Health Desk
Islamabad: With thousands of students set to appear in the MDCAT 2026 on September 20, Federal Minister for Health Syed Mustafa Kamal has clarified that the responsibility for the smooth, transparent and secure conduct of the examination lies with the respective provincial authorities and designated universities.
Speaking at a press conference at the Pakistan Medical & Dental Council (PMDC), the minister said PMDC had completed its regulatory responsibilities, including candidate registration, provision of a uniform syllabus and question bank, while universities would handle the operational side of the examination.
138,160 candidates registered for MDCAT 2026
According to the minister, 138,160 candidates are registered for MDCAT 2026. The examination will be held on September 20 at 34 cities and towns across Pakistan, along with an international centre in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
The test will be conducted by designated universities in each region, including the University of Health Sciences (UHS) in Punjab, Sukkur IBA University in Sindh, Khyber Medical University (KMU) in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Bolan University of Medical & Health Sciences (BUMHS) in Balochistan, and Shaheed Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto Medical University (SZABMU) for Islamabad and other designated regions.
PMDC develops 8,000-question bank
Syed Mustafa Kamal said PMDC had developed a question bank containing around 8,000 questions for MDCAT 2026.
Around 80 subject experts, including experts from the Cambridge stream, were involved in preparing the questions. The experts were kept in a secure and isolated environment for approximately two months as part of measures to protect the confidentiality of the examination material.
The minister said each province had been provided with at least two separate question papers, with each paper containing 180 questions. The relevant authorities will select the examination paper according to the prescribed procedure.
Universities to be accountable for paper security
A key point highlighted by the minister was the division of responsibilities between PMDC and the universities.
PMDC has provided the regulatory framework, common syllabus and question bank, while the respective provinces and universities are responsible for operational matters such as printing, storage and transportation of question papers and declaration of results.
The minister further stated that if a question paper is leaked or transparency is compromised, the concerned university will be responsible and accountable for the integrity of the examination process.
PMDC reviews final arrangements
The clarification comes as PMDC President Prof. Dr. Rizwan Taj held a high-level meeting with vice chancellors of universities conducting MDCAT and relevant provincial health authorities to review final arrangements for the September 20 examination.
The meeting covered examination security, centre preparedness, emergency response, administrative arrangements and candidate facilitation. PMDC said the objective was to ensure a secure, transparent and orderly MDCAT 2026.
With the examination only days away, students across Pakistan are now preparing for the final stage of the medical and dental college admission process, with the security and transparent conduct of MDCAT remaining a major concern for candidates and their families.
