Information checked: 25 October 2026. PM&DC’s notice dated 5 October 2026 rescheduled the National Registration Examination (NRE) Step-I to Sunday, 8 November 2026. Candidates should continue checking PM&DC announcements and their official portal for admit-card, centre and reporting instructions.
| Current NRE update | Verified information |
|---|---|
| NRE Step-I date | 8 November 2026 |
| Previous scheduled date | 11 October 2026 |
| Exam conductor | National University of Medical Sciences (NUMS) |
| Regulator | Pakistan Medical and Dental Council (PM&DC) |
| Step-I format | 200 multiple-choice questions |
| Passing requirement | 60% in each component |
| Negative marking | No |
What is the National Registration Examination?
The National Registration Examination is the licensing examination used for the relevant foreign medical graduate pathway in Pakistan. It is different from MDCAT, which is an undergraduate admission test. NRE assesses whether a graduate has the knowledge and clinical skills expected of a general medical practitioner.
PM&DC states that NUMS is responsible for setting, conducting, evaluating and compiling the examination and declaring the Step-I result. Eligibility and registration decisions remain subject to the applicable PM&DC law, regulations, recognised qualification status and the candidate’s individual pathway. Candidates should confirm their own eligibility through PM&DC instead of relying only on a preparation article.
NRE Step-I structure and syllabus
The current PM&DC medical NRE standard describes a 200-question theory examination designed to test application of knowledge. The distribution is 70% clinical sciences (140 questions) and 30% applied basic sciences (60 questions). Only candidates who qualify Step-I proceed to the Clinical Skills Examination.
| Clinical discipline | Official Step-I weight |
|---|---|
| Medicine and Allied | 52 MCQs |
| Surgery and Allied | 48 MCQs |
| Obstetrics and Gynaecology | 14 MCQs |
| Paediatrics | 14 MCQs |
| Ophthalmology | 6 MCQs |
| Otorhinolaryngology (ENT) | 6 MCQs |
| Total clinical sciences | 140 MCQs |
The applied basic-science portion covers the knowledge required to understand and manage clinical problems. Students should use the official syllabus objectives—not an unofficial “important topics” list—as the final preparation checklist.
NRE Step-II clinical skills examination
Step-II is a Clinical Skills Examination with an OSCE-style format. It assesses essential clinical skills rather than only factual recall. PM&DC’s current standard requires candidates to pass the CSE separately and clear all mandatory stations. A student who passes the theory component but fails the CSE follows the re-attempt and validity rules stated in the current official standard.
Passing marks and negative marking
- The current minimum passing percentage is 60% for Step-I.
- The current minimum passing percentage is 60% for the Clinical Skills Examination, including the mandatory-station requirement.
- PM&DC states that there is no negative marking in either component.
- The theory result remains subject to the validity and CSE re-attempt provisions in the current official standard.
NRE Step-I date for the second 2026 session
The original PM&DC annual schedule listed the second NRE-I session for 11 October 2026. A later public notice dated 5 October 2026 moved that examination to 8 November 2026 because of unavoidable circumstances. This rescheduling notice does not by itself reopen registration. Already registered candidates should rely on their official portal and admit-card instructions.
No confirmed 2027 NRE schedule was found during this review. When PM&DC publishes a new schedule, this same article and URL should be updated rather than creating a new year-specific page.
Free NRE tools on MedicalAdmissionPK
NRE Question Bank
Study reviewed NRE Step-I practice questions by subject. Try each question first, then reveal the checked answer and explanation.
NRE Online Practice Test
Create a free untimed practice test, answer one question at a time and receive a score with a complete answer review.
Both tools are free and require no student account. They contain independent educational practice, including rewritten recalled themes where identified. They are not official PM&DC or NUMS papers and cannot guarantee marks, examination questions, registration or licensing.
How to prepare for NRE Step-I
- Download the current official PM&DC medical NRE syllabus and turn every listed objective into a revision checklist.
- Give most study time to Medicine and Allied and Surgery and Allied because together they form 100 of the 140 clinical-science questions.
- Do not ignore Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Paediatrics, Ophthalmology or ENT; each has a stated place in the official blueprint.
- Revise applied anatomy, physiology, pathology, pharmacology, microbiology and related basic sciences through clinical scenarios.
- Practise single-best-answer questions, but review why the incorrect options are wrong instead of memorising only answer letters.
- Use the official portal and notices for registration, admit-card, centre, timing and result instructions.
Application, admit card and result checks
PM&DC’s FAQ directs examination applicants to the Exam Registration section of its portal. Opening and closing dates are announced for each cycle, so an old registration link or screenshot should not be treated as proof that applications are open. Use the official announcement page for current notices and the official result page when a result is declared.
Official NRE links
- PM&DC notice rescheduling NRE Step-I to 8 November 2026
- Official medical NRE standard, structure and syllabus
- PM&DC examination announcements
- Official NRE Step-I result search
- PM&DC examination application FAQ
Frequently asked questions
Is NRE the same as MDCAT?
No. MDCAT is used for undergraduate medical and dental admission. NRE is a registration/licensing examination for the applicable foreign-graduate pathway.
Who conducts NRE?
PM&DC states that NUMS conducts the examination and is responsible for paper setting, examination conduct, evaluation, compilation and Step-I result declaration.
What are the current NRE passing marks?
The current official standard and PM&DC’s 2026 clarification state 60% for each component, with the mandatory-station requirement applying to the Clinical Skills Examination.
Is there negative marking in NRE?
No. The current standard states that neither component has negative marking.
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