Thousands of aspiring doctors and dentists across Pakistan sat the Medical and Dental College Admission Test (MDCAT) 2026 on September 20, after the exam date was shifted from its originally scheduled date of August 16. The change followed directives from Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif's government, with officials clarifying at the time that the revision affected only the test date and not the eligibility criteria, syllabus, or test format.

If you sat MDCAT 2026 or are waiting on behalf of someone who did, here's what is confirmed so far, and what questions remain open.

What We Know About the Test

MDCAT 2026 followed the same format candidates have prepared for: 180 multiple-choice questions in English, with no negative marking. The subject-wise breakdown was Biology (81 questions), Chemistry (45), Physics (36), English (9), and Logical Reasoning (9). Registration for the test had opened on June 22, 2026, and closed July 8, with a late registration window (at an additional fee) running until July 13 — all set before the date itself was later pushed to September 20.

Passing Marks

To qualify for MBBS admission, candidates need a minimum of 55% in MDCAT. For BDS (dental) admission, the required minimum is 50%. These thresholds apply nationally and are a baseline for eligibility — actual admission to a specific medical or dental college depends on your combined merit score (which typically factors in MDCAT performance alongside your Intermediate/FSc marks) compared against that college's merit list for the year.

Results Are Rolling Out Province by Province

Rather than a single nationwide announcement, MDCAT 2026 results have been coming out through provincial testing bodies. In Sindh, for example, the Sindh Testing Service (STS) announced final results on September 28, 2026, after reviewing complaints raised by candidates following the initial release. Nine Sindh test centers were used, spanning Karachi, Hyderabad, Jamshoro, Mirpurkhas, Shaheed Benazirabad, Larkana, and Sukkur, with roughly 34,000 candidates sitting the test across the reported centers in that province alone.

If you tested in a different province, check with your own province's designated testing body or education department, since result timelines can vary from one province to another.

What Isn't Clear Yet

Several important pieces of the post-test process have not been widely published yet:

• A consolidated, nationwide pass rate or score distribution for MDCAT 2026 has not been released in the reporting available so far.
• The merit list schedule and centralized admission calendar for medical and dental colleges — covering when provisional and final merit lists will be issued, and when students can begin submitting admission preferences — had not been detailed in the sources available at the time of writing.

Because the admission procedure, eligibility criteria, and test arrangements generally continue unless PMDC (the Pakistan Medical and Dental Council) issues a fresh notification, students should assume the usual admission pathway applies unless told otherwise, but should also watch PMDC's official website closely for the merit list and admission schedule.

What You Should Do Next

1. Confirm your result through your province's official testing body (such as STS for Sindh) rather than relying solely on unofficial result-sharing pages.
2. Calculate your approximate merit score using your province's standard formula (MDCAT score combined with Intermediate/FSc marks), so you have a realistic sense of which colleges may be within reach.
3. Watch PMDC and your target colleges' official websites for merit list announcements and admission form deadlines — these typically follow soon after results are finalized, but exact dates differ by province and institution.
4. Keep your documents ready: domicile certificate, Intermediate result/marksheet, MDCAT result, and any other documents your target college's admission office requires, so you can move quickly once merit lists open.

Beyond Taleem will continue following official PMDC and provincial testing body announcements on the MDCAT 2026 merit list and admission schedule, and will update this page as that information becomes available.