Pakistan Print edition: 2025-10-23

‘PMDC will not be responsible for paper leaks’: Minister directs universities to ensure transparency in MDCAT

Published October 23, 2025 Updated October 23, 2025 07:42am

4 min

By Abdul Rasheed Azad

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ISLAMABAD: Federal Minister for National Health Services and Regulations, Syed Mustafa Kamal, has urged the provincial authorities and universities to conductthe Medical and Dental College Admission Test (MDCAT) in a free, fair, and transparent manner.

Speaking at a press conference along with the President Pakistan Medical and Dental Council (PMDC), Prof Dr Rizwan Taj, here on Wednesday, the minister said that universities, not the PMDC, will be responsible for MDCAT paper leaks or mismanagement in conducting the test on 26th October.

A total of 140,129 applicants have been registered for the test for admission against 22,000 seats of MBBS and BDS in public and private health institutions across the country. The test will be conducted nationwide at 32 venues, including one international centre, i.e. Riyadh (Saudi Arabia).

The minister announced that the PMDC, in a major milestone, developed a uniform national syllabus and an item bank for the MDCAT, containing over 6,000 standardized questions. The syllabus was created in consultation with vice chancellors and other stakeholders nationwide. He warned that provinces will be responsible if the MDCAT paper is leaked.

He urged the media to help raise public awareness about the exam. The Minister appreciated the President, Registrar, and the PMDC examination department for creating an excellent item bank. The MDCAT-2025 will be conducted across Pakistan through designated public sector exam-conducting universities in each province and region. While all matters relating to the organization, management, and conduct of the examination and results shall be handled by the respective exam-conducting universities in accordance with the standards and framework already conveyed by the Council.

The PMDC president further emphasized that if any exam-conducting university fails to ensure the smooth and transparent conduct of the MDCAT, or if any incident of paper leakage, deviation from the approved syllabus, or breach of transparency occurs, the concerned university shall be held fully responsible for such lapses.

He also clearly announced that 50 percent of the total allocated amount has already been released to the universities to facilitate the smooth and efficient conduct of the examination. However, in the event of any such irregularity or misconduct, the remaining 50 percent payment shall be withheld.

He added that this strategic decision has been made to ensure transparency, regional facilitation, and efficient management of the MDCAT-2025 examination process nationwide. Each university will act as the examination authority within its jurisdiction, ensuring adherence to PMDC’s prescribed rules, syllabus, and security protocols.

According to the PMDC, the MDCAT score will carry at least 50 percent weightage for admission to public and private medical colleges, will be valid nationwide, and will remain valid for three years. Universities must conduct pre-hoc and post-hoc analyses to ensure no incorrect or out-of-syllabus questions appear in the exam.

All participating universities have been required to make comprehensive arrangements for the conduct of MDCAT-2025, which shall include, Provision of suitable examination centers with proper seating, ventilation, heating/cooling, and drinking water arrangements, Installation of jammers to block electronic devices, establishment of walk-through gates at entry and exit points, and deployment of adequate security personnel, appointment and remuneration of trained staff for invigilation and administration duties, development, printing, and secure transfer of confidential question papers; maintenance of strict.

Moreover, universities will arrange for a parent waiting area, student verification counters, and other miscellaneous facilities to ensure a smooth and secure examination experience. The PMDC curriculum and syllabus for the MDCAT-2025 shall be implemented in letter and spirit by all universities.

The PMDC has also clarified that while universities will manage all operational and logistical aspects of the MDCAT-2025, the Council retains exclusive authority over candidate registration, policy oversight, and validation of results to ensure national uniformity and merit-based transparency.

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