LAHORE: The Medical and Dental College Admission Test (MDCAT) 2025 was held on Sunday across Punjab under the supervision of the University of Health Sciences (UHS) in a secure and well-organised setting.
The large-scale exam took place in 12 cities at 27 centres, with a total of 50,461 candidates appearing to compete for admission to medical and dental colleges in the province.
The process began early in the morning, as question papers were dispatched from UHS at 6:00 am to examination centres under strict police security.
Officials from the district administration and law enforcement agencies escorted the sealed papers to ensure safe and transparent delivery. Examination staff were already on duty before sunrise, while candidates started arriving at the centres around 8:00 am.
Gates opened at 8:00 am, and students were allowed entry after identity checks. Each candidate underwent a body search, passed through walk-through gates, and was scanned with metal detectors. Entry closed sharply at 9:00 am, and no one was allowed inside after that.
Security remained tight throughout the exam, with police, Rescue 1122, Civil Defence, Health Department, NADRA, Bomb Disposal Squad, and Fire Brigade personnel present at all centres. To maintain order, Section 144 was imposed around the venues, prohibiting unauthorised entry and the use of mobile phones.
According to UHS, 36,702 female and 13,759 male candidates appeared in the test. In Lahore, 11,906 students took the exam across six centres, four for girls and two for boys. The Punjab University Examination Halls hosted the largest number of female candidates, with 4,400 students.
Other centres included the University of Education Township, Government Graduate College for Women Gulberg, DPS Township, BISE Examination Halls, and Lahore College for Women University.
Participation was also high in other cities, with 8,313 candidates in Multan, 5,824 in Faisalabad, 3,014 in Bahawalpur, 2,665 in Gujranwala, 2,786 in Sialkot, 2,408 in D.G. Khan, 1,402 in Gujrat, 6,910 in Rawalpindi, 2,091 in Sargodha, and 2,688 in Sahiwal.
The examination was supervised by 3,263 school teachers as invigilators, 165 college teachers as superintendents, and 347 as deputy superintendents, all cleared by the Special Branch. The test began promptly at 10:00 am and ended at 1:00 pm.
Senior officials, including the Secretary of Specialised Healthcare and Medical Education, Azmat Mehmood, visited several centres in Lahore to review arrangements.
He was accompanied by UHS Vice Chancellor Prof. Ahsan Waheed Rathore, King Edward Medical University VC Prof. Mahmood Ayyaz, Ameeruddin Medical College Principal Prof. Farooq Afzal, UHS Pro VC Prof. Nadia Naseem, University of Child Health Sciences Pro VC Prof. Junaid Rashid, and KEMU Registrar Prof. Asghar Naqi.
Federal Secretary for the Ministry of National Health Services, Regulations and Coordination, Hamed Yaqoob Sheikh, also visited the Government Graduate College for Women in Gulberg, where he reviewed the arrangements and was briefed by the UHS team including Prof. Sidra Saleem, Prof. Asif Naveed, and Dr. Usman Aftab. Fatima Jinnah Medical University VC, Prof. Khalid Masood Gondal, was present as Regional In-Charge.
The federal secretary expressed satisfaction over the smooth organisation and praised the coordination between UHS and local authorities.
UHS Vice Chancellor Prof. Ahsan Waheed Rathore personally inspected the Punjab University centre in Lahore and expressed satisfaction over the arrangements.
He appreciated the efforts of the Specialised Healthcare and Medical Education Department, district administrations, law enforcement agencies, and teaching staff for ensuring the test was conducted fairly and transparently.
He stated that to maintain the credibility of the MDCAT, strict measures were taken against latecomers or those with doubtful identities.
“We repeatedly informed through public notices, social media, and advertisements that all centres would be sealed at 9:00 am sharp, after which no one could enter, as the exam material would be opened.
Likewise, carrying an original photo ID was mandatory to prevent impersonation,” said Prof Ahsan Waheed Rathore.
The MDCAT paper included 180 multiple-choice questions and was distributed in four different versions with varying question orders to ensure fairness.
Candidates were allowed to take the question paper home along with a carbon copy of their response sheet. Using this and the answer key, which was uploaded to the UHS website by 10:00 pm the same day, students could check their scores.
Candidates were also given the option to submit online objections to any question by 6:00 pm. These will be reviewed by UHS subject experts before the final answer key is issued. The official results are expected within a week.
District administrations across Punjab also set up waiting areas for parents outside examination centres, providing seating, shade, drinking water, and first aid.
Officials from the Health Department, Deputy and Assistant Commissioners, Vice Chancellors, Pro Vice Chancellors, Registrars, and Principals of medical institutions were assigned to monitor the exam along with representatives from the Pakistan Medical and Dental Council (PM&DC).