Army Medical College (AMC) Rawalpindi Admission 2026: NUMS Test, Merit, Cadet vs Civilian & Fees

Army Medical College (AMC), Rawalpindi is the flagship medical college of the National University of Medical Sciences (NUMS) and one of the most sought-after MBBS destinations in Pakistan. It is also one of the most misunderstood: the single most important thing to know is that AMC does not admit on the PMDC national MDCAT — you sit NUMS's own entry test instead. This guide walks through that test, the merit formula, the cadet-vs-civilian admission tracks, fees, seats and the 2026 timeline — honestly.

Last verified July 2026 against NUMS (numspak.edu.pk) and widely-cited AMC admission guides. Fees, seat counts, closing merit and dates change every cycle — and some figures below are reported by third parties rather than published officially, so always confirm the current numbers in the official NUMS/AMC admission prospectus before you rely on them.

What is Army Medical College?

Founded in 1977, AMC is located on Abid Majeed Road in Rawalpindi and trains its students at the large Combined Military Hospital (CMH), Rawalpindi — excellent clinical exposure. Degrees are awarded through NUMS, the medical university the Pakistan Army established in 2015, which AMC is affiliated with. AMC consistently ranks among Pakistan's top medical colleges by closing merit and outcomes, which is exactly why competition for a seat is so fierce.

The key distinction: NUMS test, not PMDC MDCAT

This trips up more applicants than anything else. To be admitted to AMC you must sit the NUMS entry test — officially retitled the “MDCAT for NUMS” (NMDCAT). A PMDC national MDCAT score on its own is not accepted for NUMS-family colleges. The NUMS test is a separate exam, with its own registration portal (numspak.edu.pk), its own date, and a reputation for being more conceptual and slightly tougher than the provincial MDCAT.

• Format: 200 MCQs — roughly Biology, Chemistry and Physics (~67 each) under the NUMS syllabus.
• Negative marking: NUMS deducts marks for wrong answers (unlike the PMDC MDCAT). See our negative-marking guide before you guess blindly.
• Passing threshold: you generally need at least 55% in the NUMS test for MBBS (50% for BDS) to be in the running.

Confused about which test to sit? Read MDCAT vs NUMS and NUMS vs PMDC — many AMC aspirants sit both exams to keep options open.

Eligibility for MBBS at AMC (2026)

• Academics: FSc (Pre-Medical) or equivalent with a minimum 60% aggregate (a commonly cited bar in Matric and FSc). The fully funded Medical Cadet route sets a higher academic bar — often quoted at ~70% in FSc.
• NUMS test: you must appear in and pass the NUMS entry test (MBBS threshold ~55%).
• Foreign qualifications: A-Level / IB applicants need an IBCC equivalence certificate.
• Age, nationality and (for cadet routes) medical/physical standards apply — confirm the exact bands in the current prospectus.

Not sure where your aggregate lands? Run the NUMS aggregate calculator before you plan around a college.

How merit is calculated

For NUMS-affiliated MBBS admission, merit is calculated as 50% of your FSc (Pre-Medical) percentage + 50% of your NUMS entry-test percentage. Crucially, and unlike the PMDC MDCAT aggregate, NUMS does not weight your Matric marks for medical admission — only FSc and the NUMS test count. So:

A few AMC-specific quotas (e.g. Medical Cadet) run their own selection on top of this, and you may see an older NUMS “10% Matric + 40% FSc + 50% test” aggregate quoted for some programmes. Weightages can be revised each cycle, so confirm the exact current-year formula in the official NUMS/AMC prospectus. Compute yours on the NUMS aggregate calculator.

Cadet vs civilian: the admission tracks

This is AMC's most distinctive feature. Unlike a normal medical college, AMC admits through more than one channel, and your track determines both how you're selected and what you pay:

The Medical Cadet route is a genuine military commitment — you commission as an army doctor — but tuition is fully covered and you draw a stipend. The civilian NUMS Cadet route carries no service obligation and is open to women. Reports in 2026 indicate the Paying Cadet (PC) MBBS route at AMC is being discontinued, with those applicants redirected to other NUMS-family colleges (e.g. Foundation University and HITEC) — treat this as unconfirmed and verify in the official NUMS/AMC prospectus.

Fees — the honest picture

Fees vary dramatically by track, which is what makes AMC unusual. The Medical Cadet route is effectively free (the Army funds it and pays a stipend) in exchange for service. The civilian NUMS Cadet annual tuition is widely cited around PKR 220,000 per year — far below what a private medical college like Shifa charges (PKR 1.89m/year). Be careful here: different guides quote materially different figures for NUMS/civilian cadet fees, so this is one number you should confirm directly against the official NUMS/AMC fee notification before budgeting.

Seats, closing merit & recognition

• Seats: AMC is a large college — total MBBS intake is commonly reported in the ~200–260 range (figures around 204 and 258 both circulate, depending on how reserved categories are counted). Confirm the current sanctioned intake in the prospectus.
• Closing merit: extremely high — a recent closing aggregate around 94%+ has been reported. Merit shifts every year with the applicant pool, so don't plan around an exact figure.
• Recognition: AMC degrees are awarded through NUMS and the college is PM&DC-recognized — valid for licensing and further training.

2026 admission timeline

For 2026, NUMS registration opened in May, with a normal-fee deadline of 8 June 2026 and a late-fee deadline of 15 June 2026; the registration fee is around PKR 7,500 (PKR 8,500 late). The NUMS entry test is expected on Sunday, 23 August 2026 — about a week after the PMDC national MDCAT (16 August 2026). Merit lists and AMC-specific cadet selection follow the results. Always confirm the live dates on numspak.edu.pk rather than relying on last year's schedule.

Is AMC worth it? An honest take

For the right student, AMC is one of the best deals in Pakistani medicine — a top-tier college with strong hospital training and, on the Medical Cadet route, essentially free with a stipend. The trade-offs are real: the Medical Cadet route is a military career commitment (males), and every route runs through the tougher, negatively-marked NUMS test against a very high closing merit. If you want the funded-doctor pathway and are willing to serve, the cadet route is outstanding value. If you want AMC's training without the service obligation, the civilian NUMS Cadet route is the way — you'll compete purely on the 50/50 merit.

Either way, the single biggest lever in your control is your NUMS test score. Drill it free on Premeth with 400,000+ MCQs and past papers (including NUMS-style papers).

See also: NUMS aggregate calculator · MDCAT vs NUMS · NUMS vs PMDC · All Pakistan medical universities.