Every year we get the same three questions from students who want an army-linked medical college: which colleges come under NUMS, how much do they cost, and how do I get into Army Medical College? The answers are spread across a dozen NUMS notices and PDFs, and some of what is repeated online is out of date. The biggest change: for session 2026-27, NUMS lists Army Medical College as "For Medical Cadets Only".
NUMS is the National University of Medical Sciences, Rawalpindi. It is the admitting university for its own constituent college, its private sector affiliated colleges and all the Armed Forces administered medical and dental colleges. It runs its own entry test, the NUMS MDCAT (Medical and Dental College Admission Test), separate from the PM&DC (Pakistan Medical and Dental Council) MDCAT that provincial universities use.
We read NUMS's own advertisements, application instructions and merit lists for sessions 2024-25, 2025-26 and 2026-27 to put this page together. Where NUMS has not published something, we say so.
The short answer: for session 2026-27, NUMS admits to 15 medical and 7 dental colleges: Army Medical College (AMC) and its dental section in Rawalpindi, 8 private sector affiliated medical colleges (the CMH colleges, HITEC, KIMS, QIMS and Wah), 4 affiliated dental colleges, and 6 medical plus 2 dental Armed Forces administered colleges (Bahria, Fazaia, Foundation University and NUST). AMC MBBS is for medical cadets only this session. Everyone else applies on open merit or a foreign seat through one NUMS application. You must pass the NUMS MDCAT (55% for MBBS, 50% for BDS) and have at least 60% in FSc. Merit = 50% NUMS MDCAT + 40% FSc + 10% Matric. Each college sets its own fee; for 2026-27, first-year MBBS costs Rs 14.8 lakh at QIMS and Rs 22.5 lakh at HITEC-IMS.
NUMS medical colleges list
NUMS's MDCAT-2026 advertisement names every college that admits through its test. It sorts them into three groups. The group matters, because it tells you who runs the college and how its seats are filled.
1. Constituent college (public)
| College | Programme | Who can apply in 2026-27 |
|---|---|---|
| Army Medical College, Rawalpindi | MBBS | Medical cadets only |
| Dental Section, Army Medical College, Rawalpindi | BDS | Open merit (auto-selected on the NUMS form) |
2. Private sector affiliated colleges
| Medical college (MBBS) | City |
|---|---|
| CMH Institute of Medical Sciences | Bahawalpur Cantt |
| CMH Kharian Medical College | Kharian Cantt |
| CMH Lahore Medical College and Institute of Dentistry | Lahore Cantt |
| CMH Multan Institute of Medical Sciences | Multan Cantt |
| HITEC Institute of Medical Sciences | Taxila Cantt |
| Karachi Institute of Medical Sciences (KIMS) | Malir Cantt, Karachi |
| Quetta Institute of Medical Sciences (QIMS) | Quetta Cantt |
| Wah Medical College | Wah Cantt |
The affiliated dental colleges (BDS) are CIMS Dental College, Multan; CMH Lahore Medical College and Institute of Dentistry; HITEC Dental College, Taxila; and Quetta College of Dentistry.
3. Armed Forces administered colleges
| College | City | Programmes |
|---|---|---|
| Bahria University Medical and Dental College | Karachi | MBBS and BDS |
| Bahria University College of Medicine | Islamabad | MBBS |
| Fazaia Medical College | Islamabad | MBBS |
| Fazaia Ruth Pfau Medical College | Karachi | MBBS |
| Foundation University Medical College | Islamabad | MBBS |
| Foundation University College of Dentistry | Islamabad | BDS |
| NUST School of Health Sciences | Islamabad | MBBS |
NUMS says its subject test is mandatory for admission in all of these colleges. The PM&DC MDCAT result does not get you into any of them. If you are aiming for both NUMS and a provincial university, you sit both tests. Our PMDC MDCAT vs NUMS MDCAT comparison shows exactly where the two syllabuses differ.
Seats: NUMS's advertisements do not print the number of seats in each college, so we have not listed seat counts here. Check each college's page or the NUMS merit lists for that.
Army Medical College admission: what changed
Army Medical College (AMC) in Rawalpindi is NUMS's constituent public sector college. NUMS's 2024-25 advertisement describes it as established in 1977, with the dental section added in 1998, and that year it admitted the 49th MBBS batch and the 27th BDS batch.
Here is how its admission has changed in NUMS's own notices:
- Session 2024-25: NUMS ran a separate AMC admission with open merit seats for Pakistani citizens (including AJK and Gilgit-Baltistan) and foreign seats for dual nationals and overseas Pakistanis. It published a merit list of the top 500 open merit candidates.
- Session 2025-26: NUMS's centralized admission advertisement listed the Dental Section of AMC among the dental colleges, but did not list AMC's MBBS programme among the colleges open to open merit and foreign seat applicants.
- Session 2026-27: the MDCAT-2026 advertisement lists the college as "Army Medical College, Rawalpindi (For Medical Cadets Only)". The Dental Section is still open, and NUMS's application instructions say it is auto-selected for BDS applicants.
So if you are a civilian student hoping for an open merit MBBS seat at AMC in 2026-27, NUMS's notices do not offer one. Your NUMS options for MBBS are the private sector affiliated and Armed Forces administered colleges.
Medical cadets and paying cadets
A medical cadet is selected by the Pakistan Army, not through NUMS's open merit list. NUMS's notices do not describe how medical cadets are selected, their age limits or their marks criteria, so we will not guess. What NUMS does say: the NUMS MDCAT is mandatory for every college it lists, AMC included. For cadet selection, follow the Pakistan Army's official recruitment notices on joinpakarmy.gov.pk.
Paying cadets are a separate group. NUMS's 2025-26 advertisement tells candidates applying as Paying Cadets to W&R Dte, GHQ (the army's Welfare and Rehabilitation Directorate) to apply on open merit through the NUMS online portal for the affiliated and Armed Forces administered colleges.
Armed forces children: people often ask whether sons and daughters of army personnel get reserved seats. No such category appears in the NUMS notices we read. If a particular college runs one, it will be in that college's own notice, not in NUMS's centralized advertisement.
NUMS seat categories
| Category | Who can apply | Test needed |
|---|---|---|
| Open merit | Pakistani citizens, including AJK and Gilgit-Baltistan. Dual nationals and overseas Pakistanis may also apply. | NUMS MDCAT: 55% for MBBS, 50% for BDS |
| Foreign seat | Permanent foreign nationals, overseas Pakistanis, Green card, Iqama or Maple card holders | NUMS MDCAT (55% / 50%), or MCAT (USA) or UCAT (UK) with 50% |
| Balochistan seats at QIMS | Balochistan domicile holders only: "Open Merit – Baluchistan" and "Wards of Law Enforcement Agency of Baluchistan" | NUMS MDCAT, same pass marks |
| AMC MBBS | Medical cadets only (2026-27) | NUMS MDCAT is mandatory |
Inside each category, NUMS places students by merit cum candidate preference: everyone is ranked by aggregate, and each student gets the highest college on their own preference list that still has a seat. On the 2026-27 form you set your order for the affiliated colleges yourself, while the constituent and attached colleges are selected automatically. Dual nationals and overseas Pakistanis can apply on both open merit and foreign seats, and pay for each.
If you hold a Balochistan domicile, read our Balochistan MBBS and BDS admission guide too, because BUMHS seats are a separate route.
NUMS eligibility criteria
- NUMS MDCAT pass: at least 55% for MBBS and 50% for BDS, in the NUMS MDCAT of the same year. NUMS says each year's test is valid for that session only.
- FSc: at least 60% aggregate marks in FSc (Pre-Medical) or equivalent, with twelve years of education and at least Biology, Chemistry and either Physics or Mathematics.
- O and A level: you must upload the IBCC (Inter Board Committee of Chairmen) equivalence certificate when you apply, or NUMS says your application will be rejected. Our IBCC equivalence guide explains how to get it.
- Identity: a CNIC is mandatory at admission for students aged 18 and above. Below 18, NUMS asks for a B-Form or NADRA Juvenile card.
- Attested certificates: Matric and FSc certificates from a BISE (Board of Intermediate and Secondary Education) must be IBCC attested. In 2025-26 NUMS let students apply without attestation and submit attested copies at the college at admission.
Not sure what the pass marks mean in MCQs? See MDCAT passing marks.
The NUMS MDCAT and how it is reported
The NUMS MDCAT has two parts. Paper I is 150 one-best-answer MCQs in 2 hours 45 minutes. In 2026 that was Biology 55, Chemistry 40, Physics 40 and English 15. Paper II is a 50-MCQ psychological test in 15 minutes. There is no negative marking. Our full breakdown is in negative marking in MDCAT, and the complete 2026 Paper I with explanations is in the NUMS paper with answer key.
How the score is expressed: NUMS states its pass marks as percentages (55% and 50%), and its merit formula takes the test at 50% weight, so you work with your NUMS test percentage. NUMS's 2025 syllabus counts 200 MCQs in all (150 plus 50). Its 2026 table of specifications gives the psychological test a 5% weight, and its 2024 advertisement said Part A carried 95% and Part B 5%. NUMS has not published a worked example showing exactly how Paper II is scored into the total, so use the percentage printed on your own NUMS result.
Test dates move. NUMS advertised the 2025 test for 14 September 2025, and its later admission notice says it was held on 28 September 2025. The 2026 test was advertised for 23 August 2026, and NUMS's admission instructions say it was held on 13 September 2026. Always go by the latest notice and your admit card.
NUMS merit formula
NUMS's admission advertisements give the same weightage every year:
| Part | Weight |
|---|---|
| Entry test: NUMS MDCAT (or a valid MCAT/UCAT for foreign seats) | 50% |
| HSSC / FSc (Pre-Medical) or equivalent (A level, 12th grade) | 40% |
| SSC / Matric or equivalent (O level, 10th grade) | 10% |
In plain numbers: Aggregate = NUMS % × 0.5 + FSc % × 0.4 + Matric % × 0.1. A student with 80% in the NUMS MDCAT, 1000/1100 in FSc (90.91%) and 1050/1100 in Matric (95.45%) gets 40.00 + 36.36 + 9.55 = 85.91.
Work out your own with the NUMS merit calculator: enter your NUMS percentage, FSc and Matric marks.
How high did NUMS merit go in 2025-26?
NUMS published a sixth selection and upgradation list for each private sector affiliated medical college on 27 January 2026. This is the lowest aggregate on each college's sixth list for MBBS open merit, session 2025-26:
| College | Lowest aggregate on the sixth list | Highest on the same list |
|---|---|---|
| CMH Multan Institute of Medical Sciences | 86.5380 | 92.1017 |
| CMH Lahore Medical College | 85.3227 | 92.0077 |
| CMH Institute of Medical Sciences, Bahawalpur | 84.8045 | 91.9515 |
| CMH Kharian Medical College | 84.4790 | 92.7136 |
| Wah Medical College | 84.1045 | 92.5847 |
| HITEC Institute of Medical Sciences, Taxila | 83.9712 | 89.2909 |
| Karachi Institute of Medical Sciences | 83.8453 | 87.3258 |
The Balochistan domicile list for QIMS is separate: its sixth list ran from 81.9880 down to 81.5864. These are last session's figures. Next year's will depend on the paper and on how many students apply, so treat them as a guide, not a promise.
NUMS fee structure
There are two kinds of fees. NUMS charges for the test and the application. Each college then charges its own tuition, and NUMS's selection lists tell selected students to pay a NUMS admission confirmation fee first and then the college's dues.
Fees NUMS charges
| What | Regular fee | Late fee |
|---|---|---|
| NUMS MDCAT 2026, centres in Pakistan | Rs 7,500 | Rs 8,500 |
| NUMS MDCAT 2026, international centre (KSA) | Rs 40,000 | Rs 50,000 |
| Admission application 2026-27, open merit | Rs 8,500 | Rs 9,500 |
| Admission application 2026-27, foreign seat | Rs 50,000 | Rs 55,000 |
All of these are non-refundable. For comparison, the open merit application fee was Rs 7,500 in 2025-26 and Rs 6,200 in 2024-25.
College tuition: two published examples
NUMS's notices do not list each college's tuition for Pakistani students; the fee details come in your admission offer letter. Two colleges have published their 2026-27 MBBS fee on their own websites:
| MBBS, session 2026-27 | HITEC-IMS, Taxila | QIMS, Quetta |
|---|---|---|
| 1st-year tuition | Rs 2,100,000 | Rs 1,156,320 |
| 1st-year total | Rs 2,250,500 | Rs 1,481,500 |
| 5-year total | Rs 12,256,327 | Rs 8,625,280 |
| Foreign seat | US$12,000 a year, with hostel, messing and transport | US$14,400 a year tuition, plus Rs 130,000 one-time |
| Hostel (Pakistani students) | Rs 40,000 to 45,000 a month with messing | Rs 208,600 a year, mess extra |
HITEC-IMS's total includes PM&DC and university registration, an exam fee and a university affiliation fee of 5.5% of tuition. It notes that tuition may vary under PM&DC instructions. QIMS's total includes allied charges and one-time charges, and QIMS lists a 4% discount for paying the full fee at once. QIMS's table shows US$14,000 for the third year in one cell but US$14,400 in its subtotal, so confirm that figure with the college. For any other NUMS college, check its own website before you fill your preferences, because the difference over five years can be more than Rs 30 lakh.
For reference, NUMS's own older fee sheet for foreign students listed Army Medical College at US$13,200 a year and most affiliated colleges at US$18,000. That sheet is several sessions old, so do not budget from it.
How to apply: NUMS admission step by step
Admission is a separate application from the test. NUMS's 2026-27 instructions set out six steps:
- Log in with the same CNIC, B-Form, Juvenile card, NICOP or passport number and password you used to register for the NUMS MDCAT. (MCAT, UCAT or SAT-II candidates for foreign seats sign up fresh.)
- Profile: most details come across from your MDCAT form. You add your father's or guardian's details, CNIC image, occupation and income, your mother's occupation and income, and your domicile.
- Test information is fetched automatically for NUMS MDCAT candidates.
- Academic information: enter your marks and upload the documents.
- Category and college preference: choose open merit and/or foreign seat. Apply for MBBS first, then tick BDS. Set your order for the affiliated colleges, then click "Save preferences". Balochistan domicile holders also choose their QIMS category here.
- Pay and submit: pay by card, Kuickpay ID through internet or mobile banking, or a challan at any Askari Bank branch. Then give the undertaking, preview, and submit.
NUMS does not want printouts. Keep your application and paid voucher for your own record. Once submitted, you cannot change your data, so check every field first.
Documents you upload
- A recent coloured passport-size photo with a blue background
- Your CNIC, B-Form or Juvenile card, and your father's or guardian's CNIC or NICOP
- Matric/SSC certificate or result card (IBCC attested), or the IBCC equivalence certificate for O level
- FSc/HSSC Pre-Medical result card (IBCC attested), or the IBCC equivalence certificate for A level
- O and A level transcripts, where they apply
- Your NUMS MDCAT result (foreign seat applicants may use a valid MCAT or UCAT instead)
- For the Balochistan Law Enforcement Agency wards category: the parent's service or retirement certificate, the Balochistan domicile and, if it applies, the Shahadat certificate
Improved FSc or A level results are accepted by email at [email protected] until the provisional merit list is displayed.
NUMS admission schedule
| Event, session 2026-27 | MBBS | BDS |
|---|---|---|
| Online admission registration opens | Tuesday 13 October 2026 | Same date |
| Last date, regular fee | Wednesday 11 November 2026, 4 pm | Same date |
| Last date, late fee | Wednesday 25 November 2026, 4 pm | Same date |
| Provisional merit list | Thursday 10 December 2026 | Same date |
| 1st selection list | Thursday 17 December 2026 | Thursday 21 January 2027 |
| Classes begin (tentative) | Monday 15 February 2027 | Monday 15 March 2027 |
After the first list, NUMS keeps posting selection and upgradation lists; in 2025-26 the sixth list came out on 27 January 2026. When you are selected, the 2025-26 lists gave students three days in total: two days to pay the NUMS admission confirmation fee, then one day to pay the college. You cannot pay the college before NUMS. Miss the deadline and the seat goes to the next student.
Our advice for NUMS aspirants
- Prepare for both tests. NUMS and PM&DC papers overlap a lot, but NUMS 2026 gave Physics 40 MCQs and English 15. Practise with our NUMS past papers.
- Know your target. In 2025-26, the lowest aggregates on the sixth lists ranged from about 83.8 to 86.5. With 90% in FSc and 95% in Matric, you would have needed about 77% to 82% in the NUMS test to land in that range.
- List every college you would really join. Merit cum preference means a college you leave off can never be offered to you.
- Check fees before you rank colleges. A seat you cannot pay for within three days is a seat you lose.
Frequently asked questions
How many medical colleges are under NUMS?
For session 2026-27, NUMS lists 15 medical colleges: Army Medical College (medical cadets only), 8 private sector affiliated colleges and 6 Armed Forces administered colleges. It also lists 7 dental colleges or sections.
Can a civilian get admission in Army Medical College?
For 2026-27, NUMS lists AMC MBBS as "For Medical Cadets Only", so its notices offer no open merit MBBS seat at AMC. The Dental Section of AMC is still open on open merit for BDS. Civilians can apply on open merit to the CMH, HITEC, KIMS, QIMS, Wah, Bahria, Fazaia, Foundation and NUST colleges.
Is the NUMS MDCAT result in marks or percentage?
NUMS states its pass marks as percentages, 55% for MBBS and 50% for BDS, and its merit formula takes the test at 50%. Enter the percentage on your NUMS result in the NUMS merit calculator.
What is the NUMS merit formula?
50% NUMS MDCAT, 40% FSc (HSSC) and 10% Matric (SSC). Foreign seat applicants may use a valid MCAT or UCAT in place of the NUMS test.
Is the PMDC MDCAT accepted for NUMS colleges?
No. NUMS says its own subject test is mandatory for admission in every college it lists.
What is the fee of CMH and other NUMS private colleges?
Each college sets its own fee. For 2026-27, first-year MBBS costs Rs 2,250,500 at HITEC-IMS and Rs 1,481,500 at QIMS, as published on their websites. Check each college's website for the rest.
Is there a quota for army officers' children in NUMS colleges?
No separate armed forces children category appears in NUMS's centralized admission notices. NUMS names open merit, foreign seats, Balochistan domicile seats at QIMS and, for AMC, medical cadets.
When does NUMS admission open?
For 2026-27, online registration opened on 13 October 2026. The regular fee deadline is 11 November 2026 and the late fee deadline is 25 November 2026.
The NUMS test rewards students who practise under real timing, because 150 MCQs in 2 hours 45 minutes leaves little room. Use our NUMS paper with answer key to see the level, then register on ePrepare for full-length papers, past papers and chapter tests that prepare you for both NUMS and PM&DC.
Sources: National University of Medical Sciences (numspak.edu.pk): NUMS MDCAT-2026 advertisement (college list, schedule, fees, pattern), NUMS MDCAT-2026 table of specifications, process to apply for MBBS/BDS 2026-27, centralized admissions 2026-27 (schedule, also published by Bahria University), centralized admission advertisement 2025-26 (eligibility, weightage, categories), the 2025 NUMS MDCAT advertisement and syllabus, the Army Medical College admission advertisement 2024-25, the 2024 NUMS MDCAT advertisement, NUMS's sixth selection lists for MBBS 2025-26 (27 January 2026) and NUMS's fee structure for foreign students. College fees: HITEC-IMS fee structure and QIMS fee structure. Rules, dates and fees change each session; always check the latest notice on numspak.edu.pk.
