PMDC raises fee for candidates taking MDCAT

PESHAWAR: The Pakistan Medical & Dental Council (PM&DC) has announced an unprecedented raise in its fee structure for the candidates appearing in the entrance examination of Medical and Dental College Admission Test (MDCAT) scheduled for September 22, this year.

The Educational Testing Evaluation Agency (ETEA) in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa conducted entrance tests for medical and dental colleges as well as engineering colleges for the past many years and would charge each candidate Rs1000.

Last year when cheating issues were reported in the entrance exam, apparently due to failure of the government and other authorities concerned, the PM&DC was tasked along with Khyber Medical University (KMU) to conduct the examination.

Even last year when PM&DC and KMU reorganised the entrance examination, they charged each applicant Rs6000.And the PM&DC this year again announced a raise in fee structure from Rs6,000 to Rs8,000 per candidate.

Last year, ETEA was paid Rs46 million for 46,000 candidates who appeared in the MDCAT from Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.This year PM&DC and KMU are likely to receive Rs360 million for the same number of candidates.

According to government officials involved in entrance examinations for the last few years, the actual cost per candidate is less than Rs1000, saying there was no logic to increase the fee.“It’s a huge burden on parents of the candidates, who have already spent the hard-earned money of their parents in private coaching academies,” said a senior government official.

He said some of the candidates usually appear in the entrance exams for the second time.Like the rest of the country, teachers of the government colleges, majority of them from Islamia College University in Peshawar, had set up private coaching academies where each student was charged from Rs70,000 to Rs90,000.

Last year, a number of candidates were caught using modern gadgets for cheating in the MDCAT. An inquiry committee was formed but nothing happened as some of the candidates involved in cheating were stated to be the children of influential government officials in KP.

This year PM&DC and KMU will again conduct the MDCAT.As usual the biggest challenge for PM&DC and KMU is to discourage cheating in the entrance test.

There are influential mafias who have links in the system to use different techniques to help the candidates pass the test. In return, they are paid a handsome amount by the parents of the candidates.

ETEA had developed a strategy to check the use of unfair means in the test.It was ETEA that traced the mafias and its mastermind last year and provided the information to the police and other law enforcement agencies.

Meanwhile, KMU said in a statement on Sunday that the MDCAT-2024 examination will be conducted across the country, including Islamabad and Gilgit-Baltistan September 22, 2024. A paper-based MDCAT exam will be held in six regions, including Peshawar, Mardan, Kohat, Abbottabad, Swat, and Lower Dir.

Students have been advised to register on the official website of PM&DC from August 5.On Sunday, KMU Vice-Chancellor Prof Dr Ziaul Haq chaired a meeting focusing on the directives from PM&DC and the KP government that emphasised the importance of thorough planning and efficient execution to uphold high standards of transparency in the MDCAT.

The vice-chancellor briefed the participants on the necessary arrangements, logistics, and timelines. He also sought their input and suggestions to ensure the successful and fair conduct of the MDCAT-2024 examination.

Regarding the fee raise, Dr Ziaul Haq told The News that KMU had nothing to do with the fee, saying it was the domain of the PM&DC to collect the fee and then pay some amount to KMU for organising the test.