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PMDC opens complaint window till Nov 1; over half of Sindh candidates fail MBBS test
Aftab Maken
ISLAMABAD: The Pakistan Medical and Dental Council (PMDC) has officially announced the provisional results of MDCAT 2025, the nationwide entry test for admission to MBBS and BDS programmes across Pakistan. According to PMDC, candidates have been given time until 5 p.m. on November 1, 2025, to submit any objections or discrepancies via email. The final results will be declared on Sunday evening, following the verification of all complaints.
The MDCAT 2025 was held under strict monitoring across all provinces, including Sindh, Punjab, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Balochistan, Gilgit-Baltistan, and Azad Jammu & Kashmir, with over 200,000 candidates appearing for the examination. Early data released by provincial testing authorities revealed mixed outcomes, with significant variation in success rates among provinces.
In Sindh, where the test was conducted by IBA Sukkur University, the preliminary results showed a 56 % failure rate among MBBS candidates and 48 % among BDS aspirants. Despite strong intermediate grades — many with A-1 and A — more than half the examinees failed to meet the minimum passing criteria of 55 % (99 marks) for MBBS and 50 % (90 marks) for BDS.
In Punjab, sources within the University of Health Sciences (UHS) reported a comparatively better performance, with around 62 % of candidates clearing the minimum benchmark. Meanwhile, Khyber Medical University (KMU) in Peshawar recorded a 47 % pass rate, while Balochistan University of Health Sciences reported only 38 % success — one of the lowest in the country.
Officials noted that these trends highlight the persistent gap between higher-secondary (FSc) results and MDCAT performance, raising questions over the quality of pre-medical education. Education analysts argue that a nationwide review of science curricula and entry test alignment is needed to ensure consistency across provinces.
Once final results are confirmed, PMDC will issue provincial merit lists, combining MDCAT and FSc scores for public and private medical and dental college admissions. The new academic session for 2026 is expected to begin in January, following the completion of the merit-based admission process.
The MDCAT, introduced to ensure uniform entry standards across Pakistan, remains the key benchmark for aspiring medical students, serving as both a test of knowledge and a measure of academic integrity nationwide.
