Over 38,000 students across Sindh province are retaking the Medical and Dental Colleges Admission Test 2024 on Sunday, following a Sindh High Court order. The re-examination, administered by the Institute of Business Administration (IBA) Sukkur, was necessitated by allegations of widespread cheating during the original exam.
A total of 38,609 candidates are participating in the re-examination, which consisted of 200 multiple-choice questions and lasted 3.5 hours. Candidates were instructed to arrive at testing centers by 8:30 AM. Strict measures were in place, with Section 144 (prohibiting gatherings) enforced around the University of Karachi and NED University examination centers in Karachi.
Candidates were prohibited from bringing any digital devices or mobile phones, but were required to bring their admit cards, identification cards (CNIC or Domicile), and a picture-bearing mark sheet.
Asif Sheikh, Vice Chancellor of IBA Sukkur, addressed concerns about a purportedly leaked exam paper circulating on social media, assuring students that the current exam was legitimate and had not been compromised.
Testing centers were established simultaneously in Karachi (at NED University and the University of Karachi), Hyderabad, Jamshoro, Shaheed Benazirabad, Larkana, and Sukkur. Separate entry gates were designated for male and female students at NED University. A designated waiting area for parents was also set up near NED University.
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However, the re-examination was not without logistical challenges. Severe traffic congestion was reported on University Road, with long queues of vehicles stretching from Safari Park to Karachi University, forcing many students to walk to their examination centers.
The original MD-CAT, held across Pakistan, saw approximately 160,000 candidates participate. However, over 50 students faced charges of cheating, with two arrests reported. Following this, 15 candidates filed a joint petition with the Sindh High Court, alleging irregularities and the pre-exam circulation of the test paper.
On October 4th, the Sindh High Court, hearing petitions regarding the alleged irregularities, ordered the re-examination within four weeks. Subsequently, on November 6th, Sindh Chief Minister Murad Ali Shah directed the conducting of a transparent re-examination within six weeks. Today’s re-examination is the result of these court orders and the government’s commitment to ensuring fairness in the admission process.
