This guide explains NUMS entry test weightage in Pakistan. NUMS is the National University of Medical Sciences, and its MDCAT is a separate test from the PMDC MDCAT. It is the entry test for MBBS and BDS at NUMS constituent and affiliated medical and dental colleges. The weightage is disputed online, so read the warning below before you use any formula.
Warning: check the current NUMS prospectus before you apply. The weightage used here as the default is the one on the official NUMS MBBS course page, checked on 11 November 2026: MDCAT for NUMS 50%, HSSC/FSc 40% and SSC/Matric 10%. Some other websites report a different split, 50% FSc and 50% NUMS test, with no Matric weight. That alternative is shown below, clearly labelled as unconfirmed, so you can see the difference. Do not plan your application on a single website’s figure — confirm it in the NUMS prospectus for your admission year.
What Is the NUMS Entry Test?
The NUMS MDCAT is the test for admission to NUMS medical and dental colleges. It is different from the PMDC MDCAT in both pattern and total marks, so do not mix the two up. The PMDC MDCAT has 180 MCQs; the NUMS MDCAT has 200 MCQs in total, in two papers. For the PMDC test, see our guide How to Calculate MDCAT Marks in Pakistan.
To be eligible for MBBS at NUMS, you need at least 60% marks in FSc (Pre-Medical), and you must pass the MDCAT for NUMS. The passing mark is 55% for MBBS and 50% for BDS, according to the NUMS MBBS course page. Passing the test is not the same as getting a seat — seats are given on merit, which is where the weightage comes in.
NUMS MDCAT Paper Pattern
The NUMS MDCAT pattern below is from the official NUMS MDCAT-2025 syllabus, the Table of Specifications published by NUMS. There is no negative marking. The test is paper-based, with multiple-choice questions.
Paper-I — 150 MCQs, 2 hours 45 minutes
- Biology: 65 MCQs — 43.3% of Paper-I
- Chemistry: 40 MCQs — 26.7% of Paper-I
- Physics: 30 MCQs — 20.0% of Paper-I
- English: 15 MCQs — 10.0% of Paper-I
- Total Paper-I: 150 MCQs
Paper-II — 50 MCQs, 15 minutes
- Psychological test: 50 MCQs
- Grand total: 200 MCQs (150 + 50)
Most questions are at a moderate level of difficulty — the syllabus gives 15% easy, 70% moderate and 15% difficult questions. For Biology, Chemistry and Physics, 70% of the questions test recall of knowledge and 30% test application of knowledge, so you need to understand the concepts, not only memorise them. Use the total shown on your own NUMS result card as the denominator when you work out your percentage, because the result card is the figure your college will use.
NUMS Entry Test Weightage: The Default 10/40/50 Split
NUMS entry test weightage in Pakistan is usually quoted as three parts that add up to 100%. On the official NUMS MBBS course page, the merit weightage is:
- SSC / Matric: 10%
- HSSC / FSc: 40%
- MDCAT for NUMS: 50%
- Total aggregate: 100%
Aggregate merit (10/40/50) = (Matric percentage × 10%) + (FSc percentage × 40%) + (NUMS percentage × 50%)
Take a student with Matric 90%, FSc 85% and NUMS 80%. The calculation is:
- Matric: 90 × 0.10 = 9.00
- FSc: 85 × 0.40 = 34.00
- NUMS test: 80 × 0.50 = 40.00
- Aggregate merit: 9.00 + 34.00 + 40.00 = 83.00%
Because the NUMS test carries half the merit, it is the single most important number in the formula. A 4% change in your NUMS percentage moves your aggregate by 2%, while the same 4% change in Matric moves it by only 0.4%.
The 50/50 Alternative — and Why It Is Disputed
Some websites and comparison guides report a different NUMS weightage: 50% FSc and 50% NUMS test, with no Matric weight at all. Using the same student — FSc 85%, NUMS 80% — the 50/50 formula gives:
Aggregate merit (50/50, alternative) = (FSc percentage × 50%) + (NUMS percentage × 50%)
- FSc: 85 × 0.50 = 42.50
- NUMS test: 80 × 0.50 = 40.00
- Aggregate merit: 42.50 + 40.00 = 82.50%
For this student the two formulas give 83.00% and 82.50% — only 0.5% apart — but for a student with a very strong or very weak Matric, the gap is larger, and it can change which college you get. One reason for the disagreement is that different NUMS prospectuses and different colleges have quoted different splits in different years, and some websites copy older figures. Other sources quote yet other splits, which is a sign that you should not trust a single second-hand figure. Use the 10/40/50 split as your default, because that is what the official NUMS MBBS page states now, and confirm it in the current NUMS prospectus for your own admission year.
How to Calculate Your NUMS Test Percentage
First work out your test percentage, then use it in the merit formula above. The NUMS syllabus lists 200 MCQs in total, so each question is one mark if the total is 200 — but always use the total printed on your result card.
NUMS test percentage = (your NUMS marks ÷ total marks on your result card) × 100
For Paper-I on its own, the worked example is: Biology 52 correct out of 65, Chemistry 30 out of 40, Physics 22 out of 30 and English 11 out of 15. That is 52 + 30 + 22 + 11 = 115 correct answers out of 150, which is 115 ÷ 150 × 100 = 76.67% in Paper-I. If your result is given out of 200, use that total instead — for example, 160 out of 200 is 80%.
Common Mistakes
- Using the PMDC MDCAT total of 180. That is the PMDC test, not NUMS. The NUMS syllabus gives a grand total of 200 MCQs, and the NUMS percentage is out of the total on your NUMS result card.
- Leaving Matric out without checking. Under the official 10/40/50 split, Matric is 10% of your merit. If you use the 50/50 alternative by mistake, you will get a different aggregate.
- Treating a pass as a seat. Passing the NUMS MDCAT (55% for MBBS, 50% for BDS) makes you eligible; it does not guarantee admission. Merit lists decide the seats.
- Using an old prospectus. The weightage has been quoted differently in different years, so the prospectus for your admission year is the only safe source.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the NUMS entry test weightage?
The default weightage, from the official NUMS MBBS page, is Matric 10%, FSc 40% and MDCAT for NUMS 50%. Some sources report a 50/50 split of FSc and NUMS test instead; that is unconfirmed, so check the current NUMS prospectus.
How many MCQs are in the NUMS MDCAT?
200 in total under the NUMS MDCAT-2025 syllabus: 150 in Paper-I (Biology 65, Chemistry 40, Physics 30, English 15) and 50 in Paper-II, the psychological test.
Is there negative marking in the NUMS entry test?
No. The NUMS syllabus states that there is no negative marking, so wrong and blank answers score zero.
What is the passing mark for NUMS MBBS?
You need at least 55% in the MDCAT for NUMS for MBBS, and 50% for BDS, and at least 60% in FSc (Pre-Medical), according to the NUMS MBBS course page.
Can I use my PMDC MDCAT score for NUMS?
No. NUMS has its own MDCAT, and the NUMS MBBS page lists passing the MDCAT for NUMS as a requirement. Your PMDC MDCAT score is used under the MDCAT marks calculation, not the NUMS one.
Sources
Merit weightage 10/40/50, 60% minimum in FSc, and pass marks 55% MBBS / 50% BDS: NUMS, MBBS course page, numspak.edu.pk. Paper pattern, 200 MCQs, Paper-I 150 and Paper-II 50, no negative marking, difficulty and recall/application split: NUMS, Syllabus MDCAT-2025, numspak.edu.pk. The 50/50 alternative is reported in other online guides and is labelled unconfirmed in this guide. Figures checked on 11 November 2026; check the current NUMS prospectus for your admission year.