NUMS Paper Pattern 2026
NUMS MDCAT is a paper of 150 MCQs to be attempted in 165 minutes, set by National University of Medical Sciences, with no negative marking. It covers 4 subjects: Biology, Chemistry, Physics and English.
150
MCQs
on the paper
165
Minutes
total time
66
Seconds per MCQ
if paced evenly
No
Negative marking
guessing is free
NUMS subject weightage 2026
How many MCQs each subject contributes to the NUMS paper. This is the order to revise in. Biology is worth 55 MCQs against English's 15, so an hour spent fixing a weak chapter in Biology is worth more marks than the same hour anywhere else on the paper.
- NUMS Biology55 MCQs · 37%
- NUMS Chemistry40 MCQs · 27%
- NUMS Physics40 MCQs · 27%
- NUMS English15 MCQs · 10%
| Subject | MCQs | Share | Free MCQs here |
|---|---|---|---|
| NUMS Biology MCQs | 55 | 37% | 19,844 |
| NUMS Chemistry MCQs | 40 | 27% | 13,720 |
| NUMS Physics MCQs | 40 | 27% | 12,422 |
| NUMS English MCQs | 15 | 10% | 10,318 |
| Total | 150 | 100% | 56,304 |
NUMS marking scheme 2026
Every NUMS MCQ carries one mark, for a total of 150 marks, one per question. Nothing is deducted for a wrong answer, so an unanswered question and a wrong answer score exactly the same: zero. That makes leaving anything blank a pure loss. Attempt all 150 MCQs, and in the last few minutes fill in every remaining bubble even if you are guessing outright.
NUMS time per subject
165 minutes across 150 MCQs is about 66 seconds a question. Split by weightage, that is the time each subject is worth. Going over on one subject is borrowed from another, not from spare time, because there is none.
| Subject | MCQs | Minutes |
|---|---|---|
| Biology | 55 | 61 |
| Chemistry | 40 | 44 |
| Physics | 40 | 44 |
| English | 15 | 17 |
How to prepare for the NUMS 2026 pattern
The pattern tells you where the marks are, not where you are losing them. Start with Biology, because it carries 37 percent of the paper and a weak chapter there is the most expensive weak chapter you can have. Inside each subject, work chapter by chapter and stay on a chapter until you are consistently above 80 percent before moving on.
Then practise at the real pace. Untimed revision hides the problem that actually costs marks in the hall, which is spending three minutes on a question worth 66 seconds and running out of paper before you run out of time. Sit full papers under the clock, and mark them honestly.
Everything on this page is the pattern as declared by National University of Medical Sciences. What the NUMS papers have actually contained, counted chapter by chapter across the 48 solved papers we hold, is a separate question with a separate answer: see the NUMS past paper analysis.
NUMS paper pattern: common questions
What is the NUMS paper pattern 2026?
NUMS MDCAT is a 150 MCQ paper of 165 minutes set by National University of Medical Sciences, with no negative marking. It is split across 4 subjects: Biology 55, Chemistry 40, Physics 40, English 15.
How many MCQs are there in NUMS?
150 MCQs in total, to be attempted in 165 minutes. The heaviest subject is Biology at 55 MCQs, which is 37 percent of the paper.
Is there negative marking in NUMS?
No. NUMS has no negative marking, so a wrong answer costs you nothing more than an unanswered one. Never leave a question blank: attempt every one of the 150 MCQs, even the ones you are guessing on.
How much time do you get per MCQ in NUMS?
165 minutes for 150 MCQs works out at about 66 seconds per question. That is the pace to practise at, and it is why timed practice matters more than untimed revision in the last month.
Which subject has the most weightage in NUMS?
Biology, at 55 of the 150 MCQs, which is 37 percent of the paper. A weak topic in the heaviest subject costs you more marks than a weak topic anywhere else, so the weightage order on this page is the order worth revising in.