LAHORE: Candidates reappearing in Medical and Dental Colleges` Admission Test (MDCAT) on Sunday will be allowed to bring clipboards with them.

`However, candidates will have to leave these clipboards at the centres after the test, said University of Health Sciences (UHS) acting Vice Chancellor Prof Faisal Masud at a media briefing on Saturday.

He said around 65,000 candidates 41,000 girls and 24,000 boys would again take the MDCAT under their previousroll numbers at same centres where they had appeared in the test held on Aug 20 this year.

The candidates would be required to bring a fresh printout of their admittance cards along with original CNIC or B-Form and two blue ball point pens.

`Candidates not having new printout of their admittance cards bearing new instructions would not be allowed to enter the test centre. The admittance cards will be taken from the candidates after the commencement of the test so that there is no chance of questions being smuggled outside,` said Prof Masud.

Candidates would not be allowed to bring cell phones, calculators, laptops, watches, books or any other electronic device at the centre. There would be zero tolerance for the use of unfair means in the test, said the acting VC.

`We know that it is painful for the candidates and their parents to go through the same exercise but the reconduct of MDCAT is vital to ensure merit and transparency,` said Prof Masud while advising the candidates to must reach their respective centres as early as possible because of [strict] security measures. No candidate would be allowed to enter the centre after 8.15am after which all the centres would be sealed.

He said the test would start exactly at 9am at all the previous centres set up in Lahore, Faisalabad, Sahiwal, Multan,Bahawalpur, Rahim Yar Khan, Sargodha, Gujrat, Rawalpindi, Gujranwala, Sialkot, Dera Ghazi Khan and Hassan Abdal.

Regarding the new arrangement made by the UHS for secure preparation, printing and packaging of the MDCAT paper, Prof Masud said a new question bank had been developed involving teachers of both FSc and A-Levels from around the province with the help of Punjab Higher E ducation Department.

With the help of this bank, three questions papers were prepared according to an approved syllabus and table of specincations out of which one was selected randomly.

There was a new team in place that worked day and night according to new standard operating procedures (SOPs) under a three-lay-ered security.

The UHS had taken a number of steps to enhance internal and external security in the aftermath of the MDCAT paper leak episode, including installation of mobile jammersand CCTVcameras,introduction of special pocket-less uniform for the staff working in the Entrance Test Cell, deployment of police and its special branch personnel inside and outside the area and 24-hour monitoring.

`We have tried our best to fill the gaps. The system has been made more stringent and foolproof and it is not based on mere trust anymore,` said the acting VC.

He said the SOPs for transportation of examination material had also been revised. A chain of custody would be maintained through-out the process.

`Now the representative of the deputy commissioner of each district would come with his locks and keys and authority letter. The DC or his representative would lock his trunks himself and put a seal on them. He would ensure that no seal of the lock is tampered with before the trunks leave the UHS,` said Prof Masud.

He said all the trunks had reached their respective districts where they had been placed in the government treasury. It would now be recovered from the treasury early on Sunday morning.

Police squads had been provided by the DPOs and CPOs concerned to escort the vans carrying examination material, said the VC adding that arrangements had been finalised for smooth conduct of the test.