The University of Health Sciences (UHS) will conduct the Medical and Dental College Admission Test (MDCAT), on Sunday (Sept. 10), at 29 centres set up in 11 cities of the Punjab province, the 24NewsHD TV channel reported on Friday.
More than 67,000 candidates are taking part in the test.
The question papers and other sensitive examination materials were dispatched to various cities on Friday under tight security arrangements.
The examination papers were kept in sealed steel trunks. The material will be secured in the treasury offices of various districts till the morning of Sept. 10, UHS Vice Chancellor Prof. Ahsan Waheed Rathore said while briefing to media on Friday.
According to data, in Lahore, around 19,000 candidates, Multan 13,600, Gujranwala 4,000, Bahawalpur 5,000, Faisalabad 7,500, D.G. Khan 3,000, Gujrat 1,700, Sargodha 3,000, Sialkot 2,500 and Rawalpindi 3300 and in Sahiwal 3700 candidates will take the test.
The Punjab government has appointed around 5,000 supervisory and invigilation staff whereas UHS has deputed senior faculty members of the university as head couriers and couriers for conducting the test.
Vice-Chancellors, Pro-Vice-Chancellors, principals, and senior faculty members of government medical institutions in relevant cities will monitor the examination while officers of the Specialized Health Care and Medical Education department, deputy commissioners will supervise the arrangements. Section 144 has been imposed to prevent the entry of unauthorized persons into the examination centres.
The MDCAT exam will start at 10:00 a.m. Examination centres will be opened for the candidates at 8:00 am and sealed at 9:00 am after which no one will be allowed to enter. The duration of the exam will be three and a half hours and it will conclude at 1.30 pm. The minimum qualifying marks for admission to MBBS are 55pc and for BDS, 50pc. The question paper will have 200 multiple choice questions including Biology 68, Chemistry 54, Physics 54, English 18, and Logical Reasoning 6 questions as per the curriculum notified by the Pakistan Medical and Dental Council (PM&DC).
In this regard, UHS VC said that the Chief Minister Punjab had directed all concerned departments to make immaculate arrangements for smooth and flawless conduct of the admission test. The district administration, under the supervision of concerned divisional commissioners and deputy commissioners, had finalized the security and logistic plans at their respective centres, Prof Rathore said.
He said that district police officers would be responsible for the security and deployment of police personnel at the test centres. Police would ensure extensive patrolling and technical sweeping of the area before the commencement of the test. Walk-through gates and mobile jammers would be installed at all major centres, UHS VC informed. Traffic police had been directed to make proper traffic and parking arrangements to ensure a smooth flow of traffic near the test centres, he added.
Prof. Rathore further said that emergency healthcare services would be ensured at all centres which would include fully equipped ambulances, doctors along with paramedical staff, and necessary medicines. Moreover, the nearest teaching hospital or district headquarters hospital would be on high alert to ensure a state of readiness to meet any emergency. Arrangements have also been made with power supply companies to ensure uninterrupted electricity supply at all the centres during the test.
Candidates are not allowed to bring any cell phones, calculators, smart & digital watches, books, bags, and electronic devices to the test centre. However, analog watches are allowed. UHS VC warned that there would be zero tolerance for the use of unfair means in the test. He said that candidates must bring with them the printout of their Admittance Card as well as their original CNIC/NICOP/JC/Passport/B-Form. He added that there would be biometric verification of candidates at each centre by NADRA teams.
Meanwhile, on Friday, a meeting was held here at the Specialized Healthcare and Medical Education Department in this regard under the chairmanship of Health Secretary Ali Jan Khan, in which all the special secretaries, additional secretaries, and deputy secretaries of the department participated. In the meeting, the arrangements for the MDCAT exam were reviewed. The Command and Control Centre of the department was alerted for better coordination during the exam.
Ali Jan Khan said that MDCAT was perhaps the department's biggest activity of the year and, therefore, any kind of lapse in terms of arrangements would not be tolerated. The Secretary Health said that there would be a strict ban on the possession of mobile phones by the candidates as well as the staff in the examination centres. Senior officers of the department had been deputed to monitor the test, he added.