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MBBS in China Q&AMenu

Do Pakistani students need MDCAT for MBBS in China?

Unofficial · Sources checked

Under Pakistan's PM&DC rules, a Pakistani student seeking admission to a foreign medical or dental institution does not need to have passed MDCAT as a mandatory pre-requisite. The PM&DC Council exempted that requirement in its public notice of 5 October 2026. This page sets out the PM&DC rule for Pakistani students going abroad, including those considering MBBS in China.

For what each home regulator requires before departure, see our NEET and eligibility page.

The 2024 PM&DC policy (29 July 2024)

The PM&DC Notification of 29 July 2024 titled "Policy for Students seeking Admissions in Undergraduate Medical / Dental Foreign Institutes", published by the Pakistan Medical & Dental Council (Examination Department), applies to Pakistani students seeking admission to foreign medical/dental institutions for undergraduate education and is effective from Session 2024-2025. Its mandatory conditions before admission are:

  • The student must have passed FSC (Pre-Medical) with a minimum 60% marks (for students who completed intermediate education within Pakistan), or qualified SAT-II with a minimum score of 550 in each subject, or a foreign MCAT / UCAT examination with 50% marks in Biology, Chemistry and either Mathematics or Physics in a Higher Secondary School Certificate or equivalent.
  • The student must have obtained 50% marks in MDCAT conducted in Pakistan; the subject result is valid for three (3) years (applicable for students who complete intermediate education within Pakistan). The public notice of 5 October 2026 exempts this mandatory MDCAT requirement (see below).
  • The student must verify that the institution is present in the PM&DC list in Islamabad.
  • The qualification must be in allopathic medicine awarded by an institution recognized by the regulatory body of the country concerned for full registration and accredited by WFME or the World Directory of Medical Schools.
  • The student must obtain a PM&DC Student Registration Certificate before accepting studies.
  • The medical qualification must comprise at least 6200 hours (with a minimum of 80% attendance) over 5 years.
  • For countries where the medium of education is not English, a minimum of 6 months must be spent to learn the local language before proceeding.
  • The student must pass the National Registration Examination of the PM&DC to obtain full registration post qualification.
  • The student must provide details of residence and contact numbers in the country of studies before proceeding.
  • The student must provide a Multiple Entry Visa for the duration of study before proceeding.

The Students Alert (Session 2024-2025)

PM&DC's Students Alert for admission abroad, published by the Pakistan Medical & Dental Council (Registrar) and effective from Session 2024-2025, states that the student must have obtained 50% marks in MDCAT (applicable for students who complete intermediate education within Pakistan). The public notice of 5 October 2026 exempts this mandatory MDCAT requirement (see below).

The alert also lists other conditions: pass FSC (Pre-Medical) or equivalent with minimum 60% marks; qualify SAT-II with a minimum score of 550 in each subject or a foreign MCAT / UCAT with 50% marks in Biology, Chemistry and either Mathematics or Physics in a Higher Secondary School Certificate or equivalent; have Registration with PM&DC to pursue education at a foreign institution; and the list of accredited foreign institutions is on the PM&DC website. All students seeking admission in foreign institutions are advised to strictly follow the PM&DC criteria, including mandatory online registration, to become eligible for issuance of Provisional Registration and the National Registration Examination under the PM&DC Act, 2022; the online registration link is srf.pmdc.pk and details are on www.pmdc.pk.

The public notice of 5 October 2026

Public Notice No. Exam-59/2026 of 5 October 2026, published by the Pakistan Medical & Dental Council (Head of Examinations), states in one sentence that the PM&DC Council, in its meeting held on 14 September 2026, decided to exempt the mandatory requirement of having passed the MDCAT as a pre-requisite for Pakistani students seeking admission into foreign medical and dental institutions.

Read the notice on PM&DC's official website (pmdc.pk).

What the 5 October 2026 notice does not change

The public notice of 5 October 2026 is one sentence. It exempts the MDCAT pre-requisite and names no other condition of the 2024 policy. The other conditions of the 2024 policy are a separate matter. They include the FSC / SAT-II entry rule, the institution verification on the PM&DC list, the allopathic-medicine and WFME / World Directory of Medical Schools accreditation requirement, the PM&DC Student Registration Certificate, the 6200-hour / 5-year study rule, the local-language period for non-English countries, the PM&DC National Registration Examination, and the residence, contact and Multiple Entry Visa requirements.

Sources

Checked 11 October 2026.

This page is an unofficial summary, is not legal or professional-licensing advice, is not published by the bodies named, promises no admission, examination or registration outcome, and the official text and the regulator's own instructions prevail if they differ.

Check the regulator's current document before you act. Medical councils issue new notices often, and a notice can change who may sit an examination. This page reflects the documents as they stood on the date above. It does not promise registration or a licence.

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