After months of preparation, MDCAT comes down to three hours on one morning. How you spend that day, and the night before it, can add or cost you several marks. Nothing here replaces preparation, but these are the habits that let your preparation show on paper.
This guide covers the day before, the morning of the test, a time plan for the three hours, and the small techniques that protect marks in a paper-based test.
The day before
- Revise lightly. Go through your short notes, comparison tables and formula sheet. Do not start a new topic or a full-length paper.
- Prepare your documents. Print your admit card and keep it with your original CNIC or B-Form, plus anything else the official instructions ask for. Check the list of what is allowed; phones and smart watches are not.
- Check the route to your centre and how long it takes at that time of morning.
- Sleep early. A rested brain recalls far more than a tired one that revised an extra hour.
The morning of the test
- Eat a normal breakfast. Nothing heavy or new.
- Leave early. Gates close before the start time, and traffic near test centres is heavy.
- Keep your documents in your hand, not buried in a bag.
- Do not discuss "important topics" outside the centre. Last-minute panic from other students helps nobody.
A time plan for the three hours
MDCAT has 180 MCQs in 3 hours, about one minute per question. Biology MCQs are usually quicker than Physics, so plan by subject:
Practise this plan in your full-length papers beforehand, so on the day it feels normal rather than new. More in the MDCAT paper pattern.
Techniques that protect marks
Use two passes
On the first pass, answer everything you can solve quickly and confidently. If a question will take more than about a minute and a half, mark your best guess, note the question number on your rough sheet, and move on. Come back to these on the second pass. One stubborn Physics numerical should never cost you five easy Biology marks.
Never leave a question blank
There is no negative marking in MDCAT. A blank is a guaranteed zero; a guess has a chance. Make sure every question has an answer before time runs out.
Read the stem twice
"Not", "except", "incorrect" and "most likely" change the answer completely. Many careless mistakes come from reading a question once and answering the question you expected.
Eliminate options
If you are unsure, cross out the options you know are wrong. Choosing between two is far better odds than choosing between four.
Take care with the answer sheet
MDCAT is paper-based. Fill each bubble completely with the pen or pencil the instructions specify, and check every few questions that the question number on the sheet matches the question you are answering. Shifting one line down can ruin a whole section.
If you panic
It happens to almost everyone at some point in the paper. Put the pen down, breathe slowly for ten seconds, skip to a subject you are comfortable with, and come back later. One hard section does not decide your result.
"The tests prepared me to concentrate for a long stretch, which is not the same as solving a few questions comfortably at home. ePrepare helped me practise that focus and then look back at my mistakes."
Jamshaid Qureshi, 174 in MDCAT 2026
The last 10 minutes
- Fill in any remaining blanks with your best guess.
- Check that each bubble is filled clearly and that there is only one answer per question.
- Go back to marked questions only if every question already has an answer.
After the test
Do not spend the evening checking answer keys on social media. Rest. Then, when the result comes, use the aggregate calculator and plan your admission applications calmly.
Frequently asked questions
What should I take to the MDCAT exam centre?
Your admit card and your original CNIC or B-Form, plus whatever else the official instructions list. Phones, smart watches and other electronic devices are not allowed.
Is there negative marking in MDCAT?
No. Attempt every question.
How much time should I spend on each MCQ?
About one minute on average. Biology and English questions are usually quicker, which leaves extra time for Physics calculations.
Should I study on the night before MDCAT?
Only light revision of short notes and formulas, then sleep early. A new topic the night before adds stress, not marks.
Practise exam day before exam day
The best way to feel calm on test day is to have done it many times already. Register on ePrepare for full-length papers under real MDCAT timing, so the three hours, the time plan and the pressure all feel familiar long before the real thing.
