ISLAMABAD: The Pakistan Medical and Dental Council (PMDC) has increased the minimum required marks for MDCAT-2025 candidates from 60% to 65% in FSc (Pre-Medical) or equivalent.
According to a notification issued by PMDC Registrar Dr Shaista, this new requirement will apply to all students seeking admission to MBBS and BDS programmes across the country from the 2025-2026 session. Candidates will also be allowed to appear for MDCAT only in the province or region mentioned in their domicile.
The notification further stated that Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, will be the only international test centre for MDCAT 2025. The updated syllabus for the test has also been uploaded to the PMDC’s official website.
The new syllabus includes five main subjects: Biology, Chemistry, Physics, English, and Logical Reasoning. PMDC officials said the syllabus aims to improve students’ understanding of concepts and boost their critical thinking skills.
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The MDCAT 2025 is likely to be held on either the last Sunday of September or the first Sunday of October. The final date will be confirmed after consultation with admitting universities and with PMDC approval.
The exam format has also been finalised. It will consist of 180 multiple-choice questions (MCQs) to be completed in three hours. The paper will include 15% easy questions, 70% moderate, and 15% difficult. There will be no negative marking.
To qualify for medical college, candidates must score at least 55%. For dental colleges, the minimum is 50%.
PMDC President Prof Dr Rizwan Taj said the new syllabus is part of efforts to bring transparency, fairness, and standardisation to medical and dental college admissions.
He added that the previous syllabus had a few shortcomings, which have now been addressed. “We prepared the revised syllabus in just six months after extensive consultation with experts,” he said.
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Dr Taj explained that the updated curriculum is designed to provide a balanced mix of basic knowledge and reasoning skills, in line with national academic standards and international best practices.
He also shared that PMDC is working on developing a question bank with expert input to support the new curriculum. The MDCAT Committee and its working groups held nine meetings to finalise a unified national syllabus for the exam.
“This new framework will help ensure merit-based admissions and fair testing for all candidates,” he said.
