The Pakistan Medical and Dental Council (PMDC) has announced new examination centres for the Medical and Dental College Admission Test (MDCAT) 2025, aiming to ease access for candidates from remote regions.
Under the revised plan, students from Sindh and Balochistan will also have the option to sit for the test in Islamabad. Jacobabad has been added as a new centre to accommodate candidates from upper Sindh, where students previously had to travel long distances to Karachi, Hyderabad, Mirpurkhas, Larkana, Shaheed Benazirabad, or Sukkur. The decision comes after repeated complaints from students and parents regarding the financial burden and mental stress of travelling.
A female candidate from Jacobabad welcomed the step, noting that this will be her first opportunity to take the test in her hometown. Sharing her experience, she said that travelling nine hours to Karachi for last year’s test was exhausting and stressful, while unfamiliar surroundings and overcrowded arrangements impacted her performance.
Additionally, Sukkur IBA University and Bolan University of Medical and Health Sciences, Quetta, will establish a new test centre in Islamabad. This initiative will particularly benefit students from Sindh and Balochistan who are preparing for the exam while residing in the federal capital, as they will no longer need to return to their home provinces for the test.
Sukkur IBA University Vice Chancellor Dr. Asif Ahmed Shaikh recalled that the university had successfully conducted a retake of the exam last year following reports of a paper leak in Sindh. Despite limited time for preparation, the test was held transparently, and minor technical issues were quickly resolved.
Meanwhile, a PMDC spokesperson confirmed that registration for MDCAT 2025 opened on August 8 and will continue until August 25. Late registration will remain available until September 1, 2025.
