MDCAT bar lowered yet again, raising concerns over declining merit

Pakistan Medical and Dental Council has approved a further reduction in the passing criteria for the Medical and Dental Colleges Admission Test (MDCAT), in a move aimed at addressing unfilled seats in private medical and dental colleges.

The decision, made following recommendations from a parliamentary committee, allows universities to lower the minimum passing percentage by up to three percent on a one-time basis if vacancies persist. Under the revised criteria, the qualifying marks may drop to 52 per cent for MBBS programmes and 47 per cent for BDS admissions.

According to an official notification, institutions are first required to admit students who already meet previously established eligibility criteria. Only after exhausting this pool, and confirming that no additional qualifying candidates are available, can universities apply the reduced threshold.

While the council has framed the move as a “systematic and fair” solution to ongoing capacity issues, the repeated lowering of standards has raised concerns among education observers. Critics argue that such measures risk diluting academic merit in one of the country’s most competitive fields, potentially prioritizing institutional financial stability over rigorous selection.

The PMDC, however, maintains that all decisions have undergone national-level deliberations, including input from health standing committees, and insists that previously completed admissions under the 2025 regulations will remain valid.

The development comes at a time when debates over quality, accessibility, and standards in Pakistan’s medical education sector continue to intensify, with many questioning whether short-term fixes could have long-term implications for professional competence.