ISLAMABAD: As many as 12,500 candidates have registered themselves for the retake of Medical and Dental Colleges Admission Test (MDCAT) which will be conducted by Shaheed Zulfikar Ali Bhutto Medical University (SZABMU) on December 30 (Monday).

Earlier, 22,500 candidates had registered themselves for the test held on September 22. However, the Islamabad High Court (IHC) directed the university to retake the test.

SZABMU had conducted the medical colleges’ entry test in Islamabad, AJK and at two centres in Saudi Arabia and UAE. However, because of a number of complaints, the IHC directed the university to retake the test.

The university has announced that the result of the test held on Sept 22 would remain intact; however, those who wanted to reappear in MDCAT could submit applications.

Around 17,000 students then submitted applications after which the university initially announced that the test would be held on November 24; then it cancelled the test and decided to hold it on Dec 14.

Then again, SZABMU cancelled the test and announced that it would hold it on December 22.

On the other hand, the university also filed an appeal against the retake of the test in IHC and offered to increase the marks of the students.

However, on December 18, IHC directed the university to hold the test within two weeks.

Published in Dawn, December 27th, 2024