Over 33,000 Candidates to Appear for 5,100 MDCAT Seats in Sindh

More than 33,000 candidates will appear for the Medical and Dental College Admission Test (MDCAT) in Sindh, competing for around 5,100 seats in medical and dental colleges across the province.

The MDCAT will be held on Sunday, August 16, at different centres in Sindh. The test will be conducted by Sukkur IBA Testing Service.

According to Sukkur IBA Vice Chancellor Professor Dr Asif Sheikh, more than 33,500 candidates will take the test across Sindh. These include 20,934 female candidates and more than 12,600 male candidates.

Jinnah Sindh Medical University Vice Chancellor Dr Siraj Memon said 5,100 seats have been allocated for medical education in Sindh. These include 2,300 MBBS seats and 2,800 BDS seats, including seats reserved under different quotas.

Jinnah Sindh Medical University has been given responsibility for the admission process this year.

In Karachi, 10,661 candidates will appear for the MDCAT, including 8,186 female and 2,475 male candidates. In Hyderabad, 9,470 candidates are expected to take the test, including 5,287 female and 4,183 male candidates.

The number of candidates in other cities includes 3,066 in Larkana, 2,067 in Mirpurkhas, 2,511 in Shaheed Benazirabad and 5,462 in Sukkur. An examination centre has also been established in Islamabad, where around 300 candidates will appear.

The Karachi test centre will be set up at NED University. Seating arrangements for parents have also been made at a banquet hall near NED University.

Candidates have been instructed to reach their test centres by 6:30am. The test will begin at 10am and will consist of multiple-choice questions. The three-hour test will carry 180 marks.

The passing marks for admission to medical colleges will be 55%, while candidates seeking admission to dental colleges will need 50%. There will be no negative marking in the test.

According to the Sukkur IBA vice chancellor, the answer key will be uploaded after the test. To ensure transparency, candidates will be allowed to solve the test paper using a carbon copy, which they can keep with them. The results are expected to be announced by August 22.