How to Register for KMU CAT 2026 Before 28 September

Registration for the second KMU CAT 2026 closes at 5:00 PM on Monday 28 September 2026. The test is on 4 October 2026. You apply at cat.kmu.edu.pk and pay at any Bank of Khyber branch.

KMU CAT is the Centralized Admission Test of Khyber Medical University in Peshawar. You need it for nursing, DPT, Pharm-D and the BS allied health programmes at KMU's own institutes and its affiliated colleges. It is not the test for MBBS or BDS.

We went through the KMU CAT portal and the KMU BS admissions portal page by page on 25 September 2026. Every date, rule and step below comes from those two portals unless we mark it as reported.

KMU CAT 2026 has three test dates, and the second one is next

KMU lists three CAT sessions for 2026. The first was on 26 July. The second closes on 28 September and is held on 4 October. The third closes on 2 November and is held on 8 November. Each deadline is 5:00 PM.

Be careful with the advertisement. The poster on the CAT portal, KMU advertisement number 29/2026, still shows the older dates: a 10 September deadline and a 20 September test for the second session, and 15 October and 25 October for the third. The date table on the same portal has since moved both. We follow the table, because it is the newer entry and it is the one the registration system uses.

A news report on 24 September said a corrigendum from KMU's Directorate of Admissions and Academics sets the second test for 3 and 4 October, and the third for 7 and 8 November. We could not find that corrigendum on KMU's own pages, and the portal's date table names only 4 October and 8 November. Check your roll number slip for your own day and time.

One more date matters. The BS admission form for KMU's constituent institutes in the Peshawar region closes on 9 October 2026. That is five days after the second test, so a student who waits for the third test will miss that form.

The test covers nursing, DPT, Pharm-D and allied health

KMU says the CAT is mandatory for admission to its BS programmes. Its 2026 advertisement names Doctor of Physical Therapy, Pharm-D, BS Nursing, and the BS allied health sciences, for KMU's own institutes and its affiliated colleges. MBBS and BDS are not on the list.

The CAT itself is only an entry ticket. KMU admits students "as and when advertised", so each institute or college still publishes its own admission notice and seat list. The 60 per cent rule for DPT and the Pre-Engineering route for Prosthetics and Orthotics are stated on the BS admissions portal for KMU's constituent institutes. An affiliated college may set its own conditions in its advertisement.

The Institute of Health Sciences in Islamabad is separate. KMU says its test and admissions are held on their own, so an Islamabad applicant should not assume this CAT covers it.

You can apply with 50 per cent in FSc, or while awaiting results

KMU's eligibility page asks for FSc Pre-Medical, or an equivalent, with at least 50 per cent marks. A student who is still awaiting the result can also register. Male and female candidates from anywhere in Pakistan can apply.

That matters this week, because HSSC Part 2 results are coming out now. Peshawar, the Federal Board and several Punjab boards have already declared theirs, and a student can check the HSSC result by roll number before deciding. But you do not need the result in hand to register for the 4 October test.

KMU's own FAQ page goes further. It says a student who has passed FSc Part I can register, and that admission later depends on passing Part II. So if a paper goes wrong, the CAT score does not rescue you. A student who is in that position should read what happens when you have failed an inter paper after university admission before paying any admission fee.

O and A Level students need an IBCC equivalence certificate, KMU says. A student without a CNIC can use the Form B number.

How to register for KMU CAT 2026 in seven steps

Registration is fully online at cat.kmu.edu.pk. You create an account with your own CNIC or Form B, fill the form, submit it, then pay the fee at a Bank of Khyber branch using the slip the portal generates.

1. Open cat.kmu.edu.pk and click "APPLY HERE" for Pakistani nationals. Foreign nationals have a separate link.
2. Create an account with your 13 digit CNIC or Form B number, an email address, a password, your date of issue or date of birth, and the captcha code.
3. Complete your profile and choose your test date and test city. KMU says the choice is not tied to your domicile.
4. Upload a passport size photo with a white or blue background.
5. Preview the form, then submit it before 5:00 PM on 28 September. KMU says a submitted form cannot be changed.
6. Download the challan, the bank deposit slip, and pay at any Bank of Khyber branch or with the 1Bill ID printed on it. Keep the original slip.
7. Log in again later to check that your payment shows as verified. Only verified candidates get a roll number slip.

We did not create an account, because the form must be filled with the candidate's own CNIC. So steps 3 and 4 come from KMU's written instructions, not from screens we saw.

KMU's two documents disagree on the wait for payment. The portal says to check after 72 hours. The advertisement says after 24 hours. Either way, a student who pays on the afternoon of 28 September will not know until the next week whether the payment went through. Pay early.

The fee is printed on your slip, not published

KMU does not publish the KMU CAT 2026 fee on its portal. Its FAQ says the amount is printed on the deposit slip once you submit the form. The fee cannot be refunded or moved to a later test.

We could not see the amount without submitting a real application, so we are not quoting one. Figures you see on social media may belong to an earlier year.

Three fee rules are clear on KMU's pages. You pay again for each new attempt. The fee is not returned if you miss the test. And the original fee slip should be kept, because KMU may ask for it during verification.

The paper is 100 MCQs in 90 minutes, with no negative marking

KMU says the CAT has 100 multiple choice questions, marked out of 100, in 90 minutes. There is no negative marking. Questions follow the PMDC syllabus, and different paper codes shuffle the order. A score is valid for one year.

The syllabus KMU links is the PMDC MDCAT curriculum, which covers Biology, Chemistry, Physics, English and Logical Reasoning. The file on the portal is dated May 2025, although the button calls it the 2026 syllabus. Study from that document.

KMU does not say how the 100 questions are split between subjects. The MDCAT splits its 180 questions 45 per cent Biology, 25 per cent Chemistry, 20 per cent Physics, 5 per cent English and 5 per cent Logical Reasoning. That is a fair guide to what to study most. It is not a promise about the CAT paper.

It has been reported that the test is computer based. KMU's portal did not say so on 25 September, so treat the format on your roll number slip as final.

On test day, KMU asks you to reach the centre at least one hour early. Bring your original CNIC, Form B, Smart Card or passport, a printout of your roll number slip with one picture, and a clean clipboard. Two blue or black ballpoint pens are allowed.

The portal lists 16 test cities: Peshawar, Swabi, Mardan, Malakand, Swat, Dir Lower, Dir Upper, Parachinar, Islamabad, KMU IHS Hazara Campus, Haripur, Kohat, Bannu, D.I. Khan, Chitral and Buner. If fewer than 500 candidates pick a region, KMU moves them to the nearest one.

Merit adds your CAT score to matric and FSc marks

For KMU's constituent institutes in Peshawar, the aggregate is 10 per cent matric, 50 per cent FSc and 40 per cent CAT. So FSc marks carry more weight than the test. A strong CAT cannot fully cover weak FSc marks.

Here is a worked example using KMU's formula. A student with 950 out of 1,100 in matric, 900 out of 1,100 in FSc and 70 out of 100 in the CAT gets 8.64 from matric, 40.91 from FSc and 28.00 from the test. The aggregate is 77.55 per cent.

The CAT portal has an aggregate calculator that uses the same 10, 50 and 40 split. Affiliated colleges publish their own merit lists, so check each college's advertisement for its weights and quotas.

If you want a better score, KMU lets you sit a later session. You register again and pay again. KMU does not say on the portal which score is used when you have two, so ask the helpline before relying on the higher one.

KMU CAT is not the MDCAT

The MDCAT is the PMDC test for MBBS and BDS. KMU CAT is for nursing, DPT, Pharm-D and allied health. They are separate tests with separate fees, and one does not replace the other.

The MDCAT for 2026 was held on 20 September after the MDCAT 2026 registration deadline moved. It has 180 questions over three hours. The CAT has 100 questions over 90 minutes. A student applying for both MBBS and DPT in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa needs both scores.

KMU also runs admissions on two portals. The CAT portal only registers you for the test. For KMU's constituent institutes, you then apply again at bsadmissions.kmu.edu.pk and choose your programmes. KMU warns that missing a deadline on either portal can get your application rejected.

Common questions

What is the last date for KMU CAT 2026 registration?

The second session closes at 5:00 PM on 28 September 2026. The third session closes at 5:00 PM on 2 November 2026.

When is the KMU CAT 2026 test?

KMU's portal shows 4 October 2026 for the second test and 8 November 2026 for the third. Two day windows, 3 and 4 October and 7 and 8 November, have been reported but are not on KMU's pages, so check your roll number slip.

How much is the KMU CAT fee?

KMU does not publish it. The amount is printed on the deposit slip after you submit the form, and it is not refundable.

Can I apply for KMU CAT before my FSc result?

Yes. KMU accepts students who are awaiting results, and its FAQ says Part I pass is enough to register. Admission still needs a full FSc pass.

Is KMU CAT needed for MBBS?

No. MBBS and BDS need the PMDC MDCAT. KMU CAT is for DPT, Pharm-D, nursing and allied health programmes.

Can students from Punjab or Sindh take KMU CAT?

Yes. KMU says candidates from all over Pakistan can apply, and its admission portal lists seats for Punjab, Sindh, Balochistan, AJK and Gilgit-Baltistan.

Last checked and sources

Last checked 25 September 2026. We read the KMU CAT portal at cat.kmu.edu.pk, including its home page, eligibility page, campuses and courses page, FAQ page, aggregate calculator and the advertisement image (number 29/2026) posted on it. The three session dates, the 5:00 PM deadlines, the 100 MCQ and 90 minute pattern, the lack of negative marking, the one year validity, the test cities, the registration steps, the payment through Bank of Khyber, the unpublished fee and its refund rules all come from there. We also read the KMU BS admissions portal for the 9 October admission deadline, the 50 and 60 per cent eligibility rules, the Pre-Engineering route for Prosthetics and Orthotics, and the 10, 50 and 40 merit weights. The MDCAT subject split comes from the PMDC curriculum file that the CAT portal links. The two day test windows and the computer based format come from a news report of 24 September 2026, and we could not find them on KMU's own pages. Contact KMU on 091-9217703 or 091-9217696 before relying on any detail here.