Students caught cheating in the Medical and Dental College Admission Test (MDCAT) in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) will face a two-year ban from taking part in the test. The Medical and Dental College Admission Tests (MDCAT) held on September 10, 2023, were suspended by the KP cabinet after a number of cheating cases were reported across the province. According to an official statement released by Khyber Medical University, Peshawar, 219 have been banned from taking part in the test over cheating. The ban, which forbids these students from participating in the MDCAT for a full two-year period, serves as a stern warning to those attempting to compromise the integrity of this critical examination.

 The MDCAT is a pivotal assessment for aspiring medical and dental students in Pakistan. This disconcerting scandal unfolded when students at multiple examination centers in Peshawar were caught employing various illicit means, most notably Bluetooth devices, to cheat during the MDCAT held on September 10. The blatant cheating prompted the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government to cancel the test in its entirety, following the discovery of widespread cheating practices. Separately, the Sindh government announced to conduct the medical colleges’ entry tests – MDCAT – again on November 19 over ‘paper leak’ complaints.

 Credit: Independent News Pakistan (INP)