Islamabad:
Pakistan Medical & Dental Council (PM & DC) has announced that the medical and dental college admission test (MDCAT) 2025 will be held on October 5.
In a statement published on Saturday, PM and DC also rejected rumors of an increase in costs of 80% like “false and deceptive”, specifying that only a nominal increase was made to cover the operational costs of the driving, including security and logistics.
The council said that the costs have increased modestly and gradually over the years. In 2024, the costs were 8,000 rupees and for 2025, it was set at Rs 9,000. The increase in RS1,000 represents an increase of 12.5%, not 80% as incorrectly disseminated on social networks.
Meanwhile, the registration for the exam will be open from August 8 to August 25, with a late registration window available until September 1, 2025.
The MDCAT 2025 will be made in English in a paper format, with 180 multiple questions (MCQ) without negative marking.
The MDCAT examination will be led by universities appointed by the federal and provincial authorities, not by PM & DC itself. However, PM & DC, as a regulator, has developed a uniform program for the examination in consultation with all stakeholders, including the federal and provincial authorities.
The Council said that it had also invested massively in the development of a question bank based on the common program agreed by the provinces.
The revision of the costs was carried out at the request of the conductive universities of the examination, citing the increase in the costs of paper printing, improved security protocols, logistical arrangements, payments for examiners, invigitors, administrative staff and sitting insurance and adequate installations for national candidates and in international sites.
In addition, the Council declared that it has adopted a balanced approach to maintain the examination accessible to all candidates while retaining quality and integrity in the test process. The press release added that the Council was attached to transparent admissions, responsible and based on merit, guaranteeing equal opportunities for all medical and dental budding students.
The MDCAT will take place in the following universities: University of Health Sciences, Lahore (for Punjab); University Sukkur IBA, Sukkur (for Sindh); Khyber Medical University, Peshawar (for Khyber Pakhtunkhwa); Bolan University of Medical & Health Sciences, Quetta (for Balutchistan); And Shaheed Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto Medical University, Islamabad (for Islamabad Capital Territory, Azad Jammu and Cashmire, Gilgit-Baltistan, and for international candidates in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia).
The candidates must carefully select a city / center for the MDCAT and fill out their request with all the required information or the online system will reject it.
The test will be a multiple choice paper exam carried out in English, made up of 180 questions without negative marking.
