MQM-P lawmaker seeks probe into alleged MDCAT irregularities
Muttahida Qaumi Movement-Pakistan (MQM-P) Sindh Assembly member Adil Askari has urged Sindh Chief Minister Murad Ali Shah to order an independent inquiry into alleged irregularities in the Medical and Dental College Admission Test (MDCAT) 2026 and audit the entire examination process.
In a letter to the chief minister, Askari called for a transparent investigation into complaints and discrepancies reported by students. He also sought an independent review of CCTV recordings from examination centres and a sample rechecking of OMR (Optical Mark Recognition) answer sheets.
Askari said an audit should determine whether the examination was conducted according to the prescribed procedures and whether the results were compiled transparently.
He also proposed establishing an independent and professional examination body for high-stakes tests such as MDCAT, modelled on institutions such as the British Council or Aga Khan University Examination Board.
Askari further called for the 2026 MDCAT to be reconducted.
The demand comes after SIBA Testing Services released the final Sindh MDCAT results on September 28.
The testing authority said it had reviewed complaints received after the provisional results and issued the final results in accordance with the prescribed merit criteria.
Over 33,000 candidates appeared
The MDCAT was held nationwide on September 20.
In Sindh, SIBA Testing Services conducted the examination at centres across Karachi, Hyderabad, Jamshoro, Mirpurkhas, Shaheed Benazirabad, Larkana and Sukkur, as well as Islamabad.
More than 33,000 candidates appeared for the test in Sindh. Candidates need at least 55% marks for admission to MBBS programmes and 50% for BDS programmes.
SIBA had released provisional results on September 25 and allowed candidates to submit complaints until September 26 before issuing the final results.
Askari said an independent review was necessary to address students’ concerns and establish whether any irregularities had occurred. The allegations raised in his letter have yet to be independently established.
Concerns over MDCAT results are not new. A National Assembly standing committee had also raised questions over unusually high scores and differences in results in MDCAT 2024 and discussed a possible retest if irregularities were established.
The latest demand comes as candidates await the next stages of admissions to medical and dental colleges in Sindh.