The Sindh High Court has ordered the re-conduct of the Medical and Dental College Admission Test (MDCAT) within four weeks due to widespread concerns over irregularities in the recent examination. The court’s ruling comes after several student and parent petitions claiming unfair administration and scoring of the MDCAT, sparking calls for increased transparency in the testing mechanism.
During the proceedings, evidence was presented indicating potential flaws in the exam system, with reports of leaked questions and answers circulating on social media. A committee headed by Shireen Narejo examined the process of examination in Dow University and the committee found issues with the system at various levels. The committee documented statements from students, some of whom expressed support for a re-test, while others opposed it.
In response, the Sindh High Court has called the vice-chancellors of all medical universities in the province to explain how the exam was conducted and to deliberate on the best way to deal with future MDCATs. The court recommended that the MDCAT be conducted by reputable institutions including the Aga Khan Board and the Institute of Business Administration (IBA).
Earlier, the Sindh High Court suspended the release of the Medical and Dental College Admission Test (MDCAT) results and directed a committee to collect documents from all institutions and write a report.
However, the court of law also directed the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) to form a dedicated team to investigate these reported irregularities. A detailed ruling from the court will be issued at a later date, outlining the methods to ensure fair and transparent testing for Pakistan’s aspiring medical students.
