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.
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