Uncertainty looms as court stays MDCAT 2023 results after cheating revelations

• MDCAT tests held on Sept 10 were marred by "mass cheating".
  
• Authorities prevented from issuing results till the next hearing.
• Dozens of candidates were caught using Bluetooth devices.

PESHAWAR: The Peshawar High Court (PHC) on Friday, issued a stay order preventing authorities concerned from issuing the Medical and Dental College Admission Test (MDCAT) 2023 results following startling cheating revelations.

Hearing various petitions filed by students seeking the prevention of the release of the results for MDCAT 2023, PHC's Justice Arshad Ali ordered the authorities to not release the test results for "cheating marred" exams.

Directing the authorities to withhold the results till the next hearing, the court also ordered the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) chief secretary, Executive Director Education and Evaluation Testing Agency (ETEA) and Registrar Pakistan Medical and Dental Council to submit their response to the matter.

The case has been adjourned till September 21.

The development comes as MDCAT 2023 tests held on September 10 in 31 cities across the country earlier this month were marred by controversy following revelations of "mass cheating" in the exams.

MDCAT cheating scandal

A total of 180,534 students from Pakistan appeared in the MDCAT 2023 exam held on September 10 earlier this month.

However, dozens of students were arrested for reportedly cheating via Bluetooth devices. At least 10 aspirant doctors were arrested in Dera Ismail Khan (DI Khan) and 43 candidates were taken into custody in Peshawar on the charges of cheating.

Meanwhile, 43 candidates — including 20 female students — were apprehended for cheating in the MDCAT in Peshawar.

FIRs (first information report) against the candidates were registered at police station Sharqi, Faqirabad and Pahari Pura.

All the students were later released on personal surety. The students will be produced before the court on September 11, the police added.