ISLAMABAD: While efforts continue to stop the Medical and Dental Colleges Admission Test (MDCAT), the Pakistan Medical and Dental Council (PMDC) has said that holding the test this week is inevitable.

A campaign is currently circulating on social media claiming that several candidates could not apply for the test, while others were unable to prepare due to floods across the country.

The MDCAT, which is mandatory for admission to medical and dental colleges in Pakistan, is scheduled to be held on Sunday (October 26) across the country.

A statement issued by the PMDC said that a few students had made repeated attempts to delay the MDCAT through various forums, including the high court. However, their petition had been dismissed.

Says test to be held on Oct 26

“All arrangements for MDCAT 2025 have been finalised, and examination halls across all provinces have been booked.

The provincial authorities have completed all necessary preparations to ensure the smooth conduct of the examination, including printing of papers and issuance of admit cards,” the statement said.

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It further stated, “To facilitate candidates, the PMDC opened the registration portal twice and even extended the MDCAT date once to accommodate students affected by floods.

The Honourable Court has also dismissed the petition seeking a further extension of MDCAT. Students were provided ample time to prepare for the examination, and over 140,000 candidates have registered; therefore, MDCAT cannot be further delayed.”

A PMDC official, requesting anonymity, said that the original date for the MDCAT was October 6, but following the intervention of a parliamentary committee, the test was postponed to October 26.

“We also reopened the portal and allowed new candidates to register. This gave them additional time to prepare. However, once again, attempts are being made to delay the test. We suspect that some elements, including educational academies, are behind these efforts, as they benefit financially by charging candidates extra fees for extended preparation periods,” the official claimed.

Responding to a question, the official said, “As per practice, admissions in public sector medical and dental colleges are completed first, followed by private colleges.

“The entire process takes about two months, and ideally, classes should begin in the last week of November or the first week of December.”

He warned that further delay in MDCAT could cause complications.

“If the test is postponed again, smog season will start in most parts of the country, leading to renewed calls for delay.

“Since educational institutions also close during smog, this could cause an irreversible loss,” he added.

The MDCAT will be conducted nationwide at 32 venues, including one international centre in Riyadh (Saudi Arabia).

It will be organised by different universities, including the University of Health Sciences (Lahore), Sukkur IBA University, Khyber Medical University (Peshawar), Bolan University of Medical and Health Sciences (Quetta), and Shaheed Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto Medical University (Islamabad).

Published in Dawn, October 24th, 2025