PMDC announces new schedule for MDCAT exam

ISLAMABAD: The Pakistan Medical and Dental Council (PMDC) announced on Thursday that more than 140,000 candidates have registered for the Medical and Dental College Admission Test (MDCAT) 2025, which will be conducted nationwide and at one designated international centre in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.

The test was originally scheduled for October 5, 2025, but has now been rescheduled to October 26, 2025 (Sunday) to facilitate students in flood-affected areas.

According to official data, a total of 140,071 candidates have successfully registered for the examination.

Of these, Punjab recorded the highest number with 50,443 candidates set to appear under the University of Health Sciences, Lahore. Khyber Pakhtunkhwa followed with 39,964 candidates under the Khyber Medical University, Peshawar, while Sindh registered 33,160 candidates through the Sukkur IBA Testing Service.

In Balochistan, 10,278 students will appear under the Bolan University of Medical & Health Sciences, Quetta.

In addition, 1,146 candidates have registered from the Islamabad Capital Territory, 3,322 from Azad Jammu & Kashmir, and 1,564 from Gilgit-Baltistan — all under the Shaheed Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto Medical University (SZABMU), Islamabad.

A further 194 candidates have been registered for the international centre in Riyadh, also through SZABMU.

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The PM&DC clarified that the MDCAT will be conducted by universities nominated by federal and provincial authorities, not by the Council itself.

However, the regulator has prepared a uniform syllabus and question bank in consultation with stakeholders. Universities are required to ensure that PMDC standards are followed during paper setting and result declaration.

To safeguard transparency, the PMDC said universities are working with the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA), Intelligence Bureau (IB) and police to prevent paper leaks or cheating.

Candidates have been advised to follow only official advisories issued by PMDC or universities and ignore false reports circulating in the media.

The Council further directed admitting universities to coordinate with relevant authorities to ensure a fair and transparent process nationwide and abroad.

 It warned that any malpractice would be dealt with strictly in accordance with the law.

PMDC President Dr Rizwan Taj urged universities to make every effort to conduct the test smoothly. He also advised candidates to focus on preparation with dedication, stressing that merit and hard work are the only paths to success.