The Pakistan Medical and Dental Council (PMDC) has announced a significant reform in the administration of the Medical and Dental College Admission Test (MDCAT) by introducing a centralized question bank. This move is aimed at addressing longstanding concerns about inconsistencies in test difficulty across different provinces and ensuring a level playing field for all candidates.
According to PMDC President Prof. Dr. Rizwan Taj, the council is in the process of compiling a bank of 2,000 questions, all vetted by subject matter experts. This initiative comes in response to repeated complaints that students in some regions faced more challenging MDCAT papers than others, creating disparities in the selection process for medical and dental colleges.
Dr. Taj emphasized that the adoption of a centralized question bank will guarantee equal testing standards nationwide. Under the new system, provinces and testing organizations will be required to draw exam questions exclusively from this unified pool. This step is expected to eliminate regional discrepancies and promote greater transparency and fairness in the admissions process.
In addition, the PMDC has confirmed that the MDCAT for the year 2025 is scheduled to take place in October, shortly after the release of Intermediate Part II results. This schedule has been designed to give students ample preparation time while maintaining alignment with the academic calendar.
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The introduction of the centralized question bank marks a pivotal change in the way MDCAT is conducted, with the goal of ensuring that merit, rather than geography, determines access to medical and dental education in Pakistan.