The Pakistan Medical and Dental Council (PMDC) on Thursday announced the postponement of the Medical and Dental College Admission Test (MDCAT), 2026, saying it will be held on Sept. 20 against the previously notified Aug. 16.
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif directed delay following complaints from students, who said they were not being granted sufficient time to prepare for the exam.
In its statement, the PMDC said that all terms and arrangements would remain intact and directed students to get the latest information from its website.
The decision follows the PMDC making it mandatory for students seeking to pursue medical or dental studies abroad to qualify for the MDCAT and obtain registration before departure. It said Deputy Prime Minister Ishaq Dar had chaired a high-level committee overseeing the strengthening of the regulatory framework for medical and dental education in Pakistan.
According to the statement, a Sub-Committee on Accreditation of Medical and Dental Colleges and Postgraduate Qualifications had resolved that all students intending to pursue medical or dental education abroad must “mandatorily qualify for the MDCAT examination and obtain registration with the PMDC” before going abroad to avoid any future inconvenience during recognition, licensing, or registration.