PM&DC President reviews MDCAT 2026 arrangements in Islamabad

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan Medical & Dental Council (PM&DC) President Prof. Dr. Rizwan Taj visited examination centres in Islamabad on Sunday to review arrangements for the Medical and Dental College Admission Test (MDCAT) 2026 and observe the conduct of the nationwide examination.

During his visit, Prof. Dr. Rizwan Taj inspected MDCAT centres established at Air University and Shaheed Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto Medical University (SZABMU). He reviewed facilities available for candidates and assessed the measures taken by the authorities to ensure the examination was conducted in a smooth, transparent and orderly manner.

The MDCAT 2026 was held across Pakistan for 138,158 registered candidates, with examination centres established in 34 cities and towns. An international examination centre was also established in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, allowing eligible candidates outside Pakistan to appear in the admission test.

The PM&DC president reviewed the arrangements at the Islamabad centres, including facilities provided to students and the overall examination environment. Following the inspection, he expressed satisfaction with the arrangements and measures put in place for candidates.

Prof. Dr. Rizwan Taj said the council had made efforts to provide all possible facilities to candidates appearing in the highly competitive medical and dental admission test.

He also highlighted the arrangements made specifically for candidates from Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK). Special examination centres were established in Islamabad to facilitate eligible candidates and provide them with an accessible venue for appearing in the test.

The MDCAT is a key component of the admission process for medical and dental colleges in Pakistan, with thousands of students competing for admission to medical and dental programmes. The nationwide scale of the examination requires coordination among examination authorities and institutions hosting the test.

According to PM&DC, MDCAT 2026 was conducted in accordance with the prescribed regulatory framework, examination guidelines, questions and standards. The council said the test was successfully conducted for the second time under the present Council.

The examination authorities will now move towards a detailed review of the process. PM&DC said a post-hoc analysis of MDCAT 2026 would be carried out after completion of the examination.

The analysis is expected to provide a comprehensive review of the examination process and the arrangements made for candidates across different centres. Such a review can help the council assess the implementation of examination procedures and identify areas requiring attention in future admission tests.

The completion of MDCAT 2026 marks an important stage in the admission cycle for aspiring medical and dental students across the country. With more than 138,000 candidates registered and centres spread across dozens of locations, the examination represented a large-scale national testing exercise.

The PM&DC’s inspection of the Islamabad centres also underscored the council’s focus on monitoring examination arrangements at the ground level. The council said its priority remained ensuring that candidates were provided appropriate facilities while the test was conducted according to the established standards.

With the examination now completed, attention will turn to the post-examination review and subsequent stages of the medical and dental admissions process.

The PM&DC said the post-hoc analysis would comprehensively examine MDCAT 2026, providing an opportunity to review the overall conduct of the test after its nationwide completion.