MDCAT 2024 Retake Scheduled for November 24 in Islamabad and AJK

ISLAMABAD: The Medical and Dental College Admission Test (MDCAT) 2024 is set to be re-administered on November 24 in Islamabad and Azad Jammu and Kashmir. This announcement follows the earlier MDCAT conducted by Shaheed Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto Medical University (SZABMU) in September, which was subsequently invalidated by the Islamabad High Court (IHC).

Justice Arbab Muhammad Tahir’s decision that the September examination was invalid prompted more than 17,000 students to prepare for the new test date, necessitating the retake. The initial examination was subjected to severe criticism from candidates, who identified significant discrepancies.

A petition from six students, including Saba Iman, Shahzaib Wazir, and Ammar Naeem, which challenged the legitimacy of the September examination, sparked the dispute. The Secretary of the Health Ministry, the President of the Pakistan Medical and Dental Council (PMDC), the Vice-Chancellor of SZABMU, and the Chairman of the National Medical and Dental Board were among the named respondents.

The petition highlighted that of the 200 multiple-choice questions, 26-27 were not within the prescribed syllabus, leaving students shocked and unprepared. Further compounding the issue, the question papers were collected from students post-exam, contravening standard practice which allows them to retain copies for review.

These irregularities led to protests by both students and parents, who demanded accountability and greater transparency from the relevant authorities. The petition called for the September MDCAT to be annulled and requested an official order for a retest, which has now been granted.