PESHAWAR: Khyber Medical University on Tuesday conducted the second centralized admission test (CAT) for admission to allied health sciences, Doctor of Pharmacy (Pharm-D), Doctor of Physical Therapy (DPT) and BS Nursing programmes.

The test was held simultaneously in 12 cities across Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Islamabad. A total of 23,104 candidates appeared in the test.

The second test was specifically organised for the students, who could not participate in the earlier CAT due to unavoidable reasons or technical issues, ensuring equal opportunities for all eligible applicants.

In Peshawar alone, 9,028 candidates appeared in the test at 10 indoor examination centres and 180 candidates sat the test at KMU Institute of Health Sciences, Islamabad. The number of candidates in other districts includes 299 in Haripur, 1,217 in Mansehra, 3,131 in Swat, 1,541 in Lower Dir, 584 in Malakand, 911 in Swabi, 895 in Bannu, 937 in Kohat, 661 in Dera Ismail Khan, 255 in Kurram, 2,793 in Mardan and 661 in Chitral.

Candidates and parents appreciated the facilities and arrangements at examination centres and various stakeholders commended KMU for ensuring transparency and smooth organisation of the test.

Speaking on the occasion, KMU Vice-chancellor Prof Ziaul Haq said that the overwhelming participation of thousands of students reflected the growing realisation that health sector was not limited to medicine alone but also included pharmacy, physiotherapy, nursing and other allied health sciences.

He said that healthcare was an integrated system where all allied disciplines played a vital role in building an effective health service delivery model. He announced that test results would be released within two to three days and would be available on the KMU official website: http://cat.kmu.edu.pk.

Prof Zia said that the remarkable participation demonstrated not only the trust of students and parents in KMU but also highlighted the increasing awareness and interest in allied health sciences across the province. He said that the successful conduct of the test was a milestone towards strengthening healthcare education and improving quality standards in the region.

Published in Dawn, August 27th, 2025