SOME 4,774 candidates appeared in the entry test held on Feb 4 by the Higher Education Commission (HEC). This test was about admission to the Bolan Medical College, Quetta, the only public medical college of the province.The test was previously conducted by the National Testing Service (NTS), which was bound to announce the results within 12 hours.

Although the HEC had announced its decision to display its results within five days, its poor management, inexperienced staff and invigilators could not do the job efficiently and made the credibility of the HEC look dubious.

Chairs of candidates were so closely arranged that everyone was able to copy from the script of other candidates. Cheating was rampant in the examination hall, where candidates were using cellphones. The invigilating staff was not able to control the situation.

When I complained to an invigilator, I was shocked by his reply: “Ask another boy if this boy is not telling you the answer”.

Additionally, some candidates have claimed that many senior medical students were found sitting in examination hall near their siblings or relatives to assist them in the test.

Why were senior students of medical colleges allowed to appear in the test? Moreover, the standard of the test was very low. Hence, some 50 to 60 questions out of 100 questions were easy enough to solve.

Our examination system is obsolete and full of loopholes where candidates easily obtain 900 or more marks out of 1,100, though they may not be deserving even of pass marks.

The HEC and the provincial government should re-conduct the test to ensure the future of deserving and intelligent students.

Abdul Raheem Kakar

Quetta

Published in Dawn, February 12th, 2018