LAHORE: At least 45,000 candidates, including 30,500 females, have been issued roll numbers to appear in medical colleges’ entrance test to be conducted by the University of Health Sciences (UHS) on Aug 31.

The test will be held simultaneously at 25 centres established in 13 cities of Punjab -- Lahore, Faisalabad, Sahiwal, Multan, Bahawalpur, Rahim Yar Khan, Sargodha, Gujrat, Rawalpindi, Gujranwala, Sialkot, Dera Ghazi Khan, and Hasanabdal.

The test will start at 9am, a press release issued here on Thursday said.

It said the candidates must reach their respective centres at least one hour before the commencement of the test because nobody would be allowed to enter the centres after 8.15am.

25 centres set up in 13 cities of Punjab

In Lahore, six centres have been set up at Examination Halls of Board of Intermediate and Secondary Education, Lawrence Road; Examination Halls of Punjab University, Wahdat Road; Government Comprehensive Girls High School, Wahdat Road; Government Pilot High School, Wahdat Road; University of Education, Lower Mall and Government Central Model School, Lower Mall. More than 13,000 candidates will sit the test in the provincial metropolis.

The test shall comprise 220 multiple choice questions (MCQs), divided into four sections namely physics (44 MCQs), chemistry (58 MCQs), English (30 MCQs) and biology (88 MCQs).Total duration of the test shall be two and a half hours. After the main test, the candidates shall be required to answer a separate test comprising questions related to aptitude and feedback.

An extra 30 minutes will be provided to candidates to answer this test which shall have no weightage in the entrance test score. Total marks of the test shall be 1,100.

There shall be negative marking in the test like previous years and while 5 marks will be awarded for each correct answer, one mark will be deducted for each incorrect answer.

Briefing on the arrangement of the test, UHS Vice-Chancellor retired Gen Prof Muhammad Aslam said the Punjab government had made complete arrangements for flawless conduct of the entrance test.

The district administration, under the supervision of divisional commissioners and DCOs concerned, had finalized the security and logistic plans at their respective centres, he said.

Prof Aslam said that DPOs would be responsible for security and deployment of police personnel at the test centres in their respective districts.

Police would ensure extensive patrolling and technical sweeping of the area before the commencement of the test. Walk-through gates and mobile jammers would be installed at each centre. Restrictions would be imposed under Section 144 on the entry of unauthorized persons on the premises of examination centres, he said.

He said that parents and other attendants of candidates would be provided comfortable waiting areas, with drinking water and adequate toilet facilities, near examination centres.

Traffic police had been directed to make special traffic and parking arrangements to ensure smooth flow of traffic near the examination centres, he said.

Emergency healthcare services will be ensured at all centres which would include fully equipped ambulances, doctors along with paramedical staff and emergency medicines. The nearest teaching hospital or DHQ hospital would be on high alert to ensure a state of readiness to meet any emergency.

Candidates are not allowed to bring cell phones, calculators, laptops or notes to the examination centre. No candidate will be allowed to enter the centre without the admittance card issued by the UHS.

According to regulations of the Pakistan Medical and Dental Council, it is mandatory for a candidate to appear in the provincial entrance test conducted by the UHS for admission to any public or private medical/dental college in Punjab. So the candidates seeking admission to private medical colleges will also have to appear in the entrance test of the UHS.

The government has deputed secretaries of 17 provincial departments, seven members Board of Revenue Punjab, special secretaries of Home and Higher Education Departments, all divisional commissioners, members (enquiries), S&GAD Department, secretary, Provincial Transport Authority of Lahore and DCOs of Rahim Yar Khan, Rawalpindi and Lahore to oversee the conduct of medical entrance test. These officers will support senior medical professors who will conduct the test and will report to the additional chief secretary of Punjab after the completion of exercise.

This year, the candidates will compete for 3,405 MBBS seats in 17 public sector medical colleges and 216 BDS seats in three public dental colleges of the province. Besides, there are around 3,000 MBBS seats available in 28 private medical colleges and 700 BDS seats in 12 private dental colleges of Punjab.

Published in Dawn, August 29th, 2014