Srinagar, June 4, KDC: A section of candidates who appeared in the Jammu and Kashmir Public Service Commission (JKPSC) Preliminary Examination for the posts of Prosecuting Officer has sought a review of the Civil Services Aptitude Test (CSAT) paper, alleging that it was not in conformity with the prescribed syllabus and standard notified by the Commission.
The preliminary examination, conducted on May 31, comprised two objective-type papers based on multiple-choice questions (MCQs) — Paper-I (Law) and Paper-II (CSAT).
A group of candidates told Kashmir Dot Com that while the Law paper was largely in line with the prescribed syllabus, the CSAT paper was comparatively difficult and, according to them, included questions beyond the level specified in the examination scheme.
The aspirants said that under the notified scheme of examination, candidates are required to secure a minimum of 66 marks in Paper-II, which is a qualifying paper. However, after examining the provisional answer key issued by the Commission, several candidates believe they may fall short of the qualifying benchmark despite expecting competitive scores in the Law paper.
According to the candidates, the purpose of the CSAT paper is to assess aptitude, reasoning and comprehension skills and not to serve as the primary basis for eliminating candidates from the selection process.
They contended that many aspirants who have performed well in the core Law paper may face disqualification if they are unable to secure the minimum qualifying marks in the CSAT paper.
The aggrieved candidates have submitted a representation to the JKPSC, requesting a review of the matter and seeking a fresh examination for Paper-II. They have maintained that the CSAT paper was not in line with the prescribed standard and differed significantly from their expectations based on previous examinations.
The candidates also argued that an imbalance was created between the two papers, with the Law paper remaining within the expected framework while the qualifying paper, according to them, was of a higher difficulty level.
Some aspirants have appealed to public representatives and concerned authorities to examine the issue and address their concerns.
Demanding what they described as a fair opportunity for all candidates, the aspirants said a review of the qualifying paper would help ensure that deserving candidates are not excluded solely on account of their performance in Paper-II.
The officials from Jammu and Kashmir Public Service Commission could not be contacted to seek their response regarding the queries raised by the aspirants. This story be updated as and when any response is received. (KDC)
