ACCORDING to the Sindh Public Service Commission’s (SPSC) revised policy, every candidate is allowed three written attempts and the age limit is set at 30 years. Prior to the written examinations, candidates are required to clear a screening test.

What about the candidates who are close to the said age limit, say 28-30 years? Such candidates might not be able to utilise their attempts because they will be unable to clear the screening test. Their attempts will be lost regardless of their merit.

The recent screening test held by SPSC on March 13 contained more than 10 errors. Most questions had two correct options. Also, SPSC in its key uploaded a few wrong answers.

Many candidates had worked hard for the said screening test, but official and undeniable errors cost them one of their three attempts.

The candidates also referred to the last year’s screening test just to get an idea about what to expect in the test paper.

The last year’s paper had mostly covered the happenings of that year related to Pakistan and current affairs.

This year, the SPSC focussed on questions related to what is called ‘general knowledge’. It was not part of the SPSC’s syllabus for the screening test.

It is easier for the candidates to jot down the happenings of recent years than to cram itsy-bitsy knowledge of here, there and everywhere.

The syllabus cited Pakistan affairs and current affairs, but recent events were not part of the question paper.

Candidates have e-mailed SPSC regarding the errors and the out-of-syllabus component of the question paper, but have not heard back. The SPSC should rectify the answer key and award grace marks across the board so that those candidates who were unable to qualify the screening test due to the negligence of SPSC are able to sit the coming written examinations.

Name withheld on request
Hyderabad

Published in Dawn, March 26th, 2021