Punjab authorities have finalised security arrangements for the Medical and Dental College Admission Test, which will be held on September 20 across 15 cities in the province, with more than 49,000 candidates set to appear at 31 examination centres. The strategy was approved during a high level meeting chaired by Chief Secretary Punjab Zahid Akhtar Zaman at the Civil Secretariat, bringing together senior officials from multiple departments to finalize the arrangements ahead of the exam date.
All examination centres will be monitored around the clock through the Punjab Safe Cities Authority CCTV network, giving authorities continuous visual oversight of activity at each test location throughout the exam period. In addition to camera based monitoring, the National Database and Registration Authority will conduct real time biometric verification of candidates directly at exam halls, a measure specifically designed to prevent impersonation and ensure that the individual sitting for the test matches the registered candidate’s identity. This combination of CCTV surveillance and biometric checks reflects a broader pattern of using digital identity verification tools to safeguard the integrity of large scale standardized examinations in Pakistan, particularly ones as consequential for students’ academic futures as the MDCAT.
Beyond the technology based measures, authorities have also put in place a set of physical security and logistical arrangements. Section 144 will remain in force around all test centres to help maintain order and security throughout the examination period. The chief secretary directed divisional commissioners to ensure that walk through gates and scanners are installed at each centre, that power supply remains uninterrupted throughout the exam, and that fully equipped medical camps are deployed on site to handle any emergencies that may arise during testing hours. Officials were also instructed to set up shaded waiting areas equipped with cold drinking water for parents accompanying their children to the exam centres, addressing the comfort of families waiting outside during the multi hour testing window.
The test is being organised by the University of Health Sciences and will be conducted across Lahore, Rawalpindi, Faisalabad, Multan, Gujranwala, Bahawalnagar, Mianwali, Layyah, Sargodha, Bahawalpur, Dera Ghazi Khan, Rahim Yar Khan, Sahiwal, Sialkot, and Gujrat. The planning meeting was attended by the Secretary for Specialised Healthcare and Medical Education, the Secretary for School Education, the Additional Inspector General of Police for Operations, and the Managing Director of the Punjab Safe Cities Authority, along with other senior officials, while all divisional commissioners joined the session via video link to coordinate arrangements across their respective regions ahead of the high stakes examination.
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