Local authorities recently raided several exam centers and discovered students cheating by using Bluetooth devices during exams.
Among those arrested were retired officials of the Federal Public Service Commission from Islamabad, who, along with others, were assisting students with exam questions.
Some of the students from Khyber Pakhtunkhwa were also among those arrested, as many had opted to register in Quetta for easier access to cheating.
These Bluetooth devices, sold for between Rs30,000 to Rs100,000 to the students, were confiscated, and cases were filed against those caught cheating. The raid at Balochistan University of Information Technology, Engineering, and Management Sciences (BUITEMS) in Quetta comes amid growing concerns about malpractice and cheating in the MDCAT exams.
In Islamabad, 11 students were found using electronic devices during the exam.
Meanwhile, the Pakistan Medical and Dental Council has begun investigations into reports of exam leakages and other malpractices, especially in Sindh, where rumors of leaked MDCAT papers have been circulating. PMDC officials, however, assured that the tests were conducted under tight security and that all complaints are being investigated.
The exam was held nationwide with over 167,000 students taking the exam across Pakistan, including centers in Punjab, Sindh, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, and Balochistan, as well as international locations like Dubai and Riyadh.
Ahead of the exam, Dow University of Health Sciences clarified that a supposed MDCAT paper circulating on social media was fake. A university spokesperson said there was no chance of a paper leak and urged people not to spread false information.
This year, 167,077 students are competing for over 18,000 seats in medical and dental colleges across Pakistan.
