MCAT Pakistan
Medical College Entrance Test (MCAT) is a test conducted in Pakistan each year for Pre-medical students and is conducted by the University of Health Sciences in Punjab. Every year about 45000 students attempt this test, whilst there are around 3400 seats in the medical colleges of Punjab. Every year UHS takes MCAT in August. MCAT is pre-requisite for admissions in all medical colleges both in the private and the public sector. MCAT is a test consisting of 220 multiple choice questions. Each question is of 5 marks making the test of total 1100 marks. Each correct answer score 5 marks while each wrong answer scores -1. It consists of 88 MCQs relating to Biology, 58 to Chemistry, 44 to Physics and 30 from English. The duration of the test is 2 hours and 30 minutes.
Test preparation
UHS Lahore has no affiliated institution for MCAT preparation.However a large number of institutes in Punjab takes entry test classes for MCAT preparation.KIPS is most famous institution for MCAT preparation,However STAR institute is also in this race. Punjab College MCAT classes are also at the top because the recent position holders were from PC. UHS does not recommend any institution for MCAT preparation and recommends only text books of Punjab Text book,Lahore.
Syllabus
UHS provides syllabus of MCAT[1] every year on its website syllabus only includes the topics from Biology,Chemistry,Physics and English. However syllabus is not too much but lack of time makes it difficult for many students.
Seats
There are some 3400 seats in public sector and almost same number in private sector.
Criticism
UHS MCAT is criticized all over Punjab because according to experts MCAT is not a scale to test students.UHS is most important because of its weightage (50%) if student fails to perform good in test then it will lead to failure of student from whole admission process.
Criticism of KIPS
KIPS has been seen as a MAFIA by parents but parents are forced by students because there is no other institution for preparation of MCAT.KIPS charges 36800 pkr per students as of 2016.However it is not fixed some students pay less fees on basis of their relationship with KIPS administration.
Criticism of STAR
STAR institute of Lahore have alleged relations with UHS.It is speculated between students that STAR leaks the paper out before MCAT examination by giving bribery to UHS. According to some unnamed sources STAR paid some 8 millions PKR in 2014 to leak paper out.
Criticism Of PGC
Punjab group of colleges at Lahore, Multan, Faisalabad,and Toba Tek Singh also conduct MCAT preparation classes.
Suicide cases
Some suicide cases of students has also been reported in 2013 and 2014.The suicide cases are due to the fact that UHS MCAT is very difficult for students as it is out of syllabus.The loss of a year might lead to extreme depression for students and suicidal thoughts in them may arise.
- ↑ "UHS MCAT entry test syllabus". Retrieved 2016-09-12.