PM&DC announces new syllabus for MDCAT

LAHORE:The Pakistan Medical and Dental Council (PM&DC) has officially uploaded the new syllabus for the Medical and Dental College Admission Test (MDCAT) 2025 on its official website.

This new syllabus will serve as the core framework for the upcoming MDCAT examination likely to be held on the last Sunday of September or 1st Sunday of October 2025. However, the final date will be announced in a couple of days in consultation with the admitting universities and with the approval of the council.

As the Pakistan Medical and Dental Council is the national statutory body responsible for regulating the standards of medical and dental education throughout the country it oversees curriculum development, licensing, and accreditation of medical institutions. The new syllabus encompasses five key subjects i.e, Biology, Chemistry, Physics, English, and Logical Reasoning, with a focus on conceptual understanding and critical thinking. The PM&DC encourages all aspiring medical and dental students to begin their preparation following the newly issued syllabus.

The structure, weightage, and difficulty levels for the MDCAT 2025 exam have also been officially defined. The exam will consist of a total of 180 multiple-choice questions (MCQs), to be completed within a three-hour duration. The distribution of the questions will be as follows: 15% easy, 70% moderate, and 15% difficult. The format of the exam will be entirely MCQ-based, and no negative marking will be applied. To qualify for admission, candidates must achieve a minimum of 55% marks for admission in medical colleges and 50% marks for admission in dental colleges. These standards have been lined up to ensure a fair and comprehensive evaluation of each candidate’s knowledge and readiness for medical or dental education.

PM&DC President Prof Dr Rizwan Taj in his statement, apprised that the new syllabus is a step towards promoting transparency, fairness, and standardisation in medical and dental admissions. He added that, few gaps were pointed out in the previous syllabus, which have been rectified and the PM&DC addressed the issue and introduced the revised syllabus within just six months. He added that this updated curriculum was compiled to balance foundational knowledge with analytical and reasoning skills, serving the evolving academic needs of our next generation of healthcare professionals. Dr Taj reaffirmed that the updated syllabus lays the foundation for a merit-based, unified national assessment. He added that PM&DC is also developing a question bank with expert input. He acknowledged past challenges and emphasised that the Council has worked diligently to resolve these issues and ensure a fair testing system.