NRE Step 1 postponed to 8 November 2026: PM&DC moves exam from 11 October

The PM&DC NRE Step 1 exam will now be held on Sunday 8 November 2026, not Sunday 11 October. The Pakistan Medical and Dental Council (PM&DC) announced the change in a public notice dated 5 October 2026, citing "unavoidable circumstances". The exam is conducted for PM&DC by the National University of Medical Sciences (NUMS), Rawalpindi.

For candidates, that is four extra weeks of preparation: 33 days from today to the new date, against five days under the old schedule.

NRE Step 1 2026: the dates in one place

What changes for you

Registration has not reopened. The notice moves the exam only. The NRE portal at nre.pmdc.pk still reads "NRE October 2026 NRE STEP I Registration is closed" and gives 15 September 2026 as the last date to apply. If you missed that deadline, the postponement does not give you a new chance unless PM&DC issues a fresh notice.

If you registered, you do not need to apply again. The notice says nothing about a new fee or a new form. Keep your portal login (the email and the CNIC you used at sign-up) ready, because admit cards and centre details come through the same portal.

Plan travel and leave for 8 November. Candidates who booked travel to a test city or took leave from a house job for 11 October will need to rearrange. 8 November is also a Sunday.

Check the official notice, not forwards. PM&DC's own notice says to keep visiting pmdc.pk for details. Exam-date messages on WhatsApp and social media are often old: PM&DC's printed notice itself carries a typing slip, giving the old date as "11th October, 2025", while its earlier notices of 21 August and 9 September give 11 October 2026.

Other PM&DC notices this week

The council also published, on 5 October, a notice that MDCAT is no longer required for Pakistani students seeking admission to medical colleges abroad. We covered that separately: MDCAT not required for MBBS abroad.

For students still applying at home, see the MDCAT aggregate calculator and the KMU admission 2026-27 last dates. Doctors going abroad after their licence will also need HEC degree attestation.