More than 140,000 students have registered for the Medical & Dental College Admission Test (MDCAT) 2025, which will be held nationwide and at a designated international centre in Riyadh. The Pakistan Medical & Dental Council (PM&DC) said the exam date has been moved later in October to accommodate students affected by recent floods and that universities nominated by federal and provincial authorities will administer the test under PM&DC standards.
A total of 140,071 candidates completed registration for MDCAT 2025. Provincial breakdowns show 50,443 applicants registered under the University of Health Sciences, Lahore (Punjab); 39,964 under Khyber Medical University, Peshawar (Khyber Pakhtunkhwa); 33,160 under Sukkur IBA Testing Service (Sindh); and 10,278 under Bolan University of Medical & Health Sciences, Quetta (Balochistan). Candidates from the federal territories and other regions include 1,146 from Islamabad Capital Territory, 3,322 from Azad Jammu & Kashmir and 1,564 from Gilgit-Baltistan. In addition, 194 candidates will sit at the international venue through Shaheed Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto Medical University, Islamabad. The highest numbers came from Punjab, followed by Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Sindh.
PM&DC clarified that the exam will be conducted by the universities nominated by federal and provincial authorities; the Council will serve as the regulator. PM&DC said it developed a uniform MDCAT syllabus and an item bank in consultation with stakeholders and that the test-conducting universities must adhere to PM&DC standards when setting papers and declaring results. Admitting universities have been instructed to make necessary arrangements to accommodate the large number of applicants domestically and at the overseas centre.
To safeguard the integrity of the examination, PM&DC and the universities are coordinating with federal and provincial law-enforcement and intelligence agencies, including FIA, IB and local police, to prevent any paper leaks or cheating. Candidates were advised to follow only official announcements and advisories from PM&DC or the conducting universities and to ignore false reports circulating in the media.
PM&DC President Dr. Rizwan Taj called on universities to ensure the examination is run smoothly and transparently, and urged candidates to prepare diligently and refrain from using unfair means. The Council reiterated that any incidents of malpractice will be dealt with firmly in accordance with the law. The MDCAT remains the mandatory entry test for admission to medical and dental colleges across Pakistan.
