Sindh Health Department Refutes MDCAT 2026 Performance Allegations

What Was Announced

• The Sindh Health Department has submitted a response to the Pakistan Medical and Dental Council (PM&DC) refuting claims that Karachi students performed poorly in the 2026 Medical and Dental College Admission Test (MDCAT) [1, 2].
• This response follows a letter sent by the PM&DC to the Sindh Health Department on October 5, which requested an investigation into allegations and a report within two weeks [1, 2].
• The investigation was prompted by social media complaints alleging the question paper had been leaked and concerns raised by lawmakers regarding examination transparency [2].
• The federal government also approached the Sindh government to call for an independent and transparent inquiry [2].

According to the Sindh Health Department, an analysis of district-wise data and MDCAT results does not support allegations of poor performance by Karachi candidates [1, 2]. The department stated that 33,336 candidates appeared for the examination across Sindh, with 57.96 per cent of provincial candidates scoring 90 or more marks [1, 2].

Data provided by the department shows Karachi recorded the highest performance among the province’s divisions with an average score of 107.67 marks [1, 2]. Of the 9,505 candidates from Karachi, 66.98 per cent scored 90 or more marks, and 57.78 per cent secured 99 or more marks [1, 2]. The department noted that all districts in Karachi were among the nine best-performing districts in Sindh based on its analysis of results compiled by Sukkur IBA Testing Services (STS) [1, 2].

The performance of other divisions was reported as follows regarding candidates scoring 90 or more marks:

• Sukkur: 55.04 per cent [1, 2]
• Larkana: 54.50 per cent [1, 2]
• Shaheed Benazirabad: 53.62 per cent [1, 2]
• Hyderabad: 52.34 per cent [1, 2]

The Sindh government maintained that public medical college seats are allocated on a district-based basis under existing admission rules, meaning Karachi’s seats remain reserved for candidates with a Karachi domicile [1, 2]. The department stated that higher scores from other districts would not change this allocation and argued that candidates should not be viewed with suspicion based on their domicile [1, 2]. It also noted that students from various districts may prepare for exams in major cities like Karachi, Hyderabad, Sukkur, and Larkana [2].