LAHORE – Question papers and related material for the Medical and Dental College Admission Test (MDCAT) 2025 were dispatched on Friday under strict security arrangements to 12 cities across Punjab, where the test will be held on Sunday under the supervision of the University of Health Sciences (UHS).
More than 50,000 candidates are expected to appear in the exam, which will take place at 27 test centres. According to a UHS spokesperson, all arrangements for the smooth conduct of the test have been finalized.
The sealed examination papers were placed in steel trunks and sent under the supervision of police, assistant commissioners, and district officials. Senior UHS faculty members and staff accompanied the consignments. UHS Registrar Kiran Fatima and Controller of Examinations Dr. Muhammad Abbas oversaw the dispatch process. Before departure, Vice Chancellor Prof. Ahsan Waheed Rathore led a special prayer for the safety of candidates, parents, and staff, and for the peaceful conduct of the exam. Goats were also sacrificed for protection from any mishap.
The spokesperson said that the exam papers would be kept in the safe rooms of the respective district treasuries until Sunday morning. A command and control centre has been established at UHS Lahore for real-time monitoring, while a special helpline has been activated to maintain constant contact with examination centres.
Meanwhile, Secretary Specialized Healthcare and Medical Education Azmat Mehmood chaired a meeting via video link with divisional commissioners and deputy commissioners to review arrangements. He directed them to ensure the best possible facilities, including security for candidates and comfortable waiting areas for parents.
Carrying mobile phones by candidates and staff will be strictly prohibited at all test centres. Training sessions for supervisory staff will be held on Saturday. Section 144 has been imposed around the centres to restrict the entry of unauthorized persons, while police contingents will remain deployed throughout the exam. Candidates will be frisked twice before entering examination halls.
In Lahore, the cleanliness of test centres has been assigned to the Lahore Waste Management Company. Ambulances, doctors, and paramedics will be on duty from 7:00 am at every venue. Nearby teaching and district headquarters hospitals have been placed on high alert. The Special Branch, Civil Defence, and Fire Brigade personnel will clear all centres before the test, while NADRA’s e-Sahulat counters will assist in identity verification of candidates if needed.
According to the UHS spokesperson, senior officials of the health department, including special, additional, and deputy secretaries, will monitor the exam. Vice chancellors, pro-vice chancellors, and senior faculty members of medical universities have been designated as regional in-charges, while principals of medical and dental colleges will act as in-charges for their respective centres.
