Over 33,000 candidates to appear for MDCAT in Sindh against 5,100 medical seats

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

More than 33,000 candidates will appear for the Medical and Dental College Admission Test (MDCAT) in Sindh as students compete for 5,100 medical and dental seats across the province. The entrance examination for admission to medical colleges will be held on Sunday, August 16, across various centres in Sindh.

The MDCAT examination in the province will be conducted under the supervision of Sukkur IBA Testing Service. According to Vice Chancellor Sukkur IBA Professor Dr Asif Sheikh, more than 33,000 candidates are expected to participate in the test, including 20,934 female candidates and over 12,600 male candidates.

Vice Chancellor Jinnah Sindh Medical University (JSMU) Dr Siraj Memon stated that a total of 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 quota categories.

This year, the responsibility for managing medical college admissions has been assigned to Jinnah Sindh Medical University. The university will oversee the admission process following the MDCAT results.

Karachi will have the highest number of candidates appearing for the examination, with 10,661 students registered. Among them, 8,186 are female candidates and 2,475 are male candidates. Other major examination centres include Hyderabad, where 9,470 candidates will participate, including 5,287 female and 4,183 male students.

In addition, 3,066 candidates will appear in Larkana, 2,067 in Mirpurkhas, 2,511 in Shaheed Benazirabad, and 5,462 in Sukkur. An additional examination centre has also been established in Islamabad, where 300 candidates will take part.

The MDCAT centre in Karachi will be established at NED University. Special seating arrangements have been made for parents at the adjacent banquet facility. Candidates have been instructed to reach their examination centres by 6:30 a.m., while the test will begin at 10:00 a.m.

The MDCAT will consist of multiple-choice questions carrying a total of 180 marks, with a duration of three hours. Candidates seeking admission to medical colleges will require a minimum of 55 percent marks, while dental college applicants must secure at least 50 percent marks. There will be no negative marking in the examination.

Sukkur IBA officials stated that the answer key will be uploaded after the test. To ensure transparency, students will be allowed to solve the paper using a carbon copy, which they can keep for verification purposes. The MDCAT results are expected to be announced by August 22.