A year later: HEC decides to launch own testing service

LHC had declared NTS illegal in March 2014


Riazul Haq April 29, 2015
The HEC, in 2014, had failed to come up with any official notification or memo that would have allowed the commission to let the National Testing Service (NTS) administer various tests.

ISLAMABAD:


A year after a high court order directed them to do so, the Higher Education Commission (HEC) has decided to form its own testing service.


The service is meant to conduct tests for admissions to universities and determine award of foreign, indigenous scholarships.

The HEC, in 2014, had failed to come up with any official notification or memo that would have allowed the commission to let the National Testing Service (NTS) administer various tests.

The NTS has been conducting tests for admission to universities and various HEC scholarships since 2002.

The body has also often been criticised for set test patterns and results.

In March 2014, the Lahore High Court (LHC) termed the private testing body illegal and directed the HEC to form a new body by May 2014.

Since then, the education regulator has only requested extensions in the deadline in lieu of a few scholarships that require NTS testing, a prerequisite.

The latest extension was granted till January 31, 2015.

After the court decision in March last year, six companies expressed interest following tenders for the formation of a new testing body.

Officials privy to various HEC meetings about formulation of rules for a new testing body and selection of a company contended that not a single company managed to fulfill the required criteria.

“A 13-member HEC committee looking into the formation of the new testing body after thorough meetings recommended that the commission go for forming its own testing body [instead of following private companies for the task],” said an official not allowed to comment publicly.

The committee reviewed all the companies and their credentials and found several issues. “Some companies were not registered, while a few had double accreditation certificates,” remarked another official.

Following legal advice from the HEC’s law division, the commission has decided to form its own body instead of putting themselves in trouble, he added.

According to the HEC, interested testing companies were informed last Friday about the decision in a letter stating that their services were not required in this regard.

The HEC chairperson confirmed the decision and said it might take a few months to form a testing body.

“We will form another forum of vice-chancellors, testing experts and seek foreign advice about the issue including looking for international practices, and also get it approved from the governing body of the HEC,” he contended.

The HEC chairperson said later it would be made an independent body under the HEC without any external involvement.

He urged universities to meanwhile either conduct admission tests under any independent testing body or through their own central testing system.

He further asked university administrations not to ignore conducting the tests as they were a mandatory requirement.

Published in The Express Tribune, April 30th, 2015. 

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