Students also demand reversal of the attendance requirement and admission to decision-making committees
Medical students have warned of a nationwide protest if their demands, including the reduction of Medical and Dental College Admission Test passing marks from 65% to 50%, are not met within 10 days.
On the other hand, Pakistan Medical and Dental Council has clarified that there will be no further delay in the medical entrance examination.
Students staged a protest outside the PMDC headquarters in Islamabad on Wednesday, expressing concern over the recent policy changes related to MDCAT. The protesters presented three key demands and warned that a nationwide protest would follow if their concerns remained unaddressed.
The demonstration was organized by a student group, whose leader told reporters during a press conference that students were exercising their constitutional right to peaceful protest and had conveyed their concerns to relevant PMDC officials.
“We had three main demands,” the student representative said. “First, the increase in MDCAT pass rate from 50% to 65% should be reversed. Second, the attendance requirement, which has been raised from 78% to 85%, should be brought back to its previous level. Third, student representatives should be included in student affairs decision-making committees.”
Read more: MDCAT 2026: higher eligibility criteria, revised exam structure
He added that while discussions were held with PMDC officials, no agreement was reached. “During the protest, police baton charged students and confiscated some of our belongings. Although some detained students have been released, our belongings are still in police custody,” he claimed.
The student representative announced a 10-day deadline for the PMDC to issue an official notice on their demands. “If nothing is done within ten days, we will expand our protest across the country,” he warned.
Meanwhile, the Pakistan Medical and Dental Council issued a statement clarifying its position. The council said a small group of students had made repeated attempts to delay the MDCAT exam, including filing a petition in the High Court – which was rejected.
“All necessary arrangements for MDCAT 2025 have been completed,” PMDC said. “Exam rooms have been reserved across all provinces and provincial authorities have completed preparations to ensure smooth conduct of the test.”
The statement added that printing of question papers and issuing of admit cards was underway. To facilitate the candidates, the registration portal was opened twice and the exam date was once extended to accommodate students affected by floods.
The PMDC further stated that the court had dismissed another plea seeking further postponement of the examination. “Candidates were given ample time to prepare and over 140,000 students have already registered,” the statement said, stressing that any further delay in the conduct of MDCAT was not possible.
