Pressure mounts on PMDC to postpone MDCAT

The Pakistan Medical and Dental Council is facing mounting pressure to delay the Medical and Dental College Admission Test, as students and education experts warn that thousands of candidates are unprepared due to the recent floods across the country.

At a press conference at the Karachi Press Club on Saturday, Medical and Dental College Admission Test (MDCAT) strategist, Dr Sajid Alvi urged authorities to postpone the exam, scheduled for Sunday. “The MDCAT test should not be held tomorrow. Candidates are not ready, and many areas have been affected by floods,” he said.

Dr Alvi accused the Pakistan Medical and Dental Council (PMDC) of ignoring the challenges faced by students in disaster-hit areas. “PMDC is a responsible institution, yet it continues to hold the test when students are mentally and physically disturbed,” he said.

He specifically mentioned that more than 40,000 candidates might be unable to sit in the test due to flood-related disruptions, warning this could affect the overall merit. He also criticised the requirement for domicile and CNIC documents, introduced in 2023, calling it an unnecessary burden.

“Students are asking whether they should focus on preparing for the test or should they spend time on getting their identification documents made. These conditions must be relaxed,” he said.

The strategist questioned the decision of assigning Sukkur IBA University to conduct the test in Sindh. “IBA has nothing to do with medical education, yet it has been made responsible to conduct the MDCAT in Sindh,” he said.

Dr Alvi also alleged that PMDC had failed to provide a promised syllabus booklet and clear guidelines, leaving candidates uncertain about the material. He raised concerns over transparency and warned of possible paper leaks.

“The paper will leak tonight; students have been asked to arrive at 6am while the test starts at 10am — this will only add to their suffering,” he said.

He further criticised the council’s decision to ban new private medical colleges, arguing it limits opportunities. “If someone is opening a new private medical college, what’s wrong with that?” he asked.

Dr Alvi called for increased security at examination centres, including the deployment of Rangers, and demanded that the test be rescheduled. “If the test isn’t postponed, thousands of students will suffer. The date must be revised,” he said.

Several students echoed concerns, saying their course was incomplete and large portions of the syllabus had not been covered. “How can we attempt questions from topics that were never taught?” one student asked.

The controversy surrounding MDCAT 2025 continues to intensify as calls for postponement grow amid the ongoing flood crisis.

Sindh relaxes juvenile card requirement

Meanwhile, Sindh government has relaxed the juvenile card requirement for candidates appearing in the MDCAT 2025. Dr Asif Ahmed Sheikh, Vice Chancellor of Sukkur IBA University, announced that the provincial cabinet approved the decision to facilitate a larger number of applicants. “This relaxation is only for the MDCAT 2025 examination,” he said.

Dr Sheikh clarified that candidates who do not possess a juvenile card, CNIC or passport must bring their matriculation or intermediate photographic marks sheet to the exam centre for verification.
“This decision aims to ensure maximum participation of students,” he added.

He also confirmed that after the test, candidates will be allowed to take their question papers with them.
“With the question paper, students will be able to review their answers after the exam,” he said.

Regarding examination procedures, Dr Sheikh said the test duration will be three hours, and no candidate will be allowed to leave the examination hall before the time is over. “All candidates must remain seated until the completion of the exam,” he stressed.