KARACHI: The Pakistan Medical & Dental Council (PMDC) has rejected social media claims that the Medical & Dental Colleges Admission Test (MDCAT) 2025 fee was increased by 80%, clarifying that the rise this year is 12.5 percent — from Rs 8,000 in 2024 to Rs 9,000 in 2025.
In a statement, PMDC said that the MDCAT exam will be held on Sunday, 5 October 2025, and will be conducted by universities nominated by the federal and provincial authorities, not by the PMDC itself. As a regulator, PMDC has developed a uniform syllabus in consultation with all stakeholders, including federal and provincial authorities, and has invested heavily in developing a question bank based on a common syllabus agreed upon by the provinces.
The Council said the fee was revised at the request of the examination-conducting universities due to rising costs of paper printing, enhanced security protocols, logistical arrangements, payments for examiners, invigilators, and administrative staff, and ensuring adequate seating and facilities for candidates both nationwide and at international venues. Despite significant inflation and increasing operational costs, PMDC maintained it had taken a balanced approach to keep the exam accessible while preserving quality and integrity.
The MDCAT will be conducted through: University of Health Sciences, Lahore (Punjab), Sukkur IBA University (Sindh), Khyber Medical University, Peshawar (Khyber Pakhtunkhwa), Bolan University of Medical & Health Sciences, Quetta (Balochistan), and Shaheed Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto Medical University, Islamabad (ICT, AJK, Gilgit-Baltistan, and Riyadh, Saudi Arabia).
Registration began on 8 August and will close on 25 August, with late registration (for an additional fee) available until 1 September. The paper-based test will consist of 180 multiple-choice questions in English, with no negative marking: Biology (81), Chemistry (45), Physics (36), English (9), and Logical Reasoning (9). The syllabus is available at www.pmdc.pk and applications must be submitted through mdcat.pmdc.pk.
Long-term trend tells a different story
While PMDC calls the current rise modest, historical data shows a sharp increase over recent years. In 2021 and earlier, the fee ranged from Rs 500 to Rs 1,500. It was raised to Rs 6,000 in 2022, remained the same in 2023, increased to Rs 8,000 in 2024, and now stands at Rs 9,000 in 2025. This reflects a cumulative increase of 500 percent from the upper 2021 level and 1,700 percent from the lower 2021 level.
Parents and students still worried
Parents and students argue that even a Rs 1,000 rise this year adds pressure in an economy already hit by record inflation, high unemployment, and rising education costs. For many low and middle-income families, the increase could mean cutting essential expenses or abandoning the goal of becoming a doctor.
Past MDCAT sessions have also drawn criticism for inadequate facilities — including overcrowding, poor cooling arrangements, and, in some cases, students collapsing or dying from heatstroke without timely first aid. Critics question whether the additional revenue will genuinely improve safety and management on exam day.
“This isn’t just about percentages,” said one parent in Karachi. “It’s about whether our children will finally get the conditions they deserve when they pay these high fees.”
