The PMDC MDCAT Reform Committee held its first meeting on 27th November 2024 to discuss important updates and changes for the MDCAT 2025 exam. With several significant reforms in the pipeline, medical aspirants should stay informed about these updates.
You can view the full meeting details here and download them from the PMDC website or you can have a quick look at the summary of the major changes to expect for MDCAT 2025:
It has been decided that in 2025, instead of having provincial variants, a single MDCAT will be conducted by the PMDC across Pakistan. This change is aimed at ensuring consistency in the difficulty level and standard of the exam across the country. This issue was highlighted in MDCAT 2024, where differing levels of difficulty across provinces led to problems and even the MDCAT reconduct.
To improve the exam's security and transparency, MDCAT 2025 will be a computer-based (e-test) exam. This decision is in response to the paper leaks and cheating issues that marred MDCAT 2023 and 2024, leading to the Sindh Reconduct. The transition to e-assessments will ensure a more secure and efficient exam process, reducing human error and improving fairness.
The most important change for MDCAT 2025 will be the exam schedule. The PMDC has announced that the exam will now be held immediately after the intermediate exams, likely around July 2025. This marks a significant shift from previous years when students had several months to prepare, as MDCAT was typically held in September.
This new timeline means students will have less time to prepare and will need to balance their intermediate exams with their MDCAT preparation. Early preparation and better planning will be key to success.
This is one of the most important points that students should focus on - all other aspects are out of your control but you can always decide to start preparing earlier to avoid any surprises later. If you are worried about how to manage your second year with MDCAT, watch this helpful video on this topic by Sir Shah.
The MDCAT 2024 syllabus will undergo minor revisions to ensure alignment with the topics taught in intermediate boards across Pakistan. However, no major changes to the syllabus or paper pattern are expected. The format of the exam will remain similar to MDCAT 2024, so students can continue preparing based on the current syllabus and paper pattern.
The MDCAT aggregate calculation formula, eligibility requirements, and other regulations, such as MBBS/BDS admission procedures, test timings, and passing marks, are also likely to stay the same.
A key highlight from the meeting was the shift towards assessing higher cognitive abilities in MDCAT. Future exams will include more questions that assess critical thinking, contextual understanding, and problem-solving skills—moving beyond just rote memorization. This change is aimed at evaluating students’ potential as future health professionals.
The PMDC MDCAT Reform Committee emphasized its commitment to ensuring a fair and transparent examination process. This will be achieved through the adoption of an e-assessment system that reduces human error and potential biases. This initiative is part of the broader effort to restore public trust in the exam and ensure its credibility.
The PMDC is working on building a sustainable question bank to improve the quality and consistency of the exam questions. This initiative aims to ensure that MDCAT better assesses a student’s potential as a health professional and not just their ability to memorize facts.
The committee has formed three sub-committees to ensure successful implementation of the reforms:
All sub-committees are expected to submit their draft plans by December 2024, with a final review to follow in the next meeting.
The MDCAT 2025 reforms promise significant improvements to the exam’s transparency, security, and overall fairness. With a unified syllabus, e-assessment system, and an increased focus on cognitive abilities, MDCAT 2025 will look to better assess students' capabilities. However, the shift to an earlier exam date in July 2025 means that students must start preparing earlier and plan their study schedules accordingly.
Stay updated with these changes to ensure you are well-prepared for MDCAT 2025!
PMDC MDCAT Reform committee which was made to decide on important aspects about the PMDC MDCAT exam in 2025 met on 27th November and issued some decisions regarding the test. There are some major changes expected to the MDCAT schedule and format in 2025, so medical aspirants should keep an ye out for these updates. We will give a summary of the important MDCAT updates in this article.