MD-CAT Entrance Exam: Paper ‘Leaked’? – Pakistan

KARACHI: The MD-CAT entrance exam for the Larkana Medical and Dental College was leaked earlier. Mafiosi reportedly sold the answer sheets to students for hefty amounts ranging from Rs 1 to 1.2 million each.

This scandal came to light hours before the scheduled exam. The leaked answer keys were obtained before the test, revealing large-scale malpractice.

A total of 4,812 candidates will participate in the entrance test, which is scheduled for this morning, of which 2,591 are male students and 2,211 are female students.

Under the auspices of the University of Health Sciences, the Medical and Dental Colleges Admission Test (MD-CAT) is being held today in 30 cities and 2 international centres, with 12 cities in Punjab hosting the test in 26 different centres. A total of 82,500 candidates are appearing in the examination.

To ensure the integrity of the examination process, mobile and internet services will be suspended in the vicinity of all 26 examination centres, within a radius of 500 metres, from 9:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. This measure is intended to prevent cheating and ensure a fair examination environment.

In Karachi, two major examination centres have been set up at NED University and Dow University Ojha Campus. A total of 12,846 candidates are expected to take the examination, of which 6,000 will be at NED University and 6,846 will be at Dow University.

The Sindh Home Department has taken active measures to prevent cheating by imposing Section 144 around examination centres and banning mobile phones, wallets and all electronic items. Mobile signals are being blocked to further prevent malpractices.

The exam will be held from 10am to 1.30pm, with admission only between 7am and 9am. The city’s medical and dental colleges offer 858 seats, including 746 for open merit and 112 for self-finance candidates.

Panic broke out at the start of the Medical & Dental College Admission Test (MDCAT) in Larkana after the gates of the examination centres were locked, leaving dozens of candidates standing outside while their parents tried to force the locks of the gates.

Similar scenes unfolded at NED University in Karachi, where students arrived just a few minutes late due to traffic problems and were not allowed to enter the examination hall.

The students said that the university should have taken into account the traffic on University Road since morning. They lamented that their hard work was undone by the traffic in Karachi.

Parents of a female candidate said their daughter came in a rickshaw which overturned and she was injured. Still, she made it to college; but she was not allowed to enter the examination hall, they said.

In Karachi, female students who had to take the examination at Dow University of Health Sciences had to go through a tough ordeal. The university administration asked them to remove their jewellery and give it to their parents before they were allowed to enter the examination hall.

The parents, on the other hand, complained that the girls, who had been waiting in line for two hours, were able to find them so quickly.

They said there were no such instructions. Dow University, they said, had exceeded all bounds of shamelessness. The parents said their daughters cried, but the administration showed no mercy to them.

They demanded that the Sindh government take action against the university administration. In her message, Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz, while extending her good wishes to the candidates, said that their hard work would not go in vain. “My dear children. My prayers are with you. And you will succeed.”

She also gave guidelines to ensure best arrangements at the examination centres. The CM also directed that the students should not face any difficulty in solving their papers.

Meanwhile, Dow University Health Sciences management denied the reports of the document leak, saying there was no document leak.

Dow University spokesperson issued a statement regarding the alleged MDCAT paper leak.