Record drop in CSS pass rate sparks concern
Punjab had the highest share of 146 successful candidates
In Commerce Group, Kinza Idrees of the Islamabad Model College of Commerce F-10/3 clinched 1st position by securing 983 marks out of 1,500. PHOTO: INP
ISLAMABAD:
Lawmakers have given the Federal Public Service Commission exactly a month to prepare and share a comprehensive report on why so many candidates failed to clear the competitive examinations this year.
The National Assembly Standing Committee on Cabinet Secretariat was left stunned when the FPSC secretary shared the statistics from the CSS examination of 2016.
Declining CSS results leave top recruiter scratching its head
Sharing details, FPSC secretary Amir Tariq Zaman stated that 92% (8,894) candidates failed English précis and composition while 81%(7,841) students failed the English essay. He added that about 50%, 43% and 36% failed the general knowledge I, II and III, respectively. The FPSC secretary could not satisfy the lawmakers as to why only a meagre 2.09% (202) of the candidates managed to pass the written examination.
The chairman of the committee MNA Rana Muhammad Hayat Khan asked the FPSC secretary what had gone wrong to which the Zaman replied that education standards were falling, among other reasons.
He maintained that the syllabi were revised before 2016 tests and six new subjects were added. “Surprisingly, with the exception of Town Planning and Management [in which 95.99% candidates failed], the candidates scored high marks in the other new subjects,” he stated.
Quoting the reports of the examiners, the FPSC secretary stated that the candidates could not build up an argument from multiple angles and stated invalid facts and arguments, he said adding that the examiners also found that comprehension and expression was much below the secondary level. Zaman also stressed that candidates relied on guidebooks and had no creativity.
Similarly, the FPSC secretary stated that province-wise, Punjab had the highest share of 146 successful candidates followed by 18, 29, 04, 01 from K-P, Sindh, Balochistan and Fata.
Lahore had the highest number of successful candidates where 91 candidates out of 2,730 cleared the written test, followed by 39 from Islamabad, 18 from Rawalpindi and less than 10 from the rest of the major cities in the country.
PTI lawmaker Asad Umar asked the chairperson if he could share a comprehensive analytical report as to what went wrong so that the HEC and academics could help resolve the issue.
“We need to sit and analyse the causes of decline instead of taking to anecdotal evidence,” he maintained.
Published in The Express Tribune, December 6th, 2016.
Lawmakers have given the Federal Public Service Commission exactly a month to prepare and share a comprehensive report on why so many candidates failed to clear the competitive examinations this year.
The National Assembly Standing Committee on Cabinet Secretariat was left stunned when the FPSC secretary shared the statistics from the CSS examination of 2016.
Declining CSS results leave top recruiter scratching its head
Sharing details, FPSC secretary Amir Tariq Zaman stated that 92% (8,894) candidates failed English précis and composition while 81%(7,841) students failed the English essay. He added that about 50%, 43% and 36% failed the general knowledge I, II and III, respectively. The FPSC secretary could not satisfy the lawmakers as to why only a meagre 2.09% (202) of the candidates managed to pass the written examination.
The chairman of the committee MNA Rana Muhammad Hayat Khan asked the FPSC secretary what had gone wrong to which the Zaman replied that education standards were falling, among other reasons.
He maintained that the syllabi were revised before 2016 tests and six new subjects were added. “Surprisingly, with the exception of Town Planning and Management [in which 95.99% candidates failed], the candidates scored high marks in the other new subjects,” he stated.
Quoting the reports of the examiners, the FPSC secretary stated that the candidates could not build up an argument from multiple angles and stated invalid facts and arguments, he said adding that the examiners also found that comprehension and expression was much below the secondary level. Zaman also stressed that candidates relied on guidebooks and had no creativity.
Similarly, the FPSC secretary stated that province-wise, Punjab had the highest share of 146 successful candidates followed by 18, 29, 04, 01 from K-P, Sindh, Balochistan and Fata.
Lahore had the highest number of successful candidates where 91 candidates out of 2,730 cleared the written test, followed by 39 from Islamabad, 18 from Rawalpindi and less than 10 from the rest of the major cities in the country.
PTI lawmaker Asad Umar asked the chairperson if he could share a comprehensive analytical report as to what went wrong so that the HEC and academics could help resolve the issue.
“We need to sit and analyse the causes of decline instead of taking to anecdotal evidence,” he maintained.
Published in The Express Tribune, December 6th, 2016.