Guyana’s Chief Education Officer, Olato Sam, has dismissed the concerns by former Education Minister about the new layout format for the Common Entrance examinations which will see students having to write their names on the examination papers.
Speaking by phone with News Source this afternoon, Mr. Sam said there is absolutely nothing that one should be worried or concerned about when it comes to the new layout. And he said attempts to cause worry now may just be a move to cause unnecessary panic.
The Chief Education Officer assured that “at no point in time, in any marking environment, will the candidates be known by anybody marking”.
He said there is nothing that allows for that to happen. Mr. Sam explained to News Source that for the Paper One examinations, the papers will be marked electronically while for paper two, the students will also write their name along with their candidate number and test code but that section will be detached for administrative purposes only and the exam markers will not see the names on the papers given to them.
He said he spoke to the former Education Minister about the issue yesterday and explained everything to her on the issue.
In a statement this afternoon, the Ministry of Education said that “as it relates to candidate information, the two papers require different sets of information. For paper one, the answer sheets will have the candidate information—candidate name and identification number—already printed or ‘pre-slugged’. The candidates are required to write/sign their names as a mechanism to ensure that the candidate for whom the paper was prepared is actually the one who answers the questions. This will have no implications for marking because these answer sheets are all marked electronically. “
“As it relates to paper two, the cover page of the answer sheet is bifurcated and perforated. The Test Code, Subject, and Candidate Number are required on both sides. The Test Code and Subject will already be printed while candidates will be required to write in their Candidate Number—this information is provided for them on the timetables given to every candidate.”
Additionally, on the right half of the paper only, candidates are also required to write in the name of their school, their full name, date of birth and gender. The right side of the sheets are all detached prior to the commencement of the marking of paper two and retained for administrative purposes only.
The information that would be evident during the marking process would be the Test Code, Subject, and Candidate Number only.
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