MDCAT and the question of transparency

October 4, 2026

The release of the MDCAT answer key and results in Sindh has raised an important question: why was the question paper not given to the candidates after the examination?

More than 33,000 candidates appeared in the MDCAT across Sindh on September 20, including more than 9,000 from Karachi. However, candidates were not allowed to keep a copy of the question paper. They were only given carbon copies of their OMR answer sheets.

The reason is now clear. The Pakistan Medical and Dental Council (PMDC) had instructed the universities conducting the test to collect the question papers from candidates immediately after the examination. The directive was issued on September 10, ten days before the test.

But the logic behind this decision needs to be questioned.

The MDCAT is a standardised examination. Thousands of students compete for a limited number of seats, and their future depends on their marks. In such an important examination, transparency should be a basic requirement.

The question paper is not a secret document once the examination has ended. Candidates should be able to see the questions they attempted and compare them with the official answer key. This is especially important when some candidates have raised concerns about answers in the English and Logical Reasoning sections.

The Sukkur IBA University vice chancellor has said that the university reviewed the answer keys several times and was satisfied with their accuracy. But this alone may not be enough to satisfy candidates. Students also deserve the opportunity to independently check the questions and answers.

Keeping the question paper secret creates unnecessary doubts. Even if the answer key is completely correct, withholding the paper can make candidates feel that the examination process is not open enough.

The PMDC and the universities should therefore reconsider this policy. The question paper should be released after the examination, along with the official answer key. If there are concerns about examination security, those concerns can be addressed through proper procedures without keeping the paper away from candidates.

An examination becomes more credible when students can see the questions, check the answers and raise genuine objections.

The PMDC and universities should release the MDCAT question paper for the satisfaction of the candidates and to strengthen public trust in the examination system.