Papers out?: In Mansehra SST exams, those who can’t, cheat

Teachers, candidates accuse NTS staff of selling question papers

ABBOTTABAD: Several candidates who sat tests for the post of senior school teacher (SST) have raised questions on the transparency of the National Testing Service (NTS) and demanded that the previous test be declared null and void.

According to candidates and education department officials, the NTS conducted a written test for hundreds of vacant SST posts in BS-16 across Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa (KI-P) on December 4. At least 650 men and women appeared in the test from Mansehra District alone, NTS sources and candidates told The Express Tribune.

The result was announced about a week back, but several candidates including those who passed the test have accused NTS staff of selling question papers.



“They offered me a whole copy of the math paper for Rs250,000 and for part of the paper they demanded Rs50,000,” said a candidate from a remote village in Mansehra District. He claimed that NTS staff that was in possession of question papers had allegedly taken pictures of the question papers and sold them to candidates a night ahead of the test day.

The candidate also showed The Express Tribune photographs of question sheets of 100 marks carrying questions about physics, mathematics, biology, chemistry, English, general knowledge, pedagogy, and current affairs. Another candidate told The Express Tribune that candidates were only allowed to enter the hall after body frisking and that it was unlikely that the pictures could have been taken by a candidate.

“They even asked candidates to remove their socks and shoes. What chance is there that someone could have entered with a cell phone,” he said, while adding that only NTS staff could have taken the pictures, which were sold through frontmen.

He pointed out that a network was busy selling questions before every NTS exam across K-P and were making millions off the practice.

A female candidate also confirmed that they also had to undergo complete body searches by female staff before entering the hall. “It is not possible that a candidate could make it to exam hall with cellphone or other electronic device”.

When approached for comment, NTS CEO Dr Sherzada Khan told The Express Tribune that his organisation had done whatever was humanly and technologically possible to make the testing system transparent and flawless, “But the chances of errors and malpractices at the level of staff and candidates cannot be ruled out”.

He added that over the years, NTS has caught a number of women candidates attempting to smuggle in cell phones hidden in their undergarments.

He also admitted that staffers deputed for the tests were not permanent employees and were from different departments and private organisations, leaving the possibility for malpractices open. He said that in the last six months, NTS has fired 1,500 staff members for negligence and other wrongdoing. “We even registered criminal cases against some staff members,” he added.

Dr Khan, who retired from the air force as an air commodore, said that the staff engaged in the process of invigilation, monitoring and related affairs of testing service, was hired on contract basis after proper verification.

About Mansehra, he said it was unlikely that footage or pictures would benefit the candidates, but added the he has launched inquiry into the complaint and that any staff found to be at fault would be taken to task. He also asked candidates and the general public to share the identities of anyone involved in this crime so that he could take a concrete action against them.

He said that his organisation was ready to retest people who appeared on December 4, test but the concerned department expressed its satisfaction over the testing and result.

Dr Sherzada admitted to having heard of organised groups offering illegal support to candidates. He also accused private organisations being managed by some politicians of conspiring against NTS. He said he had met the K-P IGP to seek enhanced support to ensure testing remained above board.

He identified one reform for the next set of tests – deployment of cross-district staff and increasing the number of female invigilators and monitors.

Published in The Express Tribune, December 22^nd, 2016.