LAHORE: The Punjab University (PU) reportedly forced students of the Federal Postgraduate Medical Institute to solve a question paper that was replete with blunders.

The university had conducted MS/MD exams in the second week of August wherein over 40 postgraduate students appeared. The students were startled upon receiving question papers of MS Paper II (Principals of Surgery) that was full of errors.

A copy of the question paper available with Dawn speaks volumes about negligence on the part of PU authorities. It was due to a printing mistake, an official privy to the information told Dawn.

One question missing, paper carries 84 total marks instead of stated 100

He said students had raised the issue in the examination hall, but the invigilator ignored and asked them to solve the paper. One of the major mistakes was that the paper carried 84 marks instead of 100, pushing the students to a blind alley, he added.

He further said the PU admin seemed reluctant to address the issue when students in an application pointed out the flaws and requested it to adjust the missing 16 marks. The students were allowed three hours to solve the paper but a majority of them could not make sense of the ‘magical distribution’ of marks for at least half an hour.

At the top, the supposed 10-question paper stated: “Attempt all questions and all carry equal marks. Maximum marks 100.”

However, students found question No 4 missing and the remaining questions carried a total of 84 marks instead of 100 as mentioned. Also, question No 8 carried only four marks, conflicting with the “equal marks” statement and raised questions at the marks distribution formula.

Also, the two parts question No 8 was divided into carried two marks each instead of five as in the case of other questions. Interestingly, when the students pointed out the mistake, the invigilator gave a hilarious response and asked them to pretend it was five marks each. When students pointed out that the paper carried nine questions instead of 10, the invigilator asked them to self-divide 100 marks into the questions provided, one of the candidates told Dawn.

“When we asked the PU authorities in an application to score our performance out of 84 marks or adjust the missing 16 marks, they were unmoved,” he added.

Minimum 50pc marks were required to pass the exam and the missing question had reduced students’ chances to achieve a good score.

“The PU distributed the question paper that was prepared and sent by the examiners,” Controller of Examinations Prof Dr Shahid Munir told Dawn.

About the missing question and distribution of marks, he said the performance could be evaluated according to 84 marks. He also said some students had visited him and pointed out the issue and he had assured them the matter would be resolved amicably.

Published in Dawn, September 7th, 2015

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