The Pakistan Medical and Dental Council (PM&DC) has announced that Islamabad will now be included in the MDCAT test centres list for 2025, providing relief to candidates from Sindh and Balochistan living in the capital.
According to PM&DC, Sukkur-IBA University and Bolan University of Medical and Health Sciences will establish MDCAT test centres in Islamabad for candidates holding domiciles of Sindh and Balochistan. This decision will help thousands of students who previously had to travel to their provinces to take the test.
The council confirmed that Islamabad has officially been added as a city of choice for MDCAT applicants from both provinces. In addition, Jacobabad has been designated as a new centre for Sindh.
PM&DC said registration for MDCAT 2025 is underway through its online portal, with August 25 as the last date for applying with the normal fee. So far, nearly 100,000 candidates have registered. The option to update registrations also allows Sindh and Balochistan students to now switch their centres to Islamabad.
The move follows appeals from parents and candidates, who argued that long travel was burdensome for a test that does not guarantee admission. Students from Balochistan also raised concerns about unsafe road travel, which often forced them to rely on costly flights.
PM&DC reiterated that passing the MDCAT remains mandatory for admission to medical and dental colleges across Pakistan.