Medical College Entrance Test (MCAT) is a test conducted in Pakistan every year for Pre-medical students and is conducted by the University of Health Sciences (UHS) 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.
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Test preparation
UHS Lahore has no affiliated institution for MCAT preparation. However a large number of institutes in Punjab is conducting entry test classes for MCAT preparation. KIPS Education System is most famous institution for MCAT preparation, however STAR institute is also in this race.
UHS provides syllabus of MCAT every year on its website syllabus. It 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 weight-age (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 Entry Tests Preparation is an expensive institute for Entry Test Preparations. Although they are charging high fees but it is preferred over other institutes due to its quality education. Students believe that their years of experience and effort they put in their students is outstanding they leave no stone unturned when it comes to entry tests preparation.
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 have recently started academy for entry test. Students believe that they are new in this field and have no previous experience moreover they are charging fee almost same as KIPS but the reliability of student’s success is very less.
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 may arise in them.