58,380 candidates to appear for MDCAT on Sunday

LAHORE:The Medical and Dental College Admission Test (MDCAT) for admissions to all public and private medical colleges in Punjab will be conducted under the supervision of the University of Health Sciences (UHS) on September 22 (Sunday).

All arrangements have been completed to conduct the test at 26 examination centres in 12 cities. Strict security measures have been implemented at UHS ahead of the test. A total of 58,380 candidates will appear for the exam, including 40,364 female and 18,016 male candidates. In Lahore, eight examination centres have been established, six for female candidates and two for male candidates. The largest centre is at Punjab University Examination Halls on Wahdat Road, where 3,779 female candidates will take the test.

Other centres in Lahore include COMSATS University, DPS Model Town, University of Education Township, Government Girls Graduate College Gulberg, Lahore College for Women University, DPS Township, and Government Islamia College for Women, Cantt. Over 4,000 teachers will serve as invigilators across Punjab, with 1,000 of them deployed in Lahore. The invigilation staff has been appointed by the Higher Education and School Education Departments.

Senior faculty and officials from UHS have been designated as focal persons, while officers from the Specialized Healthcare Department will monitor the test arrangements. Additionally, deputy commissioners from the 12 districts have devised comprehensive plans to oversee MDCAT arrangements, with district police officers (DPOs) and city police officers (CPOs) responsible for security and parking management.

UHS has already issued roll number slips to candidates. All staff and officials involved in the exam have undergone security clearance from the Special Branch. The test will start at 10:00am and end at 1:30pm, with examination centres opening at 8:00am. No candidate will be allowed entry after 9:00am, as the centres will be sealed. The exam will consist of 200 multiple-choice questions.

Candidates must score at least 55% in MDCAT for admission to MBBS programmes and 50% for BDS programs. There will be competition for 3,616 seats in public colleges and 5,025 seats in private colleges. UHS will oversee the centralised admissions to both public and private medical and dental colleges.