The Medical and Dental College Admission Test (MDCAT) 2026 has been postponed across Pakistan following the directives of Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, the Pakistan Medical and Dental Council (PMDC) announced.
According to an official statement issued by the PMDC, the entrance exam, which was originally scheduled to be held on August 16, 2026, will now take place on September 20, 2026.
The council said the decision was made on the instructions of the prime minister and applies nationwide.
“On the directions of the Hon’ble Prime Minister of Pakistan, the Pakistan Medical & Dental Council (PM&DC) hereby informs all candidates, parents, educational institutions and other stakeholders that the Medical and Dental College Admission Test (MDCAT), previously scheduled to be held on 16th August 2026, has been rescheduled to 20th September 2026,” the statement said.
The PMDC advised candidates, parents, educational institutions and all other stakeholders to take note of the revised examination date and make preparations accordingly.
Court announces big decision on MDCAT postponement
Earlier today, the Lahore High Court (LHC) dismissed a petition seeking the postponement of the Medical and Dental College Admission Test (MDCAT), allowing the examination to proceed as scheduled.
Justice Mirza Waqas Rauf heard the case, during which the petitioner’s counsel argued that hundreds of students are currently appearing in their FSc practical examinations and have not been given sufficient time to prepare for the MDCAT.
Counsel for the Pakistan Medical and Dental Council (PMDC) informed the court that students remain eligible to sit the MDCAT despite their ongoing practical exams.
Questioning the petition, the court asked the petitioner’s lawyer what the actual issue was if students were eligible to take the test.
The petitioner’s counsel maintained that the overlap between FSc practical examinations and MDCAT preparations could negatively affect the academic future of hundreds of students. The lawyer also told the court that a large number of students had gathered outside, demanding that the examination be postponed.
In response, the court remarked that only one petitioner was before it and questioned why the lawyer was attempting to represent everyone.
After hearing the arguments, the Lahore High Court rejected the plea to postpone the MDCAT examination.
Passing marks to remain unchanged for MDCAT 2026
On the other hand, the passing marks for the Medical and Dental College Admission Test (MDCAT) 2026 will remain unchanged.
The National Assembly Standing Committee on National Health Services decided to keep the passing marks for the MDCAT 2026 the same as before, rejecting proposals to lower the qualifying marks.
The decision was taken during a meeting chaired by Dr Mahesh Kumar Mallani in Islamabad on Friday.
Under the existing criteria, candidates must secure at least 55% marks to qualify for MBBS admissions and 50% for BDS programmes.
As part of measures aimed at improving transparency, the committee was told that the MDCAT question bank has been expanded from 6,000 to 8,000 questions.
Three separate question papers will be prepared for the provinces, with one selected for use in the examination.
The committee was also informed that admissions to medical and dental colleges will continue to be based on a weightage of 10% matriculation marks, 40% intermediate marks and 50% MDCAT score.
The three-hour examination will consist of 180 multiple-choice questions (MCQs) with no negative marking. Biology will carry 45% of the total marks, followed by Chemistry (25%), Physics (20%), English (5%) and Logical Reasoning (5%).