LAHORE: Punjab’s Department of Specialised Healthcare and Medical Education has asked the Inter-Board Coordination Commission (IBCC) to review the equivalence criteria applied to Cambridge qualifications for medical college admissions.
The department has written to the IBCC Executive Director, raising concerns that the existing equivalence mechanism may disadvantage O and A Level students compared with candidates from the Matriculation and FSc system.
Under the existing medical admission framework, authorities calculate merit by combining marks obtained in Matriculation and FSc, or their equivalent qualifications, with candidates’ MDCAT scores.
Cambridge Students May Face Merit Disadvantage
However, differences between the Cambridge grading structure and Pakistan’s conventional marks-based system can create disparities when authorities convert O and A Level grades into equivalent marks.
Consequently, students achieving exceptionally high grades in Cambridge examinations may still receive equivalence scores that leave them behind FSc candidates securing high percentages.
The issue becomes particularly significant in medical admissions, where intense competition and narrow differences in aggregate scores can determine whether students secure places at their preferred colleges.
Even Cambridge students achieving the highest available O and A Level grades may therefore face a comparative disadvantage under the current conversion system.
Punjab Asks IBCC to Reassess Existing Formula
The Punjab government has now sought a review of the existing equivalence criteria to address concerns about how Cambridge qualifications are treated during medical college admissions.
Moreover, the request focuses on ensuring that students following different education systems receive equitable consideration when authorities calculate admission merit.
The IBCC is responsible for determining equivalence for foreign and international qualifications used within Pakistan’s education system.
Any revision to the existing criteria could consequently affect how O and A Level results contribute towards medical admission aggregates.
The department’s request now places the matter before the IBCC for consideration and possible review of the existing equivalence mechanism.
