The Medical and Dental College Admission Test (MDCAT) is a mandatory, standardized, paper-based exam required for admission to all public and private MBBS/BDS undergraduate programs in Pakistan. Conducted annually by the PMDC and provincial authorities (UHS, KMU), it tests candidates on Biology, Chemistry, Physics, English, and Logical Reasoning.
This guide gives you the complete picture: the official merit formula, how to calculate your aggregate, and the actual closing merit cutoffs for every major medical and dental college across Punjab, KPK, Sindh, Balochistan, and AJK — organized by province, sector, and district quota where applicable.
- MDCAT Test Pattern
- Official Merit Formula & How to Calculate
- KPK — Closing Merit & KMU CAS
- Punjab — Closing Merit & UHS Admissions
- Sindh — District Quota System & Closing Merit
- Balochistan — Quota System & Closing Merit
- AJK — District Quota & Reciprocal Seats
- Official Resources
- Frequently Asked Questions
1. MDCAT 2026 Test Pattern at a Glance
| Subject | MCQs | Weightage |
|---|---|---|
| Biology | 81 | 45% |
| Chemistry | 45 | 25% |
| Physics | 36 | 20% |
| English | 9 | 5% |
| Logical Reasoning | 9 | 5% |
| Total | 180 | 100% |
Duration: 3 hours (180 minutes) · Format: Paper-based · Negative marking: None · Difficulty: 15% Easy / 70% Moderate / 15% Hard · Passing: 55% (99/180) for MBBS, 50% (90/180) for BDS
2. Official Merit Formula & How to Calculate Your Aggregate
The PMDC uses a standardized weightage system to calculate your aggregate percentage. This number determines your position on every merit list in Pakistan.
Expanded form:
+ (Secured FSc Marks / Total FSc Marks × 40)
+ (Secured MDCAT Marks / Total MDCAT Marks × 50)
Worked Example
Matric: 1000/1100 · FSc: 1000/1100 · MDCAT: 160/180
- Matric: (1000/1100) × 10 = 9.09%
- FSc: (1000/1100) × 40 = 36.36%
- MDCAT: (160/180) × 50 = 44.44%
- Aggregate = 89.89%
MDCAT contributes 50% of your aggregate — equal to Matric and FSc combined. Every 1% gain in your MDCAT score adds 0.5 percentage points to your aggregate. To gain the same 0.5% through FSc alone, you would need to improve your FSc percentage by 1.25%. MDCAT preparation is your highest-return investment — your FSc is already locked in.
3. KPK — Merit List & KMU Centralized Admission System
All admissions (public and private) in KPK are managed through the KMU Centralized Admission System (CAS). You must apply at cas.kmu.edu.pk. You do not apply separately to each college — a single application through KMU CAS covers all affiliated institutions.
Merit is based on the KMU Final Merit List. "Open Merit" reflects the highest competition; "Self-Finance" and "Private" categories have lower cutoffs.
Public Sector Medical Colleges — MBBS (KPK 2024-25)
| # | Medical College | City | Closing Merit (Approx.) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Khyber Medical College (KMC) | Peshawar | 91.85% |
| 2 | Ayub Medical College (AMC) | Abbottabad | 91.12% |
| 3 | Khyber Girls Medical College (KGMC) | Peshawar | 90.85% |
| 4 | Saidu Medical College (SMC) | Swat | 90.45% |
| 5 | Gajju Khan Medical College (GKMC) | Swabi | 90.20% |
| 6 | Nowshera Medical College (NMC) | Nowshera | 90.15% |
| 7 | KMU Institute of Medical Sciences (KIMS) | Kohat | 89.95% |
| 8 | Gomal Medical College (GMC) | D.I. Khan | 89.78% |
| 9 | Bacha Khan Medical College (BKMC) | Mardan | 89.65% |
| 10 | Bannu Medical College (BMC) | Bannu | 89.45% |
Public Sector Dental Colleges — BDS (KPK 2024-25)
| # | Dental College | City | Closing Merit (Approx.) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Khyber College of Dentistry (KCD) | Peshawar | 90.72% |
| 2 | Ayub Dental College | Abbottabad | 89.90% |
| 3 | Bacha Khan Dental College | Mardan | 89.55% |
| 4 | KMU Institute of Dental Sciences (KIDS) | Kohat | 89.30% |
Top Private Sector Colleges — KPK
| College | Type | City | Closing Merit (Approx.) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Northwest School of Medicine | MBBS | Peshawar | 86.50% |
| Peshawar Medical College (PMC) | MBBS | Peshawar | 84.30% |
| Rehman Medical College (RMC) | MBBS | Peshawar | 83.10% |
| Pak International Medical College | MBBS | Peshawar | 79.80% |
| Women Medical & Dental College | MBBS | Abbottabad | 75.40% |
| Sardar Begum Dental College | BDS | Peshawar | 72.10% |
4. Punjab — Merit List & UHS Admissions
Admissions for medical and dental colleges in Punjab are governed by the University of Health Sciences (UHS), Lahore. For 2024-25 and 2026 sessions, the merit has remained exceptionally high — Punjab public colleges are among the most competitive in Pakistan.
All Punjab admissions (public and private) are centralized through UHS. Apply at uhs.edu.pk.
Public Sector Medical Colleges — MBBS (Punjab 2024-25)
| # | Medical College | City | Closing Merit (Approx.) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | King Edward Medical University (KEMU) | Lahore | 93.50% – 94.20% |
| 2 | Allama Iqbal Medical College (AIMC) | Lahore | 92.60% – 93.10% |
| 3 | Services Institute of Medical Sciences (SIMS) | Lahore | 92.10% – 92.50% |
| 4 | Ameer-ud-Din Medical College (AMC) | Lahore | 91.80% – 92.00% |
| 5 | Fatima Jinnah Medical University (FJMU) | Lahore | 91.50% – 91.70% |
| 6 | Nishtar Medical University (NMU) | Multan | 91.40% – 91.60% |
| 7 | Rawalpindi Medical University (RMU) | Rawalpindi | 91.20% – 91.40% |
| 8 | Faisalabad Medical University (FMU) | Faisalabad | 91.10% – 91.30% |
| 9 | Gujranwala Medical College (GMC) | Gujranwala | 90.95% – 91.10% |
| 10 | Quaid-e-Azam Medical College (QAMC) | Bahawalpur | 90.85% – 91.00% |
| 11 | Sargodha Medical College (SMC) | Sargodha | 90.75% – 90.90% |
| 12 | Sahiwal Medical College (SLMC) | Sahiwal | 90.65% – 90.80% |
| 13 | Nawaz Sharif Medical College (NSMC) | Gujrat | 90.55% – 90.75% |
| 14 | Sheikh Zayed Medical College (SZMC) | R.Y. Khan | 90.50% – 90.70% |
| 15 | D.G. Khan Medical College (DGMC) | D.G. Khan | 90.45% – 90.65% |
Public Sector Dental Colleges — BDS (Punjab)
| # | Dental College | City | Closing Merit (Approx.) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | de'Montmorency College of Dentistry | Lahore | 90.40% |
| 2 | Nishtar Institute of Dentistry | Multan | 90.25% |
| 3 | Punjab Medical College (Dental Section) | Faisalabad | 90.15% |
Top Private Sector Medical Colleges — Punjab
| College | City | Closing Merit (Approx.) |
|---|---|---|
| FMH College of Medicine & Dentistry | Lahore | 86.00% – 88.00% |
| Shalamar Medical & Dental College | Lahore | 85.50% – 87.50% |
| Wah Medical College | Wah Cantt | 84.00% – 86.00% |
| Lahore Medical & Dental College (LMDC) | Lahore | 83.00% – 85.00% |
| Bakhtawar Amin Medical College | Multan | 80.00% – 82.00% |
5. Sindh — District Quota System & Closing Merit
Sindh uses a unique District-Based Quota System for public medical colleges. Unlike Punjab and KPK, you can only apply for Open Merit seats in the public colleges tagged to your specific domicile district. A Karachi student competes against other Karachi students; a Larkana student competes against Larkana students — so the closing merit varies dramatically by district.
Applications are managed through JSMU and LUMHS as primary focal points.
JSMU: jsmu.edu.pk ·
LUMHS: lumhs.edu.pk
MDCAT Requirement: Even for private colleges in Sindh, you must have passed with at least 55% for MBBS and 50% for BDS as per PMDC.
Sindh District Quota — Closing Merit by Location (MBBS 2025-26)
Merit is listed from lowest to highest competition (easiest to hardest district to get into).
| District / Area | Admitting University | Closing Merit (Approx.) |
|---|---|---|
| Tharparkar / Umerkot | LUMHS / SMBBMU | 78.5% – 80.0% |
| Kashmore / Kandhkot | SMBBMU | 79.2% – 80.8% |
| Sujawal / Thatta | LUMHS | 79.8% – 81.5% |
| Jacobabad | SMBBMU | 80.5% – 82.0% |
| Ghotki | SMBBMU | 81.2% – 83.0% |
| Sanghar / Mirpurkhas | LUMHS | 82.5% – 84.2% |
| Larkana / Sukkur | SMBBMU | 83.8% – 85.5% |
| Nawabshah (SBA) | PUMHS / LUMHS | 84.0% – 86.0% |
| Hyderabad | LUMHS | 85.5% – 87.5% |
| Karachi (All Districts) | DUHS / JSMU | 88.2% – 90.5% |
Public Sector Medical Colleges — MBBS (Sindh)
| # | Medical College | City | Closing Merit (Approx.) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Dow Medical College (DMC) | Karachi | 88.50% – 90.20% |
| 2 | Jinnah Sindh Medical University (JSMU) | Karachi | 87.80% – 89.10% |
| 3 | Sindh Medical College (SMC) | Karachi | 86.40% – 87.90% |
| 4 | KMDC (Karachi Medical & Dental College) | Karachi | 85.10% – 86.80% |
| 5 | Liaquat Univ. of Medical & Health Sciences (LUMHS) | Jamshoro | 84.50% – 86.20% |
| 6 | PUMHS (For Girls Only) | Nawabshah | 81.40% – 83.50% |
| 7 | SMBBMU (Chandka Medical College) | Larkana | 80.90% – 82.80% |
| 8 | Khairpur Medical College | Khairpur | 79.50% – 81.60% |
| 9 | Shaheed Mohtarma Benazir Bhutto MC | Lyari | 78.40% – 80.50% |
Public Sector Dental Colleges — BDS (Sindh)
Dental merit in Sindh usually closes 1–2% lower than MBBS at the same university.
| # | Dental College | City | Closing Merit (Approx.) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Dr. Ishrat-ul-Ebad Khan Inst. of Oral Health | Karachi | 86.10% |
| 2 | KMDC (Dental Section) | Karachi | 83.90% |
| 3 | Sindh Institute of Oral Health (SIOHS) | Karachi | 85.40% |
| 4 | LUMHS (Dental Section) | Jamshoro | 82.30% |
Private Sector Medical Colleges — Sindh
| College | City | Closing Merit (Approx.) |
|---|---|---|
| Aga Khan University (AKU) | Karachi | Independent Test & Interview |
| Ziauddin Medical University | Karachi | 82.00% – 84.50% |
| Liaquat National Medical College | Karachi | 80.50% – 82.00% |
| Baqai Medical University | Karachi | 75.00% – 78.00% |
| Hamdard College of Medicine | Karachi | 74.00% – 76.50% |
If MDCAT remains at the 180-MCQ format, expect Karachi closing merit to push closer to 89–91%, while rural districts will likely fluctuate between 79% and 82% depending on FSc result trends in those areas.
6. Balochistan — Quota System & Closing Merit
Admissions in Balochistan are almost entirely governed by a District and Divisional Quota System. Unlike Punjab or Sindh, there are very few provincial open-merit seats. Instead, seats are divided among 30+ districts, and a student from a specific district (e.g., Gwadar) competes only against other students from Gwadar for the seats allocated to that district.
The Bolan University of Medical and Health Sciences (BUMHS) in Quetta is the main admitting body for all public medical colleges.
- Domicile: You must hold a Permanent Residence Certificate (PRC) and domicile of Balochistan. Dual domicile is strictly prohibited and can lead to disqualification.
- Reciprocal Seats: Balochistan students have a "Goodwill" quota in Punjab and Sindh. These seats are highly coveted and usually require an aggregate above 90%.
- Aggregate Formula: Standard 10% Matric, 40% FSc, 50% MDCAT.
- Official Portal: bumhs.edu.pk
Public Sector Medical Colleges — MBBS (Balochistan)
| # | Medical College | City | Closing Merit (District Quota) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Bolan Medical College (BMC) | Quetta | 85% – 89% (Quetta/Urban) |
| 2 | Mekran Medical College (MMC) | Turbat | 82% – 86% (Mekran Division) |
| 3 | Loralai Medical College (LMC) | Loralai | 81% – 85% (Loralai Division) |
| 4 | Jhalawan Medical College (JMC) | Khuzdar | 80% – 84% (Kalat Division) |
Balochistan District Quota — Merit by Category
| Category / District | Nature | Closing Merit (Approx.) |
|---|---|---|
| Remote Districts (Awaran, Kohlu, Musakhail) | Lowest competition | 76% – 80% |
| Interior Districts (Khuzdar, Panjgur, Zhob) | Mid-level competition | 81% – 84% |
| Divisional Merit (Nasirabad, Sibi Divisions) | Division-level | 83% – 85% |
| Provincial Open Merit | All Balochistan | 86% – 88% |
| Quetta District (Urban) | Most competitive | 88% – 90% |
BDS (Dental): Balochistan has one public dental institution — Bolan Medical & Dental College (Dental Section), Quetta (~50 seats). BDS closing merit is typically 1–1.5% lower than MBBS for the same district.
7. AJK — District Quota & Reciprocal Seats
Admissions in Azad Jammu & Kashmir (AJK) are managed by the Joint Admission Committee (JAC). AJK follows a district-based quota system, where seats are allocated to the ten districts of the state as well as to refugees (1947/1989 categories). Apply at jac.ajk.gov.pk.
Public Sector Medical Colleges — MBBS (AJK 2025-26)
| # | Medical College | City | Closing Merit (Approx.) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Mohtarma Benazir Bhutto Shaheed MC (MBBSMC) | Mirpur | 91.10% – 93.50% |
| 2 | Azad Jammu & Kashmir Medical College (AJKMC) | Muzaffarabad | 90.50% – 93.00% |
| 3 | Poonch Medical College (PMC) | Rawalakot | 89.90% – 92.50% |
AJK District Quota — Closing Merit by District
| District / Category | Closing Merit (Approx.) |
|---|---|
| Refugees 1989 | 82.5% – 84.0% |
| Haveli / Jhelum Valley | 86.8% – 88.5% |
| Neelum / Sudhnuti | 87.5% – 89.2% |
| Bagh / Poonch | 89.8% – 91.5% |
| Bhimber / Kotli | 90.5% – 92.2% |
| Mirpur / Muzaffarabad | 91.2% – 93.4% |
| Refugees 1947 (settled in Pakistan) | 92.5% – 94.0% |
A unique feature for AJK students is the Reciprocal Quota. High-achieving students from AJK are nominated for seats in top-tier colleges across Pakistan:
- Punjab: KEMU, AIMC, and other leading Punjab public colleges
- KPK: Ayub Medical College (AMC), Khyber Medical College (KMC)
- Sindh: Dow Medical University (DUHS)
- Merit required: Typically above 93.5% aggregate — highly competitive
Self-Finance (AJK): State Subject Self-Finance seats are generally 2–4% lower merit than district open merit, but fees are significantly higher.
8. Official Resources
| Province / Authority | Official Portal | Purpose |
|---|---|---|
| PMDC (National) | pmdc.pk | National regulations, recognized college lists |
| Punjab (UHS) | uhs.edu.pk | Punjab MBBS/BDS admissions |
| KPK (KMU CAS) | cas.kmu.edu.pk | KPK centralized admissions |
| Sindh — Karachi | jsmu.edu.pk | Karachi / JSMU admissions |
| Sindh — Interior | lumhs.edu.pk | Interior Sindh admissions |
| Sindh — Upper | smbbmu.edu.pk | Upper Sindh admissions |
| Balochistan | bumhs.edu.pk | Balochistan admissions |
| AJK | jac.ajk.gov.pk | AJK Joint Admission Committee |
9. Frequently Asked Questions
What is the MDCAT aggregate formula for 2026?
Aggregate % = (Matric Marks / Total Matric × 10) + (FSc Marks / Total FSc × 40) + (MDCAT Marks / 180 × 50). Example: Matric 1000/1100, FSc 1000/1100, MDCAT 160/180 → Aggregate = 89.89%.
What are the passing marks for MDCAT 2026?
You must score at least 55% (99/180) for MBBS and 50% (90/180) for BDS. Passing the MDCAT does not guarantee admission — you must also rank competitively on your chosen college's merit list.
What aggregate do I need for KEMU (King Edward)?
KEMU is the most competitive public medical college in Pakistan. Closing merit typically ranges from 93.50% to 94.20%. You need both a very high MDCAT score (close to 180) and 92%+ in FSc to be competitive.
Does Sindh use district quota for medical admissions?
Yes. Sindh uses a district-based quota system for public colleges. You can only compete for Open Merit seats in colleges tagged to your domicile district. Karachi domicile holders face the highest competition (88–90%); rural districts have lower closing merits (78–82%).
How does Balochistan admission work?
Balochistan uses a district and divisional quota system. Students compete only within their own district for allocated seats. Quetta urban students face the highest merit (88–90%); students from remote districts like Awaran or Kohlu may secure seats with 76–80%. Domicile and PRC are strictly required.
Can AJK students get seats in other provinces?
Yes — through the AJK Reciprocal Quota. High-achieving AJK students can be nominated for seats at KEMU, AIMC (Punjab), AMC/KMC (KPK), and DUHS (Sindh). These reciprocal seats are highly competitive and usually require an aggregate above 93.5%.
