Students also demand reversal of the attendance requirement and inclusion on decision-making committees
Medical students have warned of a nationwide protest if their demands, including reducing passing scores for the medical and dental school entrance exam 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.
On Wednesday, students staged a protest outside the PMDC headquarters in Islamabad, expressing their concerns over the recent policy changes related to the MDCAT. The protesters put forward three key demands and warned that a nationwide protest would occur if their concerns remained unaddressed.
The demonstration was organized by a group of students, whose leader told reporters during a press conference that the students exercised their constitutional right to protest peacefully and had conveyed their concerns to relevant PMDC officials.
“We had three main demands,” said the student representative. “First, the increase in the MDCAT pass percentage from 50% to 65% must be reversed. Second, the attendance requirement raised from 78% to 85% must be returned to its previous level. Third, student representatives must be included in decision-making committees on student affairs.”
Read more: MDCAT 2026: Higher Eligibility Criteria, Revised Exam Structure
He added that although talks were held with PMDC officials, no agreement was reached. “During the protest, the police attacked the students with batons and confiscated some of our belongings. Although some detained students have been released, our belongings are still in police custody,” he said.
The student representative announced a deadline of 10 days for the PMDC to issue an official notification addressing their demands. “If no action is taken within ten days, we will expand our protest throughout the country,” he warned.
Meanwhile, the Pakistan Medical and Dental Council issued a statement clarifying its position. The board 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 dismissed.
“All necessary arrangements for MDCAT 2025 have been completed,” the PMDC said. “Exam rooms have been reserved in all provinces and provincial authorities have finalized preparations to ensure the smooth conduct of the test.”
The statement added that question papers were being printed and admit cards issued. To facilitate the candidates, the registration portal was opened twice and the exam date was extended once to accommodate flood-affected students.
The PMDC further stated that the court had rejected another plea seeking further postponement of the exam. “Candidates were given sufficient time to prepare, and more than 140,000 students have already registered,” the statement said, emphasizing that it was not possible to further delay the MDCAT.
