MDCAT mandatory for medical college admission, rules Supreme Court

ISLAMABAD: The Supreme Court of Pakistan on Thursday dismissed a petition seeking entry into college without the Medical and Dental College Admission Test (MDCAT).

A three-member bench, comprising Justice Umar Ata Bandial, Justice Syed Mansoor Ali Shah, and Justice Munib Akhtar, heard appeals filed by the students of a private college from Faisalabad against the MDCAT.

The apex court in its order said that the test is mandatory for medical college admissions even if private college’s conduct tests of their own. The Supreme Court in its five-page verdict upheld the January 2021 ruling of the Lahore High Court.

Read more: PMC agreement over MDCAT exam cancelled, LHC told

The appeals were filed by the students of a private college from Faisalabad. They had cleared the test for a private medical college but had failed MDCAT and their admissions were subsequently cancelled earlier this year.

The SC, however, ruled that under the regulations students applying to any medical or dental college are required to clear the MDCAT irrespective of the college being run by the government or privately.

The court ruled that private colleges were not allowed to circumvent MDCAT with their home-developed tests as the test is a legal requirement protected by the Pakistan Medical Commission Act, 2020.

“Any student seeking admission in any medical or dental college shall mandatorily be required to have passed the MDCAT examination held by PMC. The passing marks for the MDCAT examination shall be 60%,” ruled the apex court.