Federal Minister for Health Syed Mustafa Kamal has announced several measures to improve the conduct and security of the Medical and Dental College Admission Test (MDCAT) 2026.
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According to the Health Minister, the MDCAT 2026 paper – which is scheduled to be held on September 20, will contain 180 questions.
Two separate question papers, each comprising 180 questions, have been sent to every province as part of measures aimed at preventing paper leaks and ensuring the smooth conduct of the examination.
A question bank containing 8,000 questions has also been established for the preparation of the MDCAT 2026 examination.
34 MDCAT Centres Established
The minister said a total of 34 examination centres have been established for this year’s MDCAT, including an international examination centre in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
Special arrangements have also been made for students from Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK).
A dedicated portal has been launched for AJK candidates, while physical copies of the examination papers have been delivered to the region to address potential internet connectivity problems.
A special examination centre has also been established in Islamabad for AJK candidates.
PMDC and Health Ministry to Monitor Test
The Ministry of Health and the Pakistan Medical and Dental Council (PMDC) will directly oversee and monitor the MDCAT 2026 examination.
Mustafa Kamal also said that no complaints were registered regarding the conduct of last year’s MDCAT.
Once preparations are completed, the responsibility for conducting the examination will rest with the respective provincial governments and medical universities.
Punjab Finalizes MDCAT Arrangements
In Punjab, preparations for the September 20 examination have also been finalized.
A total of 31 examination centres will be established across 15 cities, with up to 49,000 candidates expected to appear in the test.
Punjab Chief Secretary Zahid Akhtar Zaman chaired a meeting to review security and administrative arrangements for the examination.
It was decided that Safe City Authority (SCA) CCTV cameras would be used to monitor all examination centres.
Officials also informed the meeting that Section 144 would be imposed around examination centres during the examination.
The Chief Secretary directed authorities to install walk-through gates and security scanners at all examination locations.
NADRA Biometric Verification for Candidates
NADRA biometric verification will also be conducted at examination centres to prevent impersonation and stop fake candidates from appearing in place of registered students.
The measures are aimed at strengthening examination security and ensuring that MDCAT 2026 is conducted in a transparent and controlled environment.
