Sindh govt proposes November 19 for MDCAT re-examination

KARACHI: In a significant development, the Sindh government has officially proposed November 19 as the date for the re-conduction of the Medical and Dental College Admission Test (MDCAT) exam.

This announcement comes after a recent controversy surrounding the leaked MDCAT test administered by Jinnah Sindh Medical University (JSMU) on September 10.

Interim Health Minister, Dr. Saad Khalid Niaz, disclosed this pivotal information during a press briefing, where he also extended an apology to the affected students and their parents for the inconvenience caused by the previous incident.

Those responsible for leaking MDCAT paper to pay the price, says minister

What’s notable is that the re-examination of MDCAT on November 19 will not entail any additional fees for students. This decision underscores the government’s commitment to ensuring a fair and transparent testing process for aspiring medical and dental students.

The proposed date of November 19 has been forwarded to the Pakistan Medical and Dental Council (PMDC) for approval. Significantly, the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government has suggested the same date for the re-conduction of the exam, emphasizing the consensus on the need for a uniform approach.

The MDCAT controversy emerged when the initial test, conducted by JSMU, was marred by a leak of its content mere hours before the scheduled examination. In response, the Sindh government promptly formed a committee to investigate the matter, which subsequently recommended a re-conduction of the exam.

Acting on these recommendations, the caretaker Chief Minister ordered the reorganization of the exam through Dow University of Health Sciences (DUHS), setting the stage for this upcoming MDCAT re-examination.