Lost in translation: History students get surprise exam

ISLAMABAD:

In the latest in a series of blunders by the Quaid-e-Azam University (QAU), Bachelors of Arts students appearing for  a history exam from colleges affiliated with the varsity, received  question papers in English instead of Urdu on Wednesday.

The majority of students study subjects like Pakistan Studies and History in Urdu in college with few exceptions. Students were reportedly dumbfounded on seeing the question paper in English. According to a teacher at Islamabad Model College for Girls F-7/4, most students are not comfortable with the English language so they found it difficult to solve. After college superintendents informed officials at the university of the problem, teachers helped them translate the questions into Urdu and resolved the issue.

On May 22, a Geography exam was cancelled when students of third year were given a question paper meant for fourth year students. A slew of problems have surfaced in the second year of examinations conducted by QAU after 15 colleges were affiliated with the varsity. The issues include misprinting of roll number slips, change of centres and mistakes in allotment of examination halls to students.

QAU Vice Chancellor Dr Eatzaz Ahmad apologised for the errors and said that they had constituted a committee to deal with them should they arise in future.

Published in The Express Tribune, May 29^th, 2014.