The Pakistan Medical Commission (PMC) is set to meet today to deliberate on changing the minimum passing criteria of the National Licensing Exam (NLE).
According to reports, the PMC is expected to reduce the minimum passing criteria for the NLE by 10%. If it happens, the minimum passing percentage for the NLE will become 60%.
Medical students who have graduated from either Pakistani or foreign educational institutes after January 2021 are required to clear NLE in order to get a license for a job or practice.
The NLE is conducted online in different cities across the country as well as abroad. The current minimum passing percentage for the NLE is 70%.
The NLE is normally conducted twice a year. However, it can be held up to four times in a single academic year. A student can appear in the NLE as many times as possible.
Last year in June, dozens of MBBS and BSD-qualified students filed a joint petition at the Lahore High Court (LHC), challenging the mandatory NLE announced by the PMC.
As per details, the students had contended that at the time of their admissions to MBBS and BDS programs, there was no such condition for a centralized licensing exam.
They argued that at the time of their admission, there was only one condition that required medical and dental students to complete a mandatory house job for receiving full registration for job and practice.
