ISLAMABAD: The Nat­ional Registration Exami­nation (NRE) for foreign medical and dental graduates will be held at major regional centres nationwide on Sunday (today), with more than 7,000 candidates set to appear for the mandatory test.

The NRE Step-I will be conducted by the National University of Medical Sciences (NUMS) in Rawalpindi, in accordance with the policy of the Pakistan Medical and Dental Council (PMDC).

A total of 7,076 graduates registered with the PMDC for the exam, including 6,989 medical graduates and 87 dental graduates, according to council data.

According to a statement from the PMDC, the examination will take place at four venues.

In Islamabad/Rawa­lpindi, 2,358 medical and 43 dental candidates will appear; in Lahore, 3,562 medical and 30 dental candidates; in Karachi, 499 medical and four dental candidates; and in Peshawar, 570 medical and 10 dental candidates.

The candidates are graduates who obtained their medical and dental degr­ees from various countries and are seeking licensure to practice in Pakistan. Under PMDC policy, no foreign graduate is eligible for provisional or permanent registration to practice independently until they pass the examination.

“PMDC has consistently ensured a transparent, standardised, and internationally aligned examination system to assess the professional competence of returning graduates,” a PMDC spokesperson said. “Candidates who will successfully clear both steps of the NRE will be issued registration certificates, in accordance with the relevant provisions of law.”

All preparations for the examination were completed, with candidates required to report to their centres by 10am for the exam commencing at 12 noon. The PMDC stated that any candidate found violating standard operating procedures (SOPs) would be barred from the examination.

In its statement, the PMDC also advised parents sending their children abroad for medical or dental education to enroll them only in recognised, accredited, and PMDC-approved institutions.

The council warned that non-compliance with its policies could result in consequences for prospective candidates.

It further advised parents and students to exercise “utmost caution and refrain from enrolling in substandard or poor quality medical and dental colleges”.

Published in Dawn, December 14th, 2025