PMC asked to delay MDCAT for change of exam centres

ISLAMABAD: Around 21,000 candidates aspiring to appear in the Medical and Dental College Admission Test (MDCAT) have requested to change their exam centers, the National Assembly’s standing committee on health was told on Thursday, which asked the health ministry and Pakistan Medical Commission (PMC) to delay the MDCAT for change of exam centres or preparation of identical exams for the candidates from Islamabad, Punjab and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.

The standing committee on health met with Dr Muhammad Afzal Dhandla in the chair and recommended summoning an emergent meeting of the Pakistan Medical Council (PMC) to take up the extension in the date of the MDCAT examination and preparation of a similar paper for KPK, Punjab and Islamabad Capital Territory candidates after thousands of candidates expressed the desire to change their exam centers, which they had previously mentioned on the PMC portal.

The committee also recommended establishing more examination centres and health ministry officials said overseas candidates could only appear physically in the exams at centres established in Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates.

The committee was briefed that the PMC had arranged MDCAT 2022 through public sector universities in all provinces and ICT on a single day and time. The Member PMC apprised that the MDCAT exam will be paper-based and held on 13th November 2022. He informed two centres had been established in Saudi Arabia and UAE for overseas students. He informed the students residing in other countries had either opted for taking exams in UAE, Saudi Arabia or Pakistan.