow the national framework issued by PM&DC, while the conducting universities are responsible for the practical administration of the test in their respective jurisdictions. The current PM&DC website continues to list September 20 as the rescheduled date for MDCAT 2026.
Centre preparedness comes under review
The September 10 meeting also examined arrangements for medical support, emergency response and facilitation services at examination centres.
Participating universities and provincial authorities were advised to ensure that centres are adequately prepared, with:
- appropriate seating arrangements;
- essential facilities;
- adequate security measures;
- medical support;
- emergency-response arrangements; and
- necessary facilities for candidates and accompanying parents or guardians.
The arrangements are also intended to provide a safe and conducive examination environment for all candidates, including those from Azad Jammu and Kashmir.
The participating vice chancellors and representatives of provincial authorities assured the PMDC president that all prescribed requirements would be fulfilled and necessary arrangements completed well in advance of the examination.
Universities and provinces carry on-ground responsibility
One of the most important elements of the meeting was the clarification of responsibility for the actual conduct of MDCAT.
While PMDC has established the regulatory standards for the examination papers, the respective universities and provincial authorities are responsible for implementing the examination arrangements at ground level.
This includes the management and security of examination centres, administrative arrangements and ensuring the transparency and secrecy of papers at the centres.
The arrangement places the designated universities and provincial authorities at the centre of the final preparations as September 20 approaches.
PMDC President Prof. Dr. Rizwan Taj consequently advised all concerned stakeholders to maintain close coordination and ensure the highest standards of professionalism, efficiency and examination security throughout the process.
MDCAT centres span all four provinces and beyond
PMDC's 2026 examination framework covers 35 Pakistani cities and towns, with an additional international centre in Riyadh.
In Punjab, the published examination footprint includes Lahore, Rawalpindi, Multan, Faisalabad, Bahawalpur, Sialkot, Gujranwala, Sargodha, Gujrat, Dera Ghazi Khan, Sahiwal, Layyah, Bahawalnagar, Mianwali and Rahim Yar Khan.
In Sindh, centres are provided in Karachi, Hyderabad, Mirpurkhas, Shaheed Benazirabad, Sukkur and Larkana, with detailed arrangements also covering Jamshoro.
In Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, the examination network includes Peshawar, Mardan, Lower Dir, Swat, Malakand, Abbottabad, Kohat and Dera Ismail Khan.
Quetta is the designated examination location listed for Balochistan.
The broader regional arrangements include Islamabad, Muzaffarabad, Rawalakot and Mirpur in AJK and Gilgit for Gilgit-Baltistan, in addition to Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, for the international examination centre.
Sindh publishes detailed venue arrangements
The latest arrangements issued through Sukkur IBA Testing Services (STS) provide a more detailed picture of the centre-level planning in Sindh.
In Karachi, examination centres have been established at NED University of Engineering and Technology and Dow University of Health Sciences' Ojha Campus.
Candidates assigned to Hyderabad will appear at Public School, Unit No. 3, Latifabad, while the Jamshoro centre is at Liaquat University of Medical and Health Sciences.
The Mirpurkhas centre is at Mir Sher Muhammad Talpur Public School, while candidates in Larkana will sit the examination at the Police Training School Ground on Wagon Road.
The centre for Shaheed Benazirabad is at Quaid-e-Awam University of Engineering, Science and Technology, while candidates in Sukkur will appear at IBA Public School, Old Airport Road.
For eligible Sindh-domiciled candidates who have relocated to Islamabad, the designated venue is the Pakistan National Council of Arts (PNCA), Sector F-5/1. STS has also instructed candidates to report at their assigned centres at the prescribed time.
The detailed Sindh arrangements also state that the examination will run for three hours, with candidates required to follow the instructions issued by the testing authority.
Final preparations now move to the ground
With September 20 approaching, the focus is shifting from registration and scheduling to the final implementation of MDCAT 2026.
For PMDC, the priority is to ensure that its national regulatory standards are followed consistently. For the designated universities and provincial authorities, the immediate task is to translate those standards into secure, orderly and properly equipped examination centres.
The September 10 meeting therefore brought together the institutions that will collectively determine whether the examination is delivered as planned across the country's 35 domestic locations and the Riyadh centre.
The 138,158 registered candidates are now set to appear for the high-stakes medical and dental college entrance examination on September 20, with PMDC calling on every stakeholder to maintain close coordination and protect the integrity of the process.
Stay connected with Medical News Pakistan
CLICK HERE TO JOIN the official Medical News Pakistan WhatsApp Channel for verified global medical breakthroughs, FDA approvals, healthcare innovations, clinical research updates and the latest developments shaping medicine around the world.