Karachi: More than 33,000 candidates will compete for 5,100 MBBS and BDS seats in MDCAT 2026 across Sindh. The medical college admission test will be held on August 16 at designated examination centres throughout the province, including Karachi.
According to Professor Dr. Asif Sheikh, Vice Chancellor of Sukkur IBA, which is conducting the test, over 33,500 candidates are expected to appear, including 20,934 female and more than 12,600 male candidates.
Dr. Siraj Memon, Vice Chancellor of Jinnah Sindh Medical University (JSMU), stated that Sindh has 5,100 seats available for medical education, including 2,300 MBBS and 2,800 BDS seats. This year, JSMU has been assigned responsibility for the province's admission process.
Karachi will have the largest number of candidates, with 10,661 applicants, including 8,186 females and 2,475 males. Other examination centres include Hyderabad (9,470 candidates), Sukkur (5,462), Larkana (3,066), Shaheed Benazirabad (2,511), Mirpurkhas (2,067), while a special examination centre in Islamabad will accommodate 300 candidates.
Officials said the Karachi examination centre will be established at NED University, where a separate waiting area has also been arranged for parents. Candidates have been instructed to arrive at their centres by 6:30 a.m., while the test will begin at 10:00 a.m.
The examination will consist of 180 multiple-choice questions to be completed within three hours. Candidates must secure at least 55% marks for MBBS admission and 50% for BDS admission. No negative marking will be applied.
To ensure transparency, Sukkur IBA will upload the official answer key after the examination. Candidates will also receive carbon copies of their answer sheets for personal reference, while the results are expected by August 22, 2026.
