PESHAWAR, Aug 4: Abbottabad will host the first-ever entry test for the medical colleges and University of Engineering and Technology (UET) scheduled to be held on Aug 10 for engineering and Aug 15 for medical colleges along with the Peshawar Centre.

The candidates who have passed F.Sc. examination from the Abbottabad Board would appear in the Ayub Medical College, Abbottabad, and candidates of the remaining Boards are directed to appear at Qayyum Stadium, Peshawar.

However, the candidates from the Federal Board, O level and reserved seats have the option to appear either in Peshawar or Abbottabad. This was stated by the Executive Director of the Education Testing and Evaluation Agency (ETEA), Dr Abdul Waheed, at a press conference here on Wednesday.

He said that already notified venue; Qayyum Stadium has replaced Islamia College, Peshawar, due to its accessibility. The results of entry test would be announced on the same day of both the respective centres here, he said, adding that re-totalling appeals would be heard on Aug 20-21 at Qayyum Stadium and results' errors, if any, would be adjusted on Aug 27-28.

Dr Waheed said that during the re-tolling process, an answer sheet would be provided to the candidates to satisfy them. The gates would be opened at 6am and closed at 7.30am and no one would be allowed to enter the centre after the expiry of the due time, he maintained.

Replying to a question, ETEA executive director said that the purpose behind Abbottabad centre was to facilitate the Hazara students and in near future this facility would be given to Dera Ismail Khan and Swat also.

When asked about transparency of ETEA procedures while preparing results, he said all gadgets required for test are imported from the USA, including optical computers, pin-readable machines, answer sheets, etc., to eliminate any chances of mistakes.

Answer sheets, he urged, be given serial numbers along with separate codes and stamp be used by the medical staff for the University of Engineering and Technology papers and vice versa.

He requested all candidates not to fold the answer sheets in their own interest and not make them dirty so that the computer could identify all their answers. He added that a computer operator once started scanning in the presence of the experts; they could not stop the flow of scanning.

The University of Engineering and Technology staff is directed to supervise the medical tests and the medical colleges' staff will conduct the University of Engineering and Technology entry test to ensure transparency.

About the security situation, he said ETEA had entrusted the responsibilities to the Frontier Corps and deputy superintendent of police, traffic, was assigned the duties of traffic arrangements.

Dr Waheed pledged that facilities of ambulance, doctors, Pesco crew and a brief guidelines would be provided to all students before and during the entry test. Manager Technical, Ahmer Nadeem, who assisted the executive director, informed the newsmen that for the University of Engineering and Technology exams, total 200 questions would be asked, 66 questions each in physics and chemistry and 68 questions in mathematics.

While for medical colleges 60 questions each in physics, chemistry and biology and 10 each in mathematics and English (metric levels) will be asked. The total marks for medical colleges and University of Engineering and Technology are 800 each and 40 per cent is the minimum passing marks for medical colleges as directed by the Pakistan Medical and Dental Council (PMDC) and 33 per cent for the UET as a pre-condition of the Pakistan Engineering Council (PEC), he said, adding that -1 would be deducted as a result of negative marking and four marks would be awarded to each correct answer. The Website of ETEA is www.etea.edu.pk, he said. -APP