PMDC Clarifies MDCAT 2025 Fee Increase Details

Download IPFS

The Pakistan Medical & Dental Council (PM&DC) has confirmed that the Medical & Dental Colleges Admission Test (MDCAT) 2025 will be held on October 5, while dismissing social media claims of an 80% fee hike as “false and misleading.”

In a statement on Saturday, the council clarified that the exam fee has risen only modestly. In 2024, the fee was Rs8,000, and for 2025 it has been set at Rs9,000, a 12.5% increase, not the 80% figure circulating online. The adjustment, PM&DC explained, is to cover operational expenses such as security measures, logistics, examiner and invigilator payments, and improved facilities for candidates.

Registration for the exam will open from August 8 to August 25, with a late registration period available until September 1, 2025. Candidates must select their city or centre carefully and complete the online application with all required information, as incomplete forms will be rejected by the system.

The MDCAT will be a paper-based test conducted in English, featuring 180 multiple-choice questions with no negative marking. While PM&DC will not conduct the exam directly, it has developed a uniform syllabus in consultation with federal and provincial authorities and has created a comprehensive question bank for use by the exam-conducting universities.

For 2025, the exam will be administered through the following institutions: University of Health Sciences, Lahore (Punjab); Sukkur IBA University, Sukkur (Sindh); Khyber Medical University, Peshawar (Khyber Pakhtunkhwa); Bolan University of Medical & Health Sciences, Quetta (Balochistan); and Shaheed Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto Medical University, Islamabad. The Islamabad university will also manage testing for candidates from Azad Jammu & Kashmir, Gilgit-Baltistan, and those applying from Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.

According to PM&DC, the fee revision was requested by these universities in response to rising costs in areas such as paper printing, enhanced security protocols, logistical arrangements, and administrative operations. The council emphasised that it has taken a balanced approach to keep the test affordable while maintaining its integrity and fairness.

PM&DC reiterated its commitment to transparent, merit-based admissions, ensuring equal opportunities for all aspiring medical and dental students. The organization stated that it would continue working closely with provincial and federal stakeholders to uphold examination quality and credibility nationwide.