For the 2024–25 session, PMDC has reversed its earlier move and restored 50% passing marks and 75% attendance for MBBS and BDS students.
What Has Changed for MBBS and BDS
The Pakistan Medical and Dental Council (PMDC) has withdrawn its recent decision that raised passing marks to 65 percent and attendance to 85 percent. For the current academic year 2024–25, the council has brought back the earlier standards: students will now need 50 percent to pass and must meet a 75 percent attendance requirement. The fresh notification instructs all recognised medical and dental colleges in the country to follow the updated policy without delay.
Passing Marks Restored to 50%
The return to a 50 percent passing benchmark is meant to provide continuity for students who had prepared under the older rules. Many colleges had already set exam papers, internal assessments, and remediation plans on the basis of 50 percent. With the reversal, students can now plan studies with a clear and stable target. Colleges should update result sheets, repeat policies, and makeup exam criteria so that marks are calculated against the restored threshold across theory, practicals, and vivas.
Attendance Back to 75%
The council has also rolled back the attendance bar from 85 percent to 75 percent for this session. While the rule is more flexible, students are still expected to attend regular classes, labs, and clinical rotations to build safe clinical practice. Colleges should publish attendance cut-off dates, define condonation limits where allowed, and keep digital logs so shortfalls are flagged early. Clear communication prevents last‑minute shocks before send‑ups and professional exams.
How Colleges Must Implement the Policy
PMDC has directed universities and affiliated colleges to adopt the restored rules immediately. Administrations should issue internal circulars, update student handbooks, and align Learning Management Systems (LMS) with the new thresholds. Examination branches need to revise ongoing assessments and ensure that marking templates, OSCE/OSPE stations, and clinical logbook rubrics reflect the 50 percent pass standard. Attendance dashboards, biometric or manual, must display the 75 percent cutoff and provide weekly alerts so students and mentors can act early. For students close to the limit, colleges can schedule remedial labs, skill refreshers, and extra clinics to help them reach the bar.
What Students Should Do Now
Plan your study timetable around the restored 50 percent pass mark but aim higher to stay safe in aggregate calculations. Keep your attendance above 75 percent with a buffer to handle illness, electives, or unavoidable leave. Track your class and ward hours weekly, and speak to your year coordinator if a rotation clash risks dropping you below the requirement. Recheck your internal assessment weightages—quizzes, assignments, practicals, vivas—and confirm how each contributes to final eligibility. Save screenshots of attendance dashboards and keep copies of medical certificates where relevant. If your college had temporarily applied the 65/85 rule, request an updated transcript or note that shows compliance under the restored policy to avoid confusion during house job placement or transfers.
