KP to Conduct MDCAT Through ETEA From 2027

The provincial government in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa has authorized the Medical and Dental Colleges Admission Test (MDCAT) to be administered through the public sector Educational Testing and Evaluation Agency (ETEA) starting in 2027. This decision was made during a meeting of the provincial cabinet, led by Chief Minister Sohail Afridi.

Information Minister Shafi Jan revealed that a committee has been established to assess the technical and legal prerequisites for transferring the test to the ETEA. Presently, the ETEA operates 60 computer-based testing centers in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and other regions, capable of evaluating up to 26,000 candidates each day. Since transitioning to this system in September 2024, the agency has carried out over 1,300 computer-based tests for approximately 500,000 candidates.

The ETEA Ordinance of 2001 also permits the agency to conduct admission tests for professional colleges. In addition to the MDCAT decision, the cabinet approved the formation of a new tehsil in Charsadda district, named Umarzai. Furthermore, a committee comprising representatives from the Board of Revenue, Local Government, Planning and Development, and Finance departments was created to establish criteria for potential future administrative unit modifications.