New Minimum Passing Marks Announced for Medical Students

The Pakistan Medical and Dental Council (PMDC) has announced a significant revision to academic regulations, reducing both the minimum passing marks and mandatory attendance requirement for medical college students.

According to the latest decision, the passing percentage has been lowered from 70% to 65%, while the minimum attendance threshold has been relaxed from 90% to 85%. These changes will be applicable to students across all academic years in medical colleges.

This adjustment comes just weeks after the earlier criteria of 70% marks and 90% attendance were introduced.

In a related development, the Government of Pakistan has taken decisive steps to regulate tuition fees for MBBS and BDS programs. As part of the Medical Education Reforms Committee—established under the directive of the Prime Minister and led by the Deputy Prime Minister—a key decision was made to cap annual tuition fees at Rs 1.8 million for private medical and dental colleges.

The rising cost of medical education has been a long-standing concern among students and families, and this move aims to ensure greater accessibility and affordability.

The fee cap decision followed multiple council meetings held on June 4, 2022, December 10, 2023, and February 23, 2024. On February 27, 2025, a subcommittee headed by Professor Dr. Masood Gondal conducted an in-depth review in consultation with stakeholders, including private institutions and the Pakistan Association of Medical Institutions (PAMI).

After a detailed financial analysis, the committee recommended the Rs 1.8 million annual cap, with future increases tied to the Consumer Price Index (CPI). This structure will apply for five years in MBBS programs and four years in BDS, and will be publicly disclosed to promote transparency.

Institutions seeking to charge higher fees—up to Rs 2.5 million—must provide comprehensive justifications, including financial statements, educational quality indicators, and comparative service data. Arbitrary fee hikes will not be permitted; only well-substantiated requests will be considered to protect students from undue financial burden.

This initiative marks a major step forward in making medical education more equitable, especially for students from middle- and lower-income backgrounds. The government reaffirmed its commitment to strengthening medical education through meaningful reforms and acknowledged the leadership of the Deputy Prime Minister in steering these efforts to success.