Islamabad High Court (IHC) has ordered the Shaheed Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto Medical University (SZABMU) to retake the Medical and Dental Colleges Admission Test (MDCAT).
The test is now scheduled to be held on December 30.
Students appearing in the test will have to pay extra dues for the retake.
Already registered candidates who had earlier paid Rs8,000 for the test held in September will have to deposit Rs6,000, whereas candidates appearing in international test centres, i.e., in the UAE and Saudi Arabia, are required to pay Rs40,000 in fees.
“In partial modification of earlier public notice dated 11-12-2024 by SZABMU, it is notified in compliance with the orders of IHC dated 18-12-2024 that the MDCAT-II, 2024 has been re-scheduled to be held on Monday, 30-12-2024,” says a notification issued on Thursday by Registrar SZABMU Professor Dr Shahabuddin.
The notification further stated, “The portal for payment of MDCAT-II, 2024 fee has been opened at www.szabmu.edu.pk. The last date for deposit of fee and online registration for the said exam is 24-12-2024 midnight.
Furthermore, all the candidates who want to appear in MDCAT-II 2024, are directed to regularly check the official website for updated information.”
The step was taken after SZABMU held MDCAT on Sept 22 in Islamabad, AJK, and at two destinations out of the country, i.e., Saudi Arabia and UAE, and a number of candidates took their complaints to IHC. The court then directed the university to retake the test within two weeks.
After the court’s order, the university administration announced that the result would remain intact.
However, those who want to reappear in MDCAT can submit applications on its website.
Initially, around 17,000 students submitted applications, and the university announced a test on November 24 but it got cancelled and rescheduled on December 14.
However, that got cancelled, and the university announced the exam to be held on December 22. At the same time, the university filed an appeal against the retake of the test in the high court while offering grace marks to students instead of retaking the exam.