Medical Exam Calendar, October to December 2026, for Pakistani Graduates

The last quarter of 2026 is unusually crowded for Pakistani medical graduates: a postponed national examination, a provincial residency test, an English-test cut-off for the US Match, a standard review in Philadelphia and the first CPSP sitting of 2027 all fall within twelve weeks of each other. This calendar lists the dates that FAME has verified against official sources as of 12 October 2026, marks the ones still pending, and says what to do about each.

October 2026

• 15 October: UHS issues PGET 2026 admittance cards and roll-number slips through its portal.
• Sunday 25 October: UHS Postgraduate Entrance Test (PGET) 2026, in Lahore, Faisalabad, Multan and Rawalpindi; two papers of 100 MCQs, pass at the 75th percentile, for the January 2027 induction.
• Mid-October (pending): the 15-day report on the Sindh MDCAT 2026 inquiry ordered by the federal health minister falls due around now; nothing has been published at the time of writing.
• Ongoing: PLAB 1 bookings for 11 February 2027 through GMC Online; registrations can close two to six weeks before the date.

November 2026

• Sunday 8 November: PM&DC NRE Step-I, moved from 11 October by the council's notice of 5 October; conducted by NUMS; registration closed.
• 10 November: replies due in the Sindh High Court petition on the Sindh MDCAT 2026 results.
• November (date not published): the USMLE Management Committee reviews the Step 3 passing standard; any change applies to exams from 1 January 2027.
• November: a PLAB 1 sitting month under the GMC's current four-a-year pattern; check GMC Online for the exact date and availability.

December 2026

• Last scheduled OET test date in December: the deadline for taking OET Medicine under ECFMG's 2027 Pathways; minimum scores 350 (Listening, Reading, Speaking) and 300 (Writing) in one sitting.
• 31 December: the last day to sit USMLE Step 3 under the current passing standard.
• December: CPSP admit cards for the January FCPS-I appear on candidates' e-Portal accounts ahead of the sitting; watch the portal.

Early 2027, already fixed

• 5 January 2027: CPSP FCPS-I theory (then 6 April, 6 July, 5 October 2027).
• 31 January 2027: ECFMG Pathway 1 licence verification deadline for Match 2027, per the published requirements.
• 11 February 2027: PLAB 1, with results on 25 March 2027; from February 2027 overseas sittings fall to three a year and Dhaka, Alexandria, Accra and Chennai close.
• 16 February 2027: CPSP IMM and FCPS-II (major subjects) theory.
• March 2027: UHS has said PGET will also run in March/April from now on.

What to do this week

1. PGET candidates: download the admit card on 15 October and rehearse the two-paper day.
2. NRE candidates: keep the October peak with timed blocks; use the four extra weeks on your two weakest systems.
3. ECFMG applicants: book OET Medicine now, in a mode that returns results in days, leaving one retake before the December cut-off.
4. Step 3 candidates who are ready: schedule before 31 December.
5. January FCPS-I candidates: you are in the mock phase; two timed 100-question papers a week.
6. PLAB 1 candidates: book February now; do not wait for a January release that may not come.

Pending items to watch

• NRE admit cards and centre instructions for 8 November, from PM&DC and NUMS through the NRE portal.
• The Sindh MDCAT inquiry report and the Sindh High Court's hearing after 10 November.
• The USMLE Step 3 decision after the November Management Committee meeting.
• CPSP's January 2027 FCPS-I notification with its fresh and repeat submission windows and late-fee dates.
• The GMC's 2027 PLAB 1 timetable under the three-sitting overseas pattern, and any fee change from April 2027.
• The USMLE designated-testing-dates calendar for 2029, from the programme's information hub.

Sources and references

• UHS: PGET 2026 notice
• PM&DC: NRE Step-I rescheduled to 8 November 2026
• ECFMG: 2027 Pathways FAQs (OET timing)
• USMLE: Scheduled review of the Step 3 passing standard
• CPSP: 2027 examination schedule
• GMC: Changes to international PLAB 1 exam locations from February 2027
• Daily Pakistan: Sindh High Court notices (replies by 10 November)