ISLAMABAD: While reports circulating on social media claim that the Pakistan Medical and Dental Council (PMDC) has increased the fee for the Medical and Dental Colleges Admission Test (MDCAT) by 80 per cent, the council has stated that the increase is only 12.5per cent.

The test, scheduled for October 5, will be a paper-based, multiple-choice exam conducted in English. It will comprise 180 MCQs with no negative marking.

A PMDC spokesperson said the fee for the MDCAT was Rs8,000 in 2024 and has been set at Rs9,000 for the upcoming exam.

“MDCAT is going to be conducted by universities nominated by the federal and provincial authorities, not by the PMDC. However, as the regulator, PMDC has developed a uniform syllabus for the MDCAT in consultation with all stakeholders, including federal and provincial authorities,” she said.

PMDC has also invested heavily in developing a question bank based on a common syllabus agreed upon by the provinces, she noted.

The council decided to revise the fee on the request of the examination-conducting universities due to rising costs of paper printing, enhanced security protocols and logistical arrangements, payments for examiners, invigilators, and administrative staff, as well as ensuring adequate seating and facilities for candidates nationwide and at international venues,” she added.

The spokesperson said that despite significant inflation and increasing operational costs, the PMDC remained committed to affordability and fairness.

The MDCAT will be conducted through University of Health Sciences Lahore(Punjab), Sukkur IBA (Sindh), Khyber Medical University (Khyber Pakhtunkhwa), Bolan University of Medical and Health Sciences (Balochistan) and Shaheed Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto Medical University (Islamabad Capital Territory, Azad Jammu and Kashmir, Gilgit-Baltistan, and Riyadh, Saudi Arabia).

“The schedule for MDCAT-2025 online registration for both local and international candidates began on August 8, 2025, and will close on the 25th of the current month. After this date, registration will only be accepted with a late fee, which will remain open until September 1,” she said.

“Candidates must carefully select one city/centre for the MDCAT and complete the application with all necessary requirements; otherwise, the online system will reject it,” she added.

Published in Dawn, August 10th, 2025