PMDC Moves NRE Step-I Exam to 8 November 2026

PM&DC has moved the NRE Step-I exam from Sunday 11 October to Sunday 8 November 2026. The Pakistan Medical and Dental Council (PM&DC) gave the new date in a public notice dated 5 October 2026, citing "unavoidable circumstances". Registration is closed, so nobody new can apply for this sitting.

The NRE, or National Registration Examination, is the licence exam for Pakistanis who earned a medical or dental degree abroad. Step-I is the written exam. No foreign graduate gets provisional or permanent registration to practise in Pakistan until they pass it, PM&DC said in December 2025.

We read the signed notice, No. Exam-97/2026, on pmdc.pk on 6 October 2026. It is three lines long. It gives the new date and nothing else, so several questions are still open. Here is what has changed and what candidates should do now.

NRE Step-I now takes place on 8 November 2026

PM&DC's notice of 5 October 2026 moves NRE Step-I from Sunday 11 October to Sunday 8 November 2026. That is a delay of four weeks. The notice gives no reason beyond "unavoidable circumstances" and asks candidates to keep checking pmdc.pk.

The exam is run for PM&DC by the National University of Medical Sciences (NUMS) in Rawalpindi, as the earlier notices of 21 August and 9 September say. The notice was copied to the NUMS registrar and controller of examinations, so both bodies are working to the new date.

One small thing caught our eye. The 5 October notice says the exam was "scheduled for 11th October, 2025". The year is a typing slip. The 21 August notice has the same slip. Every other PM&DC notice, including the 2026 exam calendar, puts the sitting on 11 October 2026. Do not let it confuse you.

Registration for this sitting stays closed

The postponement does not reopen registration. On 6 October 2026 the NRE portal, nre.pmdc.pk, showed "NRE STEP I Registration is closed" under the October 2026 heading. Only candidates who registered by 15 September are in this sitting.

If you missed the deadline, the new date does not help you unless PM&DC issues a fresh notice. Nothing on pmdc.pk says it will. The next chance would be the 2027 calendar, which PM&DC has not published yet. The 2026 calendar came out on 1 April 2026, so expect the 2027 one in spring.

The fee is not mentioned in any of the three 2026 notices. The portal shows it at the time you register, and the 5 October notice says nothing about refunds or extra charges. So if you have already paid, your fee stands for 8 November. We found no PM&DC statement that a candidate can withdraw and get money back because of the new date.

What registered candidates should do now

Your place is safe. You do not need to apply again. But four weeks is a long gap, and a few checks now will save trouble on the day. Admit cards, the roll number slips that let you into the hall, are the main thing to watch.

1. Log in to nre.pmdc.pk and check that your status shows the fee as paid, not "Pending".
2. Do not use any admit card printed for 11 October unless PM&DC says it is still valid. Wait for a fresh one or a notice.
3. Check your email and the PM&DC website every few days. PM&DC has said in past sittings that admit cards are issued once registration is complete and that candidates should watch their email.
4. Re-check your travel and leave. If you booked a flight home or took leave for 11 October, change it now while fares are lower.
5. Keep your original CNIC, NICOP or passport ready. You need it with the admit card to enter the hall.

If your payment shows as pending, PM&DC's main line is 051-9190000. In 2024 it asked candidates with this problem to call extension 402 or email it.section@pmdc.pk with a screenshot. We could not confirm that extension is still the right one in 2026, so start with the main number.

NRE Step-II dates may also move

PM&DC's 2026 calendar put the second session of NRE Step-II, the clinical skills exam, on 28 and 29 November and 5 and 6 December 2026. The 5 October notice says nothing about Step-II.

Step-I now falls on 8 November. That leaves three weeks for NUMS to mark the paper, announce results and register candidates for Step-II before 28 November. Past sittings did not move that fast. So Step-II may shift too, but that is our reading of the calendar, not a PM&DC statement. Candidates who passed Step-I in May and are waiting for Step-II should not change any plans until PM&DC posts a notice.

Exam day rules from the last sittings still apply

PM&DC has not posted exam day instructions for 8 November yet. Its standing NRE Step-I alert lists the rules it used before. Expect the same again, and plan around them.

• No entry without the admit card and an original CNIC, NICOP or passport.
• Bring your own transparent clipboard and blue or black ball pens.
• No phones, smart watches or other electronic gadgets in the hall.
• No food, and leave valuables at home.

Reporting times have changed between sittings. The old alert said 7:30 am with entry closed at 9 am. For December 2025, PM&DC said to report by 10 am for a 12 pm start. Go by the time printed on your new admit card.

Centres also matter. In December 2025, 7,076 graduates registered and sat in four cities: Islamabad and Rawalpindi, Lahore, Karachi and Peshawar. Lahore alone had 3,592 candidates. PM&DC has not said which centres it will use on 8 November.

Why the NRE matters for students still abroad

The postponement lands on the same day PM&DC changed another rule. A separate 5 October notice says students no longer need MDCAT to study medicine abroad. Dropping MDCAT makes the NRE the main gate at the end of the road.

Eligibility is strict. PM&DC's notice of 31 July 2026 says only graduates of foreign colleges recognised by ECFMG, the US body that lists approved medical schools, can sit the NRE. Graduates of colleges in Afghanistan cannot. Anyone still choosing a college should register with PMDC before studying MBBS abroad and check the college first. For colleges at home, you can check if a medical college is PMDC recognised in a few minutes.

Common questions

When is the NRE Step-I exam in 2026?

Sunday 8 November 2026. PM&DC moved it from 11 October in a notice dated 5 October 2026.

Has NRE registration reopened after the postponement?

No. The portal still shows registration as closed, and the notice does not reopen it.

Do I need to register again for 8 November?

No. If you registered and paid by 15 September, your place carries over. Just check your status on nre.pmdc.pk.

Will I get a new admit card?

PM&DC has not said yet. Watch your email and pmdc.pk, and do not rely on a slip printed for 11 October.

Is NRE Step-II also postponed?

Not so far. The calendar still shows 28 November to 6 December, but no notice has confirmed it after the Step-I change.

Why was NRE Step-I postponed?

The notice only says "unavoidable circumstances". PM&DC has not given any other reason.

How we verified this

What we checked, where we read it, and what we could not confirm.

Last checked on 6 October 2026 at about 4:15 am PKT. We read these PM&DC documents on pmdc.pk: the public notice of 5 October 2026 moving NRE Step-I, the registration notices of 21 August and 9 September 2026, the 2026 exam calendar notice, the 31 July 2026 eligibility notice, the December 2025 NRE press release and the standing NRE Step-I alert. We also opened the NRE portal at nre.pmdc.pk, which showed registration closed. The fee, the new admit card date, the centres and any Step-II change were not stated by PM&DC at the time of checking.