Several arrested for leaking MDCAT paper

ISLAMABAD: Several people have been taken into custody across the country for allegedly leaking the Medical and Dental College Admission Test (MDCAT) paper.

Aspirants flocked to various centres across the country including in Karachi, Lahore, Quetta, and Peshawar to appear for the highly anticipated MDCAT.

With an overwhelming number of candidates, these entry tests are considered a pivotal step in gaining admission to medical colleges.

Just two days ago, the Pakistan Medical and Dental Council (PMDC) had made it clear that the nationwide MDCAT exam would take place on September 10, and there would be no alternate test. Therefore, students who had registered for the test were advised to reach their respective examination centres.

According to a spokesperson for the Pakistan Medical and Dental Council, the MDCAT was conducted simultaneously in 31 cities across the country, with over 180,000 hopeful candidates participating.

Additionally, the spokesperson said 382 students took the test at international centres including 185 in Dubai and 197 in Saudi Arabia.

The PMDC spokesperson provided a breakdown of the number of candidates from different provinces with 66,875 appearing in Punjab, 40,528 in Sindh, 46,439 in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and 9,230 from Balochistan. Furthermore, 926 candidates appeared in Gilgit-Baltistan, 4,036 in Azad Jammu and Kashmir, and 12,118 in Islamabad.

Meanwhile, the federal higher education department had ensured tight security arrangements at examination centres for the MDCAT.

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According to sources, in some test centres, Section 144 had also been imposed.

On the other hand, the HEC foiled attempts to leak the MDCAT paper. The higher education secretary revealed that several candidates who attempted to transmit the test via Bluetooth devices were arrested.

He explained that they had received information about a clandestine group planning to leak the MDCAT paper by using Bluetooth devices.

“It was reported that a group was to assist the candidates by sending them the paper through Bluetooth, allowing them to solve it in the examination halls,” the education secretary said adding that the attempt was foiled.

These developments surrounding the MDCAT highlight the challenges and importance of conducting fair and secure entry tests for aspiring medical students across the country.