•-With utmost respect, we would like to highlight some important issues regarding question setting pattern in recently held NPSC Combine Technical Examination 2011. While the liberty of Question setting pattern, agency to entrust, books or authors to refer fully rest with our esteemed commission; its choice to set a proto-type Xerox question from Question No. 1 – 200 (Agricultural Science Paper 1 & 2 respectively) from a single book (Objective Agriculture By S.R. Kantwa) is rated very poor and well below competitive Exam standard. As per previous experiences, the commission may again blame the company or the agency for the questions; but it may be noted that it is the commission who has the final say ie approval of the question papers. The commission may/ may not have verified the authenticity of the questions, however the question pattern shows that even question papers were probably ‘not set by a subject expert’ because an expert in his/her own field will never choose deliberately to test candidates from a single book that is readily available in market, an MCQ book with limited contents and that too 100% of the questions were set without any change.
The Question setter had done more damage than good to the fundamental objective of selecting the most capable, equipped and knowledgeable candidates to our state departments who will be policy makers one day. The irony is that candidates who grabbed the very book even at the eleventh hour and muck-up all Questions over night scored unimaginably high marks stripping the efforts of many candidates who have been preparing years and years for this exam. The greater damage to candidates who could not refer to such a single readymade MCQ material is done by negative marking patter (50% negative marking). While the concept of negative marking is appreciated and welcome wholeheartedly by all hard working candidates, the commission’s idea to set questions from a single MCQ book for all questions (100%) has done great damage to candidates performance, as the question pattern is not centred to testing the knowledge calibre but more or less centred to selecting candidates with star luck.
Some may Query, was it out of your Syllabus? as a matter of fact, all the questions were inclusive of the syllabus ; but the manner in which all questions were set from a single MCQ book without any inter change is what disheartened the hard working Agri Science candidates; as in this case knowledge was not tested, but sheer luck.
Employment opportunities being scares and with wide gestation period between advertisements; This trend of question setting not only kills the dreams and efforts of many hard working candidates but also nullify all positive competitive spirits. It erases the needs of candidates to develop versatile knowledge and capability to face competitive examinations. It pains the most for candidates who have vast knowledge on subject matter yet will have to miss a lifetime opportunity, just because they could not refer a 344 page MCQ in a question bank.
The write up is fully based on fundamental rights of expression and not indented to hurt or degrade any candidate or the commission for that matter.
The Question setter had done more damage than good to the fundamental objective of selecting the most capable, equipped and knowledgeable candidates to our state departments who will be policy makers one day. The irony is that candidates who grabbed the very book even at the eleventh hour and muck-up all Questions over night scored unimaginably high marks stripping the efforts of many candidates who have been preparing years and years for this exam. The greater damage to candidates who could not refer to such a single readymade MCQ material is done by negative marking patter (50% negative marking). While the concept of negative marking is appreciated and welcome wholeheartedly by all hard working candidates, the commission’s idea to set questions from a single MCQ book for all questions (100%) has done great damage to candidates performance, as the question pattern is not centred to testing the knowledge calibre but more or less centred to selecting candidates with star luck.
Some may Query, was it out of your Syllabus? as a matter of fact, all the questions were inclusive of the syllabus ; but the manner in which all questions were set from a single MCQ book without any inter change is what disheartened the hard working Agri Science candidates; as in this case knowledge was not tested, but sheer luck.
Employment opportunities being scares and with wide gestation period between advertisements; This trend of question setting not only kills the dreams and efforts of many hard working candidates but also nullify all positive competitive spirits. It erases the needs of candidates to develop versatile knowledge and capability to face competitive examinations. It pains the most for candidates who have vast knowledge on subject matter yet will have to miss a lifetime opportunity, just because they could not refer a 344 page MCQ in a question bank.
The write up is fully based on fundamental rights of expression and not indented to hurt or degrade any candidate or the commission for that matter.
From aspiring hard working Agri candidates:
Khrieketou, Rokosietuo, Apa, Victor, Avica, Ato, Ahebo.
