The Medical and Dental College Admission Test (MDCAT) would be held on September 10 (Sunday), the health ministry said, rejecting earlier reports that there could be a delay in the exam needed to enter medical universities. The caretaker health minister has retracted his statement about rescheduling the exam.

“It is further clarified that the MDCAT examination is going to be convened nationwide on the already decided date ie 10 [of] September [Sunday], 2023,” said the statement issued on Friday.

MDCAT was among the top trends on social media last month after the examination body announced the date, but many aspirants opposed the August 27 date.

Later, it was revised after caretaker Prime Minister asked the Pakistan Medical and Dental Council to reschedule the MDCAT examination to September 10.

Meanwhile, the health ministry has decided to take the MDCAT separately for the students from flood-affected areas. Caretaker Health Minister Nadeem Jan took the “sympathetic view” to while making the decision, according to a statement. The exam would be taken after consultations with provincial governments.

Earlier in the day, Jan said in a social media post that the MDCAT exams would be delayed for a reasonable time to give aspirants more time to prepare for the exams. But hours later he retracted his post from X, formerly known as Twitter.

“In the best interests of Aspirant medics we would delay the MDCT exams for a reasonable time so they get more prepared. We care for you and would wish a reciprocation from all students. Health ministry will go extra miles for the relief of all Pakistanis,” he wrote on X on Friday morning. The post was later deleted from his Twitter handle @DrNadeemjan which is followed by PTV’s official handle among others.

On Thursday, he asked the relevant authority to look into the matter of MDCAT exams with “due sympathy” towards the students.

His statement came after students complained of not getting ample time to prepare for the medical college entry examination. Several aspirants took to social media and raised concerns over holding the MDCAT exams in September.

ANP leader Ameer Haider Khan Hoti questioned the manner in which the authorities were rushing to hold the exam, saying that the exams were held in October, and November in the past.

“The final FSC practical on August 28 and the MDCAT test on September 10 jeopardise the future of over 200,000 students Their hopes are in jeopardy!” he wrote on X.

Hoti urged the caretaker prime minister to intervene and protect the students’ futures.

The aspirants said that they have recently appeared in their FSC examinations and have not been able to prepare for the MDCAT exams.

The protests across the country and floods were also noted as likely hurdles for students to reach their examination centres.

Khushi, a commentator on X said that MDCAT should be delayed all over Pakistan and conducted on the same day in October. “It’s not fair to delay it in flood affected areas.”

Originally scheduled for August 27, the exam was rescheduled to September 10 after Caretaker Prime Minister Anwaar-ul-Haq Kakar issued a directive to give extra time to the students for preparation.

A few students also criticised holding the exams on two different dates. Reports circulated in the media that the Health Ministry is planning to hold the MDCAT for Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Punjab in October while students from other regions will appear in the exams in September.

Minahil, another student, called it unfair to take MDCAT in two parts.

“MDCAT should be on one day across the country,” she wrote.

Adnan Shoukat also called for conducting the exams on the same day for all provinces.

“#PMDC_DELAY_MDCAT and we want to conduct it on single across the country,” he wrote on X.

(With input from Web Desk)