MDCAT and ECAT merit: how your aggregate is calculated (2026)
Work it out with the MDCAT aggregate calculator →
Your MBBS or BDS merit aggregate is 50% MDCAT, 40% FSc and 10% matric, the weightage PM&DC has set for the 2026-27 session. For engineering at UET Lahore it is 33% ECAT, 50% FSc Part-I and 17% matric. In both, each exam’s percentage is multiplied by its weight and the results are added.
MDCAT aggregate (MBBS and BDS)
PM&DC’s Admissions Regulations 2026 (notified 12 October 2026) set this weightage in regulation 6(3) for public colleges and 7(2) for private colleges:
| Exam | Weightage |
|---|---|
| MDCAT | 50% |
| FSc (Pre-Medical) / HSSC / equivalent | 40% |
| Matric / SSC / equivalent | 10% |
UHS Lahore’s prospectus (2025-26) says the final percentage is rounded to four decimal places. MDCAT 2026 in Punjab had 180 questions, according to UHS’s answer key. Armed forces colleges admit through NUMS, which uses its own test.
Minimum marks
- PM&DC: at least 60% in HSSC or equivalent, with biology and chemistry passed.
- UHS (2025-26 prospectus): at least 55% in MDCAT for MBBS and 50% for BDS. Check this again when your session’s prospectus is out.
Example 1 (from the UHS prospectus)
- Matric: 1038/1100 = 94.3636% × 10% = 9.4364
- FSc: 1100/1200 = 91.6667% × 40% = 36.6667
- MDCAT: 172/180 = 95.5556% × 50% = 47.7778
Aggregate = 93.8808%, which matches the answer in Annexure-IV of the UHS prospectus.
Example 2 (close to the minimums)
- Matric: 950/1100 = 86.3636% × 10% = 8.6364
- FSc: 780/1200 = 65.0000% × 40% = 26.0000
- MDCAT: 99/180 = 55.0000% × 50% = 27.5000
Aggregate = 62.1364%. This student meets both the FSc (65%) and MDCAT (55%) minimums, but whether the aggregate is enough for a seat depends on that year’s merit list.
ECAT aggregate (UET Lahore)
From the “Determination of Merit” section of UET Lahore’s Undergraduate Prospectus Fall 2026:
| Qualification | ECAT | FSc Part-I / equivalent | Matric |
|---|---|---|---|
| Intermediate (FSc / ICS) | 33% | 50% (first year) | 17% |
| O/A-level | 33% | 67% (11th class, IBCC) | — |
| DAE (diploma) | 33% | 67% (1st + 2nd year combined) | — |
- The Part-I result is used even if you have already completed intermediate.
- UET compares aggregates to four decimals after truncation: the fifth decimal and beyond are dropped. In the O-level example below, the raw aggregate is 81.16666…, which UET records as 81.1666; rounding, as UHS does, would give 81.1667.
- The minimum aggregate for admission is 50%. You also need at least 60% in intermediate for engineering, architecture and computer engineering, and 50% for science, technology and business programmes.
- ECAT has 100 questions worth 4 marks each, 400 in total, with no negative marking.
- If you did pre-medical with mathematics as an extra subject, your first-year biology marks are used, as long as you passed mathematics.
- A Hafiz-e-Quran can get 0 to 20 extra marks after an oral test, and a sportsperson up to 10 marks added to intermediate marks after a sports test. You must tick the box in the online form and appear before the verification committee.
Example: intermediate
- Matric: 1000/1100 = 90.9091% × 17% = 15.4545
- FSc Part-I: 480/550 = 87.2727% × 50% = 43.6364
- ECAT: 300/400 = 75.0000% × 33% = 24.7500
Aggregate = 83.8409%.
Example: O-level
11th class marks from IBCC: 780/900 = 86.6667% × 67% = 58.0667; ECAT: 280/400 = 70.0000% × 33% = 23.1000. Aggregate = 81.1666%. Matric is not counted, so the 11th class marks carry two-thirds of the weight.
Example: DAE
1st and 2nd year combined: 1700/2200 = 77.2727% × 67% = 51.7727; ECAT: 250/400 = 62.5000% × 33% = 20.6250. Aggregate = 72.3977%.
What one mark is worth
Because each weight is spread over that exam’s total marks, one extra mark is worth a different amount in each exam:
- MDCAT (out of 180): about 0.2778 aggregate points per mark.
- FSc (out of 1,200): 0.0333 points per mark.
- ECAT (out of 400): 0.0825 points per mark.
- FSc Part-I (out of 550): about 0.0909 points per mark.
So one MDCAT mark is worth about eight FSc marks. Merit is often decided on the decimals, so every test mark counts.
When two aggregates are equal
UHS: if two or more candidates have exactly the same aggregate, the tie is broken in this order: (1) the older candidate, (2) higher MDCAT marks, (3) higher HSSC marks, (4) higher SSC marks, (5) whoever submitted the online application first. To check your exact age on a given date, use the age calculator.
UET: candidates with equal aggregates up to four decimals (after truncation) are treated as equal. If they tie for the last seat in a discipline or category, all of them are admitted.
How to work out your aggregate
- Take the marks obtained and total marks for each exam from your mark sheets. O/A-level students use the marks on their IBCC equivalence certificate.
- Work out each percentage: obtained ÷ total × 100.
- Multiply each percentage by its weight and add them up.
- For UHS, round to four decimals; for UET, cut off after four decimals.
- Or use the MDCAT aggregate calculator or the ECAT aggregate calculator.
Common mistakes
- Using full FSc marks for UET. UET uses Part-I.
- Using only Part-I for MDCAT merit. PM&DC and UHS use the full intermediate result.
- Converting O-level grades to marks yourself. That is IBCC’s job.
- Assuming UET Lahore’s formula applies to other universities. Each publishes its own prospectus.
- Relying on “last year’s closing merit” from unofficial websites. Check only the university’s official merit lists.
Frequently asked questions
What is the MDCAT aggregate formula for 2026?
Aggregate = 10% of your matric percentage + 40% of your FSc/HSSC percentage + 50% of your MDCAT percentage. PM&DC fixes this in regulations 6(3) and 7(2) of its Admissions Regulations 2026 for public and private colleges.
What is the ECAT aggregate formula for UET Lahore?
For intermediate students: 17% of your matric percentage + 50% of your FSc Part-I percentage + 33% of your ECAT percentage. O/A-level and DAE students get 33% ECAT + 67% for their 11th class (IBCC) or DAE marks, with no matric share.
Is the aggregate rounded or cut off after four decimals?
It depends on the university. UHS Lahore’s prospectus says the final percentage is rounded to four decimal places. UET Lahore compares merit up to four decimals after truncation, which means the extra digits are simply dropped.
What happens if two students have the same aggregate?
At UHS, the older candidate gets preference, then higher MDCAT marks, then higher HSSC marks, then higher SSC marks, and finally whoever submitted the online application first. At UET, candidates with the same aggregate to four decimals are treated as equal, and if they tie for the last seat they are all admitted.
What were last year’s closing merits?
We do not quote closing merits here, because they change every year with the number of seats and candidates. Each admitting university publishes its merit lists on its own website; check those for your college and category.
Does UET or UHS have an age limit?
No. The UHS 2025-26 prospectus says there is no minimum or maximum age for medical and dental colleges, and UET’s Fall 2026 prospectus says there is no age restriction for bachelor’s admission. Age only matters at UHS as the first tie-breaker. To check exact age on a date, use the age calculator.
Calculators for this guide
- MDCAT aggregate calculatorCalculate your MBBS/BDS merit aggregate from matric, FSc and MDCAT marks using the official weightage.
- ECAT aggregate calculatorCalculate your UET engineering merit aggregate from matric, FSc and ECAT marks using the official weightage.
- Govt job age calculatorCheck your exact age on the closing date and whether you meet the age limit for a government job, including age relaxation.
Sources
- PM&DC Medical and Dental (Admissions, Curriculum and Conduct) Policy and Regulations 2026, reg. 6(3), notified 12 Oct 2026: regs 5, 6(3) and 7(2)
- UHS Lahore, MBBS/BDS Prospectus Session 2025-26: merit calculation and Annexure-IV, minimum MDCAT score, rounding and tie-breaking
- UHS Lahore, MDCAT-2026 answer key (180 questions)
- UET Lahore, Undergraduate Prospectus Fall 2026: Determination of Merit (p. 20); eligibility (p. 19); Hafiz-e-Quran, sports and equal marks (pp. 20-21)
- UET Lahore, About ECAT (4 points per question, no negative marking)
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