PMDC expects nearly Rs 2 billion in revenue from registration fees
Karachi ( Web News)
The Pakistan Medical and Dental Council (PMDC) has imposed a financial burden on students aspiring to become doctors, as well as their parents, by increasing the MDCAT test fee by 80%. The fee hike has been implemented over two years: in 2023, the fee was Rs 5,000, which increased to Rs 7,000 in 2024, and now has been raised to Rs 9,000 for 2025.
Last year, 32,977 candidates appeared for the test. Based on similar participation this year, PMDC is expected to generate approximately Rs 2.96 billion in revenue.
According to PMDC, the entrance test will be held on Sunday, October 5, 2025, simultaneously in Pakistan and Saudi Arabia. In Pakistan, the exam will be conducted by five different universities, assigned regionally:
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Punjab: University of Health Sciences (UHS), Lahore
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Sindh: Sukkur IBA University
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Khyber Pakhtunkhwa: Khyber Medical University, Peshawar
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Balochistan: Bolan Medical University, Quetta
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Islamabad, AJK, Gilgit-Baltistan, and Overseas Pakistanis (Riyadh, Saudi Arabia): Shaheed Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto Medical University, Islamabad
Online registration will remain open until August 25. With a late fee, registration will be accepted until September 1. The registration fee for test centers in Pakistan is Rs 9,000, while the late fee is Rs 13,000. For international centers like Riyadh, the fee is Rs 45,000, and with a late fee, Rs 55,000. All fees are non-refundable and non-transferable.
The test for admission to medical and dental colleges will be held in various cities across the country, including Islamabad, Lahore, Karachi, Peshawar, Quetta, Muzaffarabad, Mirpur, Rawalakot, Sukkur, Hyderabad, Multan, Faisalabad, Swat, Abbottabad, Gilgit, and Riyadh, among others.
Candidates are instructed to select the exam center based solely on their domicile, as once selected, it cannot be changed.
The MDCAT will be conducted in English and will consist of 180 multiple-choice questions, with no negative marking. The questions will cover subjects like Biology, Chemistry, Physics, English, and Logical Reasoning. The difficulty level of the test will be divided into 15% easy, 70% moderate, and 15% difficult questions.