A high-level meeting in Islamabad chaired by Prof. Dr. Rizwan Taj, President of the Pakistan Medical and Dental Council (PM&DC), brought together the Registrar, the head of the examination department and vice chancellors of all universities conducting MDCAT 2025 to finalise preparations and reinforce measures for a transparent, secure national exam.
Universities were directed to thoroughly inspect examination venues and ensure adequate seating capacity and essential facilities for all candidates. Institutions must arrange appropriate heating or cooling depending on weather conditions and guarantee an uninterrupted supply of drinking water, while designated waiting areas for parents and guardians must be provided at each centre.
To protect examination integrity, universities have been instructed to strengthen security protocols, including the installation of signal jammers to block unauthorized electronic devices. Candidates will be provided bubble sheets with carbon copies and all question papers must remain strictly confidential, to be opened only in the presence of official witnesses.
All answer sheets will be collected immediately after the test and kept in secure custody. Original question papers must be retained by the administering universities for at least twelve months from the date of result declaration to preserve a clear audit trail and maintain accountability in MDCAT 2025 procedures.
Dr Rizwan Taj emphasised that MDCAT 2025 results should be finalised and announced within one week of the examination date, and that a detailed post-hoc analysis report must be submitted within ten days of result publication. Universities will upload the official answer key on their websites immediately after the exam, and candidates will have the option to request a recheck of their marks within three days of the results being announced.
The meeting also decided that admissions to medical and dental colleges will be managed entirely by provincial authorities and admitting universities, with the admission process to be completed by 28 February 2026. The PM&DC clarified that it will not play a role in the admissions phase, which falls under provincial jurisdiction.
Universities were urged to strictly adhere to PM&DC guidelines and implement these measures to ensure maximum fairness, confidentiality and efficiency in MDCAT 2025, thereby safeguarding the credibility of the national medical entrance examination.
