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Sindh to hold MDCAT 2026 examination on Sept 20

Sindh

KARACHI: The Medical and Dental College Admission Test (MDCAT) for admission to medical and dental colleges in Sindh will be held Sunday, September 20, with examination centers established in seven cities across the province.

The test will be conducted in Karachi, Hyderabad, Jamshoro, Mirpurkhas, Larkana, Shaheed Benazirabad and Sukkur.

In Hyderabad, the Public School Unit No. 3 in Latifabad has been designated as the examination center. In Jamshoro, the test will be held at Liaquat University of Medical and Health Sciences.

Mir Sher Muhammad Talpur Public School has been designated as the center in Mirpurkhas, while the Police Training School Ground will host the examination in Larkana.

In Shaheed Benazirabad, the examination center will be at Quaid-e-Awam University of Engineering, Science and Technology. In Sukkur, candidates will take the test at IBA Public School on Old Airport Road.

The SIBA Testing Services said maps of the examination centers had also been released to help candidates. Separate entrance routes have been marked on the maps for the NED University and Dow University centers in Karachi.

SIBA Testing Services advised candidates to check their reporting time, examination center and designated entrance in advance.

The MDCAT examination will last three hours. Question papers will be collected from candidates after the examination, according to SIBA Testing Services.

PMA demands complete transparency in MDCAT 2026

PMA demands

KARACHI: The Pakistan Medical Association (PMA) has called for complete transparency and foolproof security in the upcoming Medical and Dental College Admission Test (MDCAT), scheduled for Sept. 20, 2026, while demanding an independent forensic audit of private medical and dental colleges across the country.

In a statement, the PMA said entrance tests such as the MDCAT remain necessary for assessing prospective medical students but stressed that long-term reforms should focus on improving primary and secondary education.

The association said previous MDCAT examinations have faced controversies, administrative problems and allegations of paper leaks under different testing bodies.

It urged authorities to ensure a secure and merit-based examination process so that future medical professionals are selected through a transparent system.

The PMA argued that a strong school education system should adequately prepare students for higher medical education.

It said bringing primary and secondary education up to international standards could eventually reduce reliance on centralized, high-stakes entrance examinations.

The association also expressed concern over what it described as the commercialization of medical education in Pakistan.

 It alleged that some private medical colleges operate with inadequate staffing, inefficient faculty structures and part-time teachers while seeking increases in the number of seats.

The PMA raised concerns about the quality of instruction at some institutions, alleging that non-specialized or inadequately qualified individuals have been involved in teaching undergraduate medical students.

It warned that poorly trained medical graduates could pose risks to public safety and result in the loss of valuable national resources.

The PMA called for an immediate and independent audit of private medical and dental colleges, including reviews of faculty qualifications, clinical facilities and physical infrastructure.

It also demanded strict legal and regulatory action against institutions that fail to meet minimum accreditation and educational standards.

The association further called on the government to strengthen public-sector medical universities, increase funding and expand the number of medical seats available to talented students from low- and middle-income families.

The PMA said high tuition fees and other financial barriers have made private medical education inaccessible to many deserving students.

It argued that expanding and strengthening public-sector institutions would help promote equal opportunity while protecting merit in medical education.

Sindh announces MDCAT 2026 entrance test schedule

Sindh announces

KARACHI: The Medical and Dental College Admission Test (MDCAT) 2026 for candidates in Sindh will be held on Sunday, Aug. 16, 2026, under the supervision of Sukkur IBA Testing Services (SIBA).

According to SIBA, examination centers have been established in Karachi, Hyderabad, Jamshoro, Larkana, Sukkur, Mirpur Khas, Shaheed Benazirabad, and Islamabad to facilitate candidates from across the province.

In Karachi, the test will be conducted at NED University, while candidates in Hyderabad will appear at Public School Latifabad. Other designated venues include Liaquat University of Medical and Health Sciences in Jamshoro, Mir Sher Muhammad Talpur Public School in Mirpur Khas, Police Training School Ground on Wagon Road in Larkana, Quaid-e-Awam University in Shaheed Benazirabad, and Sukkur IBA Public School on Old Airport Road in Sukkur. Sindh-based candidates who selected Islamabad as their examination city will take the test at the Pakistan National Council of the Arts (PNCA).

SIBA said the three-hour examination will begin as scheduled, and candidates are advised to arrive at their respective centers on time. No candidate will be allowed to leave the examination hall before the test concludes.