Categories: Latest News

Online exams – the solution to question paper leaks: Former VC, VTU

Technology may be key to preventing leakage of question papers, says K. Balaveera Reddy, former Vice-Chancellor of Visvesvaraya Technological University (VTU).

In an e-mail release to The Hindu , he said the reputation of the Pre-University Examination Board has gone for a toss and its credibility is now at stake. Parents and the public at large are losing faith and confidence in the functioning of the board. The revised examination schedule has left many students in inconvenience and mental agony as they have been forced to prepare again and again. PUC is an important turning point in the life of students preparing for professional competitive examinations, he added.

Genesis of the problem

PUC or 10+2 is a crucial step in a student’s career and a stepping stone for admissions to undergraduate/ professional programmes. The marks scored in the PUC examinations are given 50 per cent weightage when it comes to allocation of rank in some of the professional entrance tests.

He said the question paper leakage can happen at any of the following stages — question paper setting/scrutiny/printing, transfer to strong room/treasury, transit to the exam centre, or at the examination centre itself. Those involved in the leak could be students, paper setters or teachers, coaching institutions/colleges/ third party agencies involved in logistics.

Possible solutions

Dr. Reddy said looking the immediate solution that comes to mind is effective usage of technology at the exam system. Technology can address all the challenges of the “traditional examination system” by replacing it with an “online system”.

He said change, along with the development of technology, was the essence of any progressive nation. Karnataka must quickly adopt the best benchmarks and the proven practice of online examination system, he opined.

He said VTU, which started using the online examination system as early as in 2004-05, is a good example in this regard. He said the move was appreciated by all the stakeholders, and called upon the Karnataka Examinations Authority, the PUC board and the Education Department to follow suit and embrace technology.

Change, along with the development of technology, is the essence of any progressive nation. Karnataka must quickly adopt the best benchmarks….

K. Balaveera Reddy

Former Vice-Chancellor, VTU

Advantages of going online

Randomised question selection through ‘examination management software’ can form exclusive question papers with the same difficulty level for each student. This will eliminate the possibility of leakage.
The third party can step in if the institutions lack adequate examination infrastructure. Otherwise, even the existing engineering/polytechnic college’s infrastructure can be made use of.
Examination can even be conducted in batches as the question papers will be selected by randomisation.
Each student gets a separate question paper, thereby avoiding any possibility of copying.
Students can take re-examination any time after satisfying regulatory requirements.