Is ETEA or KMU conducting KP's medical entrance test in 2026?

As of the most recent reporting available, this had not been finally decided. KMU has conducted the test since 2024 following a cabinet decision, but the ETEA Act 2026, promulgated on May 4, 2026, has created a live legal and political dispute about whether that arrangement can continue. Check both KMU's and ETEA's official websites directly closer to your exam date rather than assuming either one based on past years.

Why did KMU take over from ETEA in the first place?

ETEA's September 2023 medical entrance test was cancelled after a joint investigation team found mass cheating, including use of Bluetooth devices, with 219 students caught. The Peshawar High Court upheld the cancellation, KMU re-conducted the test that November, and in mid-2024 the provincial cabinet formally made KMU the permanent admitting university starting with the 2024-25 session.

Is KP's medical entrance test a separate exam from MDCAT?

No. Whichever body administers it, KP's provincial test is conducted on PMDC-approved dates following the PMDC-set MDCAT pattern, and counts as that province's MDCAT for admission purposes — it isn't an additional exam layered on top of a separate national one.

Who Conducts KP's Medical Entrance Test in 2026? ETEA, KMU & The Unresolved Fight

2024KMU Took Over

May 4, 2026ETEA Act Passed

UnresolvedCurrent Status

⚠️ Read this before anything else on this page

As of the most recent reporting we could find, the KP government had not made a final decision about whether KMU or ETEA will conduct the medical entrance test going forward. This is an active, live dispute, not settled history. Anything below explains how we got here — it is not a guarantee of who runs your specific exam cycle. Before relying on anything here, check KMU's website (kmu.edu.pk) and ETEA's website (etea.edu.pk) directly for the latest official notice.

How We Got Here

For roughly 23 years, the Educational Testing and Evaluation Agency (ETEA) — a KP government body that also runs engineering entrance tests and various job recruitment exams — conducted the province's medical entrance test, often still casually called "ETEA MDCAT" out of habit even years after that changed.

Sept 10, 2023ETEA conducts the medical entrance test. A joint investigation team later finds mass cheating, including Bluetooth devices — 219 students caught.

Sept 28, 2023Provincial cabinet cancels the test; Peshawar High Court upholds the cancellation.

Nov 26, 2023KMU re-conducts the test. Comparative results show many high scorers from the cancelled ETEA sitting fail to qualify the second time.

Jun-Jul 2024Provincial cabinet formally names KMU the permanent admitting university, effective the 2024-25 session onward.

2024 & 2025KMU conducts the test both years, widely viewed as transparent with no major irregularities reported.

May 4, 2026The ETEA Act 2026 is promulgated. ETEA's leadership states this may legally require the agency, not KMU, to conduct future exams.

According to reporting from The News in mid-May 2026, officials pushing to shift authority back to ETEA argued that KMU's 2024 mandate was only an executive cabinet decision, not permanent legislation — while ETEA's founding 2001 ordinance plus the new 2026 Act give it actual legal grounding. Health department officials pushed back, defending KMU's track record and raising concerns about who benefits from disrupting it. ETEA's own Executive Director told the paper plainly that no final decision had been made.

If ETEA's Format Returns

For reference, here's what ETEA's medical entrance test looked like the last time it ran, in case this format resurfaces:

Total MCQs

200 (Biology 80, Chemistry 60, Physics 40, English 20)

Negative Marking

None

Syllabus

KP Textbook Board FSc books

This differs from KMU's recent MDCAT format (180 MCQs, national PMDC pattern) and from the national MDCAT weightage used elsewhere — worth knowing if the testing body changes back, since your prep emphasis could shift slightly.

What This Means Either Way

📋

It's still "the" MDCAT for KPWhichever body administers it, the test is conducted on PMDC-approved dates and counts as your province's MDCAT — it isn't a separate exam layered on top of a different national one.

🔍

Don't assume based on last yearGiven the live dispute, the safest move is checking both kmu.edu.pk and etea.edu.pk directly as your exam date approaches, rather than trusting any single source — including this page once enough time has passed.

🧪

Your core content prep barely changesBiology, Chemistry, Physics, and English content overlaps heavily regardless of which body sets the paper — the administrative authority matters for registration and logistics, not really for how you study.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is ETEA or KMU conducting KP's test in 2026?

Not finally decided as of the most recent reporting available. Check both organizations' official websites directly before your exam.

Why did KMU take over from ETEA?

ETEA's 2023 exam was cancelled after mass cheating was discovered. KMU re-ran it cleanly, and the provincial cabinet made the switch permanent in 2024.

Is this a separate exam from the national MDCAT?

No — it's KP's provincial version of MDCAT, conducted under PMDC's approved pattern and dates, regardless of which agency administers it.

Who actually runs KP's medical entrance test right now? Even the people in charge aren't fully sure yet.