More than 50 students arrested for cheating during MDCAT in Quetta

Cheating operation involving Bluetooth devices uncovered during the MDCAT exam in Quetta.

A major cheating scandal was uncovered during the Medical College Admission Test (MDCAT 2024) in Quetta, where more than 50 students and two facilitators were arrested.

The local authorities raided several examination centres, finding students using Bluetooth devices to cheat.

The facilitators, including a retired Federal Public Service Commission official from Islamabad, were helping students solve exam questions.

The arrested individuals included students from Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, with many reportedly registering in Quetta to cheat with greater ease.

The Bluetooth devices, which had been sold to students for between Rs30,000 and Rs100,000, were confiscated, and a case has been registered against the accused.

The raid at the Balochistan University of Information Technology, Engineering, and Management Sciences (BUITEMS) in Quetta comes amid broader concerns about mismanagement and malpractice during the MDCAT exams nationwide.

In Islamabad, authorities recovered electronic devices from 11 students.

Meanwhile, the Pakistan Medical and Dental Council (PMDC) has launched investigations into complaints of paper leaks and malpractices, especially in Sindh, where rumours circulated about leaked exam papers.

Despite these issues, PMDC officials stressed that the tests were held under stringent conditions and that complaints are being verified.

The MDCAT test was held across the country on Sunday, with over 167,000 candidates appearing in the exams, including in provinces like Punjab, Sindh, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Balochistan, as well as international centres in Dubai and Riyadh.

A day prior to this, the Dow University of Health Sciences officially declared a leaked paper circulating on social media regarding the Medical and Dental College Admission Test MDCAT as fake.

A spokesperson for the university asserted that the possibility of a paper leak is non-existent and urged the public to refrain from spreading unverified rumours.

This year, 167,077 candidates will compete for over 18,000 available seats in medical and dental colleges across Pakistan.

The Pakistan Medical and Dental Council (PMDC) has once again assigned the responsibility of conducting the MDCAT in Sindh to Dow University, which will see approximately 38,700 candidates participating, including 12,846 from Karachi.

The test will be administered for 858 seats in Karachi, with 746 designated for open merit and 112 for self-finance.

To combat potential leaks, Dow University has put in place strict security measures.

However, medical organisations have expressed concerns over possible mismanagement during the exam.

Examination centres will be set up at NED University and Dow University's Ojha campus, accommodating over 12,000 students. Other centres will be established in cities including Larkana, Sukkur, and Hyderabad.

The MDCAT exam is scheduled to last three and a half hours, from 10:00 AM to 1:30 PM, and will consist of 200 questions across various subjects.

Additionally, mobile phone and internet services will be suspended within a 500-metre radius of examination centres in Punjab and Peshawar.

Earlier, authorities announced that mobile phone services will be suspended for four hours near exam centres in Peshawar on Sunday during the entrance test for medical colleges.

The move, aimed at curbing cheating, will coincide with the medical test scheduled for September 22.

Peshawar Commissioner confirmed that the Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) has been notified to implement the temporary suspension of mobile services in areas surrounding the test centers.

In addition to this, signal jammers will be placed inside the exam halls to ensure further prevention of cheating.

Moreover, Section 144 will be enforced to prevent the gathering of the public near examination centers. Strict security measures have also been put in place, with police and female police officers being deployed to ensure the safety of candidates and staff.

The security plan has been outlined by SP Security, who has been instructed to oversee the arrangements.

The measures come as part of broader efforts to maintain the integrity of the exam and ensure a fair testing environment for all candidates.