About one in five registered candidates did not attend the entrance exam for medical and dentistry studies in Belgium’s French Community on Thursday, according to the Academy for Research and Higher Education (ARES).
Out of 6,674 registered participants, just over 5,200 turned up at the Brussels Expo, where the exam took place. This means nearly 21% stayed home, despite the €30 registration fee. Last year, only 15% of the registrants were absent.
Among those who did appear, over 3,600 reside in Belgium, while about 1,660 live abroad.
Women accounted for a majority of attendees, with over 3,500 participating compared to around 1,750 men.
The exam consisted of 80 multiple-choice questions assessing candidates’ knowledge in various scientific disciplines, as well as their skills in communication, critical analysis, and ethics.
Results will be shared with candidates on 6 September and released to the press on 8 September.
Only the top 1,648 candidates will be allowed to begin their studies, with 1,462 spots available for medical programmes and 186 for dentistry.
