MDCAT exams, Dow University, Karachi Sindh October 26, 2025 Photo: Our correspondent
The Medical and Dentistry College Admission Test (MDCAT) 2025 is held on Sunday across the country, with a total of 140,125 candidates registered nationwide to take the exam.
Sukkur IBA University Vice-Chancellor Asif Ahmed Sheikh said candidates must report before 6:30 am, while the test is expected to begin between 9:00 am and 10:00 am. Exam papers will be unsealed at 8:15 a.m. in all centers.
Each center will accommodate a different number of candidates and comprehensive security arrangements, including metal and signal detectors, have been put in place. Sukkur IBA Testing Service (STS) has deployed agents and focal persons to ensure transparency and smooth coordination during the process.
The MDCAT will be held in nine cities and ten centers of Sindh, including Karachi, Hyderabad, Jamshoro, Khairpur, Jacobabad, Larkana and Sukkur. Thousands of students are expected to take the test at each location.
According to Sukkur IBA, the question paper will consist of 15% easy questions, 70% moderate questions and 15% difficult questions.
This year, female candidates represent more than twice the number of male candidates. In Karachi alone, 10,296 candidates registered, including 4,003 women and 1,197 men at NED University, and 3,764 women and 1,332 men at Dow University. A total of 32,917 students from Sindh are taking the exam.
Read: Pressure mounts on PMDC to postpone MDCAT
Security at exam centers includes biometric verification, metal detectors and police presence. Cell phones, smart watches and other electronic devices are strictly prohibited. STS will provide all stationery and testing materials.
Applicants must bring their original CNIC or passport, while those under 18 must present a minor’s card as well as registration and intermediate grade sheets. Police, traffic personnel and emergency services are deployed at all locations.
In Islamabad, two examination centers have been established: one at Shaheed Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto Medical University (PIMS Building) and another at Bahria University.
The MDCAT will be conducted by universities, while the Pakistan Medical and Dental Council (PMDC) will not directly supervise the process.
All universities conducting the exam have been given access to the National Paper Bank and are required to strictly adhere to the PMDC standards while setting up, developing and printing the paper.
Universities must pre-screen exams to remove all questions outside the syllabus, maintain strict confidentiality, and open exams only in the presence of official witnesses.
The admit cards were issued to the candidates seven days before the exam and the results will be officially announced within seven days of the exam.
In Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa, 39,981 candidates are appearing for MDCAT in seven districts: Peshawar, Mardan, Swat, Lower Dir, Kohat, Dera Ismail Khan and Abbottabad. The three-hour test will begin at 9:00 a.m.
To ensure transparency, strict security and a modern surveillance system have been put in place, with Article 144 in force.
Cell phones, smart watches, headphones, calculators and electronic devices are prohibited. All centers have been equipped with CCTV cameras, mobile jammers, gates, scanners and other surveillance tools.
Calls to delay MDCAT
This year’s MDCAT exam has been embroiled in controversy, with PMDC facing growing pressure to delay the exam as students and education experts warned that thousands of candidates remained unprepared due to recent floods.
Learn more: MDCAT 2026: Higher eligibility criteria, revised exam structure
Addressing a press conference at the Karachi Press Club on Saturday, MDCAT strategist Dr Sajid Alvi urged the authorities to postpone the exam scheduled for Sunday. “MDCAT should not be held tomorrow. Candidates are not ready and many areas have been affected by floods,” he said.
Dr Alvi accused the PMDC of ignoring the difficulties faced by students in the disaster-hit areas, saying the counseling was being held despite the candidates being “mentally and physically disturbed”. He claimed that more than 40,000 candidates may not be able to take the exam, which could impact their merit.
Dr Alvi alleged that the PMDC failed to release the promised syllabus booklet and clear guidelines, leaving candidates in uncertainty. He raised concerns about transparency and possible document leaks, saying early reporting deadlines would only add to students’ distress.
