No More MDCAT in Pakistan! New IT-Based Exams Will Replace It

After complaints of irregularities, the Federal Ministry of Health has now asked the Pakistan Medical and Dental Council to scrap the MDCAT, the Medical and Dental College Admission Test. The test has been a topic of concern for a while, with some claiming it has been influenced by a “mafia” that has been controlling it for years.

Dr. Malik Mukhtar, the Prime Minister’s Coordinator, shared that next year, they’re aiming for a more reliable, IT-based system to take over. This new system will follow international standards, putting an end to the current format which has been criticized for a while. Dr. Mukhtar also pointed out how big money is involved in the MDCAT prep business. Those academies prepping students for the test have turned it into a billion-rupee industry, and that’s also contributed to the issues with the exam.

Backing this move, Amir Chishti, who heads the Senate’s Standing Committee on Health, has supported the idea of introducing an online test system. Something like the American SAT or the Cambridge format seems to be the way forward according to his suggestions. It’s also worth noting that Dr. Mukhtar informed the Senate that according to the Intelligence Bureau, this year’s MDCAT wasn’t leaked, despite what some rumors were suggesting.