ISLAMABAD, Oct 22 (APP): Federal Minister for National Health Services, Regulations and Coordination, Syed Mustafa Kamal, has directed the provincial authorities and universities to ensure a free, fair and transparent conduct of the Medical and Dental College Admission Test (MDCAT) on October 26, 2025.
Addressing a press conference at the Pakistan Medical and Dental Council (PM&DC) head office here Wednesday, the minister said that the responsibility for any paper leak or mismanagement during the examination would rest entirely with the respective exam-conducting universities.
He informed that 140,129 candidates have been registered for the MDCAT-2025 for admission against 22,000 MBBS and BDS seats in public and private colleges and universities across the country.
The test will be held at 32 venues nationwide, including an international center in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, he added.
Highlighting key developments, the minister said that the PM&DC has achieved a major milestone by developing a uniform national syllabus and an item bank comprising over 6,000 standardized questions.
The syllabus was finalized in consultation with vice chancellors and stakeholders from across Pakistan and universities have prepared the examination from the national item bank after full satisfaction.
He warned that provinces and universities would be held accountable in case of any paper leak or breach of transparency.
He appreciated the efforts of the PM&DC President, Registrar, and Examination Department for establishing a robust item bank.
The MDCAT-2025 will be conducted by designated public-sector universities in each province and region. All organizational, management and result-related matters will be handled by the respective universities under the framework provided by PM&DC.
The minister announced that 50 percent of the allocated examination funds have already been released to universities to ensure smooth conduct of the test. However, the remaining 50 percent will be withheld in case of any irregularity, misconduct, or deviation from PM&DC’s standards.
He said this policy aims to ensure transparency, efficiency and regional facilitation in the examination process. Each university will serve as the examination authority within its jurisdiction, following PM&DC’s prescribed rules, syllabus and security protocols, he added.
According to PM&DC, he said the MDCAT score will carry at least 50 percent weightage in admissions to medical and dental colleges, will be valid nationwide, and will remain valid for three years, adding, the universities have been directed to conduct pre-hoc and post-hoc analysis to ensure there are no incorrect or out-of-syllabus questions.
All participating universities are required to make comprehensive arrangements for the examination, including suitable centers with proper seating, ventilation, and drinking water facilities, installation of jammers; deployment of security personnel, and secure printing and transfer of question papers, he said adding that the universities must also arrange parent waiting areas, student verification counters, and other necessary facilities to ensure a smooth and transparent process.
The federal minister said the PM&DC syllabus for MDCAT-2025 will be implemented in letter and spirit by all universities. While universities will handle all operational and logistical aspects of the test, the PM&DC will retain authority over candidate registration, policy oversight, and result validation to maintain national uniformity and merit-based transparency, he said.