MDCAT Pakistan is the prerequisite of admission in a medical or dental college. Becoming a doctor is a dream profession for many in Pakistan. Mainly because being a doctor gives one a stable career with growth opportunities. Also, medicine and dentistry are not saturated professions as there will always be more demand for dedicated doctors at home and abroad.
Moreover, students rightly think of becoming a doctor as an ethical profession with a reasonable salary in private or public sectors. Investing time in the MDCAT Pakistan becomes the first step towards joining a medical or dental college in Pakistan. When the stakes are so high, it is natural for students to feel anxious.
This guide is here to help everyone who feels under pressure and might end up making mistakes when preparing for MDCAT Pakistan.
#1 Feeling overwhelmed
As we just noted, feeling anxious and stressed is natural when students have to take a very important exam. You can choose to not feel overwhelmed by following these tips:
- Study smart for FSc exams. All of your hardwork will come to use when preparing for MDCAT.
- Ideally don’t start MDCAT preparation before FSc exams because you might burn out.
- Break-down the entire test into smaller portions to prepare. This way you will not be overwhelmed with the task.
- When you are preparing for MDCAT, you need to make sure that you should learn relaxation techniques, such as deep breathing, that will help you before and during the exam.
#2 Feeling hopeless
FSc and A Level exams end 3-4 months before the MDCAT test. So, it has been observed that if students didn’t do well in FSc exams, they carry on with a negative mindset. You can overcome this feeling by following these tips:
- Even though it is everyone’s dream to be in the best medical or dental college, you should have a backup plan of joining any college.
- While keeping the goal in mind, keep your career choices flexible. For instance, if not MBBS, keep choices open for BDS. If not BDS, you can take up biomedical engineering, pharmacology, molecular biology and many other related fields that require biology as the main subject.
- With flexibility in the choice of college and career, you are more likely to feel relaxed and hopeful! Staying relaxed will always work in your favor.
#3 Not handling the exam worries
Many students complain about how hard it is to get into a medical or dental college. Remember that complaints without a solution only cause a chain of worries to start! You need to:
- Join a reputable academy like Noon Academy to help you prepare for MDCAT with seriousness and focus.
- Become proactive in managing your time and the MDCAT syllabus to make things easy.
- Stay positive!
#4 Not knowing the syllabus, aggregate, and exam pattern
MDCAT is not like an FSc exam. The topics will be familiar to you but the pattern and skill required is completely different. Therefore, you need to make sure that you prepare accordingly. Here is some helpful to add your to your knowledge:
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MDCAT past papers and paper pattern
- MDCAT total marks: 210.
- Total multiple-choice questions: 210.
- The total time allotted for the paper: 3.5 hours.
- No negative marking
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Aggregate for MDCAT
- MDCAT aggregate = 50% of F.Sc percentage + 50% of MDCAT exam percentage
- F.Sc. percentage = Marks obtained in F.Sc. (pre-medical) divided by total marks (1100) x 100
- MDCAT percentage = Marks obtained in MDCAT exam divided by total marks (210) x 100
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MDCAT 2022 Division of MCQs with Weightage
- Biology 68 Questions. Weightage 32%
- Chemistry 56 Questions. Weightage 26.6%
- Physics 56 Questions. Weightage 26.5%
- English 20 Questions. Weightage 10%
- Logical reasoning 10 Questions. Weightage 5%
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Difficulty Level of MDCAT Questions
- Easy 20%
- Moderate 60%
- Hard 20%
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Passing percentage of MDCAT
- A candidate needs to score at least 65% (130 out of 210) marks to be eligible for admission in MBBS in Pakistan.
- A candidate needs to score at least 55% (110 out of 210) marks to be eligible for admission in BDS in Pakistan.
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MDCAT Syllabus
- Biology:
Cell Biology, Human Physiology, Ecosystem, Evolution, Genetics, Biological Molecule
- Physics:
Measurement, Work, Energy, Motion and Force, Energy and Power, Heat and thermodynamics, Oscillations, Current, Electrostatic, Electricity, Electromagnetic Induction, Electromagnetism, Electronics, Deformation of solids, Nuclear Physics, Modern physics.
- Chemistry:
States of matter, Fundamental Concepts, Atomic structure, chemical energetics, Chemical Bonding, Chemical Energetics, Chemical equilibrium, Electrochemistry, Reaction Kinetics.
Inorganic Chemistry: Groups, Periods, Elements, Transition Elements, Compounds of Sulphur and Nitrogen.
Organic Chemistry: Fundamental principles, Alkyl Halides, Hydrocarbons, Aldehydes and Ketones, Alcohols and Phenols, Amino Acids, Carboxylic Acids, Environmental Chemistry, Macromolecules.
- English and logical reasoning:
General English and logical reasoning questions.
#5 Lack of guidance about how to solve the test
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Don’t rush in the first hour of the exam
The first 100 or so MCQs of MDCAT contain mostly straightforward questions and a majority of the students can get the answers right. The biggest mistake made in the beginning of the exam is the unnecessary rush.
The F.Sc. exams require long answers, presentation, and explanation skills. MDCAT test contains MCQs with no chance to explain your point and no rough notes. Since FSc students are not used to giving online exams, it is very easy to lose confidence in the first few questions.
The stress experienced by students at the MDCAT test is quite real and many students simply don’t relax till an hour of the exam is already gone. The solution is to practice some techniques to settle down quickly and not select answers randomly.
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Stay steady in the middle of the exam
In the middle of the exam, you need to keep your composure and continue at a steady pace.
Remember that you can move between questions. You have the option to leave a difficult question unanswered or flag it for later review. You may not want to linger on any questions because you may end up losing precious time.
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Recheck and don’t panic in the final hour of the exam
When the three and a half hours of the MDCAT test are ending, those who had kept a margin to check through the questions usually have a better chance at figuring out their mistakes and reviewing questions.
Smart timing is half the battle. If you have done enough practice exams and timed yourself every single time you did an exam, you are in a better position to get a good aggregate.
#6 Not using techniques to memorize
There are several powerful ways to help you memorize information:
- Make chunks: Making small chunks is very helpful in memorizing and retaining information. Think of chunks as a small portion of the bigger picture. So, one chunk will be of definition, another of units and examples. But when you combine all of these chunks, you will understand the large picture of concepts.
- Don’t try to memorize or read without understanding.
- Use mnemonics, acronyms, rhyming words, or mind palace techniques to keep information in your memory for longer. All of these techniques work by associating an intangible thing with a tangible one. For instance, to remember the chemical formula or expression of a molecule you have never seen, it is helpful to associate it with something you have seen.
#7 Not taking notes in FSc
- You will never miss a point with notes because even the most brilliant minds forget! Note taking and memory are not at odds; rather note taking will only help you improve your memory. These notes will help you in MDCAT preparation.
- One of the note taking benefits is that you become a very attentive and active listener. Also it gives you the skill of thinking about several things at the same time, thus increasing your brain activity. It is beneficial for students to take notes in shorthand writing or points.
- Note taking skills enhance your organization abilities. When you distribute content over headings, main points, sub-points, and supporting points, you are improving your ability to organize information and eventually you can recall with the same organization. Plus point: The creativity behind notes makes you fond of your own notes!
MDCAT Academy
Joining an MDCAT academy is an important step towards a good aggregate at the end. Some of the benefits of studying at Noon Academy are:
Great teachers to study with – Noon is offering you to learn from its teachers with years of experience teaching MDCAT subjects. Currently, Sir Saad Salam is teaching MDCAT Physics, Dr. Akbar Shamsi is teaching MDCAT Biology, and English is taught by Sir Rizwan. All the teachers are highly professional and ambitious to see you acing your exam.
Teacher Ratings – Each Noon teacher is reviewed by the students to get a real time rating. Most of the Noon teachers are rated an average of 4.5 by thousands of students.
In-Class Slides – Your MDCAT teachers are very experienced and know how to manage lessons, very well. They use pre-designed slides and in-class annotations to present challenging concepts of MDCAT in an easy way.
Download the Noon App and start learning today.
