Aspirants accuse SSB of again messing up AIO examination

Aspirants accuse SSB of again messing up AIO examination. 

‘Conducted paper based exam for computer based job`

Srinagar, Dec 26: The aspirants of recently 

held Assistant Information Officer (AIO) 

examination have accused the Service Selec-

tion Board of again messing up the examina-

tion with faulty questions, inadequate time 

and making it paper-based examination for 

a computer based job.

The aspirants said that the exam was re-

conducted on December 20 after a decade and 

SSB has ‘still not learned from its mistakes.’

“The post requires 100 percent working 

on computers and they made it a paper based 

exam, what if somebody has good writing speed 

but bad with computers. Will they justify the 

selection to the government later,” an aspirant 

asked. The aspirant said previously the exam 

for junior rank Information Assistant was held 

on computers and a few years later SSB has 

gone down the hill for a higher rank post.

“AIO is a high-pressure job, requiring 

speed and making press notes of dignitaries 

like Governor usually on computers and 

even on a mobile. Apart from taking notes, 

handwriting is not needed anywhere,” 

another aspirant said. “Unlike other offi-

cials, they don’t have any other noticeable 

work outside of computers.”

The exam has a long history of litigation 

as the previous selection list was cancelled 

and the Supreme Court ordered re-examina-

tion after making a fool proof criteria.

Another aspirant raised questions on 

the descriptive questions. “There were six 

descriptive questions but there was no men-

tion of mark weightage or word limit for 

answers. Had they given equal weightage for 

all different questions, nobody knows,” the 

aspirant said. The aspirants said the journal-

ism revolves around word limit, and here, 

apart from one question there was no men-

tion of word limit written for any question.

“Will they give equal marks to 300 words 

and 500 words? Will examiners deduct 

marks for corrections or bad hand writing 

too, because in journalism your handwrit-

ing doesn’t matter,” he further added.

According to aggrieved aspirants, major-

ity of them could not complete their paper 

because there were only two hours for the 

entire examination. “Time was enough if 

examination would have been computer 

based but not for paper based one,” the 

aspirant said.

The SSB had invited representations 

regarding MCQ’s but there was no men-

tion of descriptive questions. The aspirants 

demanded that SSB also publish the key of 

the descriptive questions.

“Out of six questions, four questions were 

such that SSB must have a definite answer 

(key) for them. Let them publish the answers 

like they did with the key for MCQs so that 

every student comes to know who did what,” 

the aspirant said. 

Regarding MCQ’s aspirants also raised red 

flag on certain questions in English and general 

knowledge. “Of course as expected not a single 

question was on journalism,” he quipped.

The marks criteria has already come 

under fire as aspirants are asking how come 

the written exam has just 20 points despite 

having 100 marks. “Previously written and 

interviews were clubbed together and not 

this time,” the aspirant said.

Chairman SSB Khalid Jehangir when 

contacted downplayed the queries and said 

the civil service exams are also conducted 

paper based without any hue and cry from 

the aspirants.

About the weightage of marks in question 

Jahangir said specified space was given for 

every question and aspirants were supposed to 

answer the questions within that given space.

“We will not publish any key results of 

written exams till we conduct the interview 

of the shortlisted candidates. We will not 

announce the score of candidates in writ-

ten exams prior to interviews. The result 

of interviews and written exams will be 

announced simultaneously,” he said.