UHS MDCAT 2026 vs 2025: Punjab Results Compared Year on Year

Did Punjab candidates do better or worse in MDCAT 2026 than a year earlier? The University of Health Sciences (UHS) has now published two consecutive results, which lets us compare the headline numbers. This article does the arithmetic and explains why year-on-year comparisons need care.

Item	MDCAT 2025 (UHS)	MDCAT 2026 (UHS)
Exam date	26 October 2025	20 September 2026
Candidates appeared	47,772	47,475
Achieved 50% or more	42,048	40,457
Achieved 55% or more (MBBS)	Not found in the sources reviewed	37,708
Result announced	After 26 Oct 2025	24 September 2026

The 2025 figures come from a published report stating that 47,772 candidates appeared and 42,048 achieved more than 50%. The 2026 figures come from UHS's published breakdown.

Qualifying rate at the 50% mark

• 2025: 42,048 ÷ 47,772 ≈ 88.0%
• 2026: 40,457 ÷ 47,475 = 85.2%

That is a drop of roughly 2.8 percentage points. In absolute terms, about 1,591 fewer candidates (a 3.8% fall) cleared 50% in 2026.

Candidates appearing

Participation was almost flat: 47,475 appeared in 2026 versus 47,772 in 2025, a difference of 297, or about 0.6%.

The 2026 MBBS qualifying rate

For the 55% threshold, 37,708 of 47,475 candidates qualified in 2026, which is 79.43%. We did not find a comparable 2025 MBBS-threshold figure in the sources reviewed, so we cannot compare that line.

UHS's 2026 marks bands showed:

Marks (of 180)	Candidates	Share
170–180	1,772	3.73%
160–169	6,682	14.07%
150–159	6,260	13.19%

About 31% of candidates scored 150 or above. We did not find equivalent 2025 band data, so we can't say whether the top end moved.

1. Different papers. Every cycle uses a new paper. Difficulty varies, so a lower pass rate may reflect a harder paper rather than weaker candidates, or the reverse.
2. Different timing. The 2026 exam was held about five weeks earlier in the calendar (20 September versus 26 October) than 2025's, which gave candidates a different preparation window. Both years saw rescheduling: 2025's date moved because of floods, and 2026's moved from 16 August.
3. Different candidate mix. The share of repeaters versus first-time candidates changes year to year.
4. Wording of thresholds. The 2025 report said "more than 50%", while 2026 reporting says "50% or above", a small difference that could shift numbers slightly.
5. Policy shifts. Administration, security measures and syllabus tweaks vary.

So, a 2.8-point dip is interesting but is not proof that Punjab students performed worse.

• Most candidates qualify. In both years, well over four in five cleared 50%.
• Qualifying is not admitting. With roughly 22,000 seats nationally, merit ranking does the real sorting.
• MDCAT is only part of merit. Your FSc and matric marks still matter under each university's formula.

1. Don't rely on last year's difficulty. Prepare for the full syllabus and a range of difficulty.
2. Target the top band. With about 31% of Punjab candidates at 150+, a score near the minimum won't be competitive for public seats.
3. Expect changing dates. Both 2025 and 2026 were rescheduled, and the government has proposed holding MDCAT within days of FSc results from 2027. See our 2027 timing explainer.
4. Practise across boards. Papers differ by province; past papers from UHS, KMU, NUMS, Sindh and BUMHS show the variety.
5. Track your own data. Use your results in mock tests, not national averages, to set targets.

Based on published reports of UHS results as of 9 October 2026. Percentages calculated by DIFF. MDCAT from reported figures.

Practice MCQs → · Past papers →

Checked on 9 October 2026. News reports are attributed reporting; allegations and committee proposals are not final findings or notified rules. Confirm deadlines and eligibility with the responsible authority.

• UHS 2026 results report
• UHS 2025 results report
• Official UHS results