The Pakistan Medical and Dental Council (PMDC) recently unveiled the new curriculum for the Medical and Dental Colleges Admission Test (MDCAT) 2025. According to PMDC President Dr. Rizwan Taj, the MDCAT 2025 is scheduled to take place in late September or early October. The updated test will cover five subjects: Biology, Chemistry, Physics, English, and Logical Reasoning.

The exam will consist of 180 multiple choice questions (MCQs) and will last for three hours. The question paper will be entirely MCQ-based, with no negative marking. The questions will be divided into 15% easy, 70% moderate, and 15% difficult categories.

Dr. Rizwan Taj mentioned that a minimum of 55% marks will be necessary for admission to a medical college, while 50% marks will be required for dental college admission.

PMDC has also started developing a question bank for the exam. The new curriculum was created in collaboration with academic experts, educational boards, and universities.

Transparency and Fairness Emphasized

The National Assembly (NA) Standing Committee on National Health Services, Regulation, and Coordination recently highlighted the importance of transparency, fairness, and equity in the MDCAT. The committee, chaired by Dr. Mahesh Kumar Malani, proposed a single, nationwide curriculum to address regional educational disparities and ensure equal opportunities for all students.

Further legal reviews and stakeholder consultations will determine the final decisions on these proposed reforms. Concerns about out-of-syllabus questions in previous exams were raised during the meeting, with the committee recommending improved accuracy in question papers to prevent post-exam corrections. Students' grievances about deleted questions were previously addressed with a revised answer key.