Islamabad: The Medical and Dental College Admission Test (MDCAT) for admissions to MBBS and BDS programmes across Pakistan would be held on August 16, 2026, shortly after the conclusion of intermediate examinations, Federal Health Minister Syed Mustafa Kamal announced on Thursday,
In his statement before the Senate Standing Committee on National Health Services, the health minister said the decision had been taken to spare students the “trauma” of another prolonged examination process after their intermediate exams and to discourage the growing influence of coaching academies charging excessive fees for MDCAT preparation.
“One month delay in MDCAT results in millions of rupees going into the pockets of academy owners while parents continue to bear the financial burden,” Mustafa Kamal told the committee. He maintained that the government had conducted extensive research before finalising the examination schedule.
According to the minister, authorities reviewed the academic calendar and found that the last intermediate examination this year would conclude around July 20, while Cambridge examinations would also end by the same period.
“All intermediate and Cambridge examinations are over by July 20, therefore we have decided to hold MDCAT within one month and conduct it in the middle of August,” he said, adding that the examination would be held on Sunday, August 16.
Mustafa Kamal alleged that some coaching academies used to influence and delay the MDCAT process for financial gains, saying lengthy gaps between board examinations and entry tests only benefited commercial coaching centres at the expense of students and parents.
He said the new policy was aimed at streamlining the admission process and ensuring that students could quickly move towards professional education without unnecessary uncertainty and pressure.
Officials of the Pakistan Medical and Dental Council informed the committee that holding MDCAT earlier would also allow students sufficient time to appear in other universities’ entry examinations and explore alternative academic opportunities without losing an academic year.
They said the revised schedule would help complete admissions in a timely manner and enable medical and dental colleges to begin the new academic session in January 2027.
The Senate committee was informed that the authorities were trying to make the admission system more transparent, predictable and student friendly while discouraging commercial exploitation linked to entrance examinations.
The MDCAT is a mandatory entrance examination for admission to public and private medical and dental colleges across Pakistan and every year hundreds of thousands of students appear in the test amid intense competition for limited seats.
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