NA panel expresses doubts over MDCAT results

National Assembly Standing Committee on National Health Services, Regulations and Coordination on Monday expressed its concerns over Medical and Dental College Admission Test (MDCAT) and sought re-examinations of the candidates.

The committee meeting, which was chaired by Khalid Magsi, directed the PMC to resolve the issues of students related with the MDCAT examinations. Other members of the committee were of view that there is general perception that questions were out of course and need to re-examine MDCAT test for satisfaction of students.

Member of the committee MNA Sobia Shazia said it is beyond comprehension that the power to test the students was taken away from the provinces and handed to the centre. “If we were to get a briefing from a secretary, then we should have gone to the ministry,” she said, adding that future of children is at stake, the people who organised the exams should come here in the committee and explain why questions were given out of course.

Earlier, officials from PMC briefed the committee about the MDCAT examination. They said that as many as 121,310 students have appeared for the test out of total registered 126,025 students in addition to the 138 students who tested positive for Covid-19 and were deferred to appear in the special MDCAT examination. They said that entry exam comprised 200 multiple-choice questions to be done in two hours.

Published in The Express Tribune, January 12^th, 2021.