ISLAMABAD (Web Desk) - The Pakistan Medical and Dental Council (PMDC) has allowed a one-time relaxation of up to three percent in MDCAT passing marks to help medical and dental colleges fill vacant seats in MBBS and BDS programmes for the 2025-26 academic session.
According to an official notification issued on Wednesday, the decision followed detailed national-level deliberations, including consultations with health standing committees, to address the persistent issue of unfilled seats in both public and private sector institutions.
Under the decision, all admissions already completed under the previous Admission Regulations 2025 will remain valid.
The council directed admitting universities and colleges to first prioritise candidates who had already applied under the earlier criteria and are available in the existing pool of eligible students, particularly for private medical and dental colleges.
The notification states that if seats remain vacant even after exhausting the existing pool, universities may reduce the MDCAT passing percentage by up to three percent strictly to fill the seats.
As a result, the minimum passing marks for MBBS have been reduced from 52pc to 49pc, while the threshold for BDS programmes has been lowered from 47pc to 44pc.
The PMDC clarified that this relaxation is a one-time measure applicable only for the current academic session and cannot be extended beyond filling genuine vacant seats. The council also imposed strict conditions to ensure transparency and merit.
It emphasised that the reduction in passing marks can only be applied to unfilled seats and that the entire admission process must remain merit-based, fair and properly documented.
Universities have been directed to closely monitor the process to avoid any irregularities.
The regulator encouraged private medical and dental institutions to consider reducing tuition fees within the existing capped structure to improve affordability for deserving students.