Senate and National Assembly clash over MDCAT future

Islamabad:  A major dispute has emerged between Senate and National Assembly lawmakers over the future of the Medical and Dental College Admission Test (MDCAT), with a Senate subcommittee reportedly calling for the test to be reduced or even abolished, while the National Assembly Standing Committee on Health strongly rejected ending the examination. Lawmakers warned that changing the system could directly affect thousands of students competing for medical and dental college seats across Pakistan.

he controversy arose during a discussion on MDCAT arrangements, where officials briefed lawmakers about the upcoming examination, student registrations, admission criteria and concerns surrounding medical education standards.

According to the briefing, pressure is coming from a Senate subcommittee that wants changes in MDCAT, including reducing the passing marks. During the discussion, a member pointed out that some voices in the Senate were even demanding that MDCAT should be completely abolished.

However, the National Assembly Standing Committee strongly opposed this proposal. The chairman and members made it clear that they do not support ending MDCAT, saying the test is necessary to maintain a common standard for students applying to medical and dental colleges.

The National Assembly committee argued that provincial board marks cannot be the only basis for medical admissions due to concerns over inconsistent marking and examination conditions in some provinces. Members suggested reducing the weight given to Matric and Intermediate marks instead of removing MDCAT.

Under the proposed approach discussed by the committee, the weight of board marks could be reduced from the current 50 percent to around 30 percent, while MDCAT would remain a major part of the admission process.

Officials informed the committee that MDCAT 2026 is scheduled for August 16 and is mandatory under Section 17 of the Pakistan Medical and Dental Council (PMDC) Act for admission to medical and dental colleges across the country.

More than 130,000 students had already registered for the examination, with the registration deadline still open at the time of the briefing.

The examination will consist of 180 multiple choice questions and will last three hours. Officials said there will be no negative marking. Students applying for MBBS will require 55 percent marks, while BDS applicants will require 50 percent marks to qualify.

The test will mainly focus on Biology, which carries the highest weightage of 45 percent, followed by Chemistry with 25 percent, Physics with 20 percent, and English and Logical Reasoning with 5 percent each.

The committee also discussed concerns raised by students in Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK) regarding the MDCAT registration process. Members were informed that due to strikes and local unrest in some areas, several students faced difficulties completing their registrations.

Taking notice of the situation, authorities decided to provide an additional two to three days’ extension for AJK students so they could complete registration without losing the opportunity to appear in the medical entry test. Officials also confirmed that MDCAT centres would be established in Muzaffarabad, Rawalakot and Mirpur, while the examination process in AJK would be conducted by a federal university to ensure a uniform testing system.

Officials informed lawmakers that medical college admissions will continue to follow the formula of 50 percent MDCAT marks, 40 percent Intermediate marks and 10 percent Matric marks.

The committee was also briefed about efforts to improve the security and fairness of the examination system. Officials said the National Medical and Dental Academic Board, consisting of vice chancellors, deans and medical education experts from across Pakistan, prepared the MDCAT syllabus and examination pattern.

A National Item Bank has been developed containing more than 8,000 questions, compared with over 6,000 questions last year. Officials said these questions were prepared by experts to ensure that the paper remains within the approved syllabus.

To prevent paper leaks and cancellation of the entire examination, PMDC will provide three separate paper sets to provincial authorities. Each paper will contain 180 questions, and provinces will select one set for their examination.

Officials said the examination papers are prepared under strict security arrangements, including restricted access, monitoring cameras and a controlled environment to prevent leaks.

The committee was also informed that last year’s MDCAT examination was conducted without major complaints, which officials described as an improvement compared with previous years.

Concerns were also raised regarding Balochistan’s examination process. Officials clarified that while Bolan University was responsible for conducting the test in the province, the paper itself remained the same as the rest of Pakistan.

The committee also discussed vacant medical college seats. Members questioned why seats remain empty despite many students qualifying for admission.

Officials said possible reasons include high fees and students not applying despite meeting eligibility requirements. The committee decided to hold a separate one point agenda meeting after July 25 to discuss MDCAT, PMDC policies and medical college admissions in detail.

The upcoming meeting will include vice chancellors and universities responsible for conducting MDCAT in different regions, including Punjab, Balochistan and Sindh, to review concerns and improve the system.