ERROR IN PAPER

Dominion, Volume 26, Issue 97, 18 January 1933, Page 10

ERROR IN PAPER

Matriculation Exam. POSITION EXPLAINED Senate Considers Question At the matriculation examination held throughout New Zealand last month, after the algebra paper had been handed out to candidates, an error was found to exist in the printed instructions as to the time allowance. The authorised time for algebra is two hours, but candidates, through a printed error, were instructed at the top of the paper that three hours would be allowed. Some examiners discovered the error immediately, and duly informed candidates that they would be given two hours, while others did not. The registrar of tlie University of New Zealand, Mr. E. T. Norris, was communicated with, and urgent telegrams were dispatched to all examination rooms, advising supervisors that answers were to be collected at the end of two hours. A complicated state of affairs arose. Some candidates had been reckoning on having three hours to do their paper, and were informed some time after commencing that they would have less time than they were told at the beginning of the examination. Others who had been told of the true position by the supervisors did not work under a disadvantage. A Joint Responsibility. The question was considered at the annual meeting of the University Senate yesterday. An explanatory statement was received from the examiner, Professor R. J, T. Bell, of Otago University. and the senate decided, on the motion of the pro-chancellor, Hon. J. A.. Hanan, that in future the matter of the time allowance and the permanent portion of heading required on the examination paper shall be the joint responsibility of the examiner and the registrar. Professor Bell said that steps had been taken to try to minimise the effects of the mistake. In his explanatory statement, Professor Bell said that after tlie draft examination paper, which contained merely the title of the paper and the note that only seven of the eight questions were to bo answered, had been submitted to the Board of Moderators (for approval), he assumed that the heading of the paper woulrj then be completed in the university office before it was sent to the printer. He had hitherto considered the headings of examination papers to be the affair of the office without reference to tho examiners. “The proofs of the paper were handed to me at the meeting of the Academic Board,” Professor Bell continued. “My practice in correcting proofs is to work through each paper solely from the proof and not to lookfit. the M.S. unless I discover a mistake in the proof. In this case there was iio mistake, but one verbal alteration seemed to be necessary in consequence of tho change made by the Board of Moderators. With the idea in my mind that the heading was the affair of the office. I merely glanced at it. The possibility of an error in it never occurred to me. Minimising Effect of Mistake. “Steps have been taken to try to minimise the effect of the mistake. A list of code numbers was received corresponding to the centres where the candidates, according to the report of the supervisors, might have suffered. It involved about 700 papers, and these were all re-examined. If the work was of such a quality and of such neatness as to suggest that the candidate was working slowly and carefully on the assumption that three hours were allowed,. or if there were signs that the candidate seemed to be unduly hurried at the close of the paper, an allowance was made. “The seven questions asked were quite easily completed by the better candidates in - two hours.” Professor Bell added. “Indeed, one candidate whose paper I corrected worked out the whole eight questions in the paper almost perfectly, and then deleted one of his answers.” Senate’s Discussion. The Hon. J. A. Hanan said that they wanted to fix clearly responsibility on the examiner, not only in regard to the actual questions set, but also in regard to other particulars. Mr. H. D. Acland : They are the only people that are paid for it. Mr. Hanan: They should take responsibility of blunders or irregularities. Dr. W. P. Evans did not think the senate was right in putting all responsibility on the examiners. The examiner’s responsibility was to put forward sensible questions, and to see that those questions were properly printed. He did not think it quite right to put the responsibility for the heading of the paper on the examiner. If tlie senate was going to put all responsibility on the examiners, it might have difficulty in getting examiners. After further discussion. Mr. Hanan’s resolution was passed in the following form:— “That the explanatory letter of Professor Bell be received, and tlie mutter ot the time allowed and tho permanent portion of the heading required, to be stated on the examination papers, shall be the joint responsibility of the examiner and the . registrar.” EXAMINATION ERRORS Two Instances Reported Two cases of errors which had been made by examiners in their return of marks to tlie university office were reported to the annual meeting of the New Zealand University Senate yesterday. After discussion it was decided that the examiners concerned would not be considered eligible for appointment fertile 1933 examinations.