MDCAT to be held six days after FSc results from next year: Minister

The Medical and Dental College Admission Test (MDCAT) will be held across the country just six days after the announcement of intermediate (FSc) results from next year, the federal health minister, Mustafa Kamal, announced on Tuesday.

 Speaking to media persons at Parliament House, Kamal said the Pakistan Medical and Dental Council (PMDC) had approved a key change in the admissions policy, aimed at reducing students’ dependence on costly private coaching academies. 

 "It would take effect with the next round of intermediate results."

Under the current system, students often face a gap of four to six months between the declaration of FSc results and the MDCAT exam, a delay the minister said had fuelled a lucrative coaching industry that charged students and parents heavily for preparation, often disadvantaging middle-class families unable to afford costly academies.

 “The new system will save students and families millions of rupees and spare them the burden of preparing separately for two exams,” Kamal said.

He said the move was intended to level the playing field for candidates from middle-income families, arguing that students from wealthier households were better able to afford expensive coaching while others were left at a disadvantage.