KOCHI: Candidates appearing for PSC examinations will not have to bend over the OMR (Optical Mark Recognition) sheets, diligently filling up the bubbles corresponding to their answer choices. The Kerala Public Service Commission is planning to scrap the age-old practice by expanding online examination centres for candidates across the state.
The KPSC had recently approached over 30 engineering colleges and set up nearly 7,000 seats for conducting the online examination. The Commission is planning to launch the service by the first week of February.
“As part of the expansion, we have identified nearly 30 engineering colleges which can provide the infrastructure for conducting the online examinations. We have given training to the faculty and staff members of the engineering colleges,” said T K Joseph, Ernakulam Regional PSC officer. At present, the department has four online testing centres, Kochi, Kozhikode, Thiruvananthapuram and Pathanamthitta, which can accommodate around 1,000 candidates at a time.
“This will be a boon for the candidates as the errors they make while bubbling the OMR sheet can be avoided. Chances of invalid OMR can be avoided with the implementation of the online examination,” Joseph said.
Initially, the Kerala Public Service Commission plans to provide an online facility to nearly 10,000 candidates. In the second phase, more schools and colleges will be made part of the online examination centre which will be operated under the guidance of the PSC officers.
“In the initial stage, the centres will be used to conduct the departmental test. In the second stage, normal candidates will be accommodated. We are planning to implement the project by the first week of February,” said a top KPSC officer.
Department officers feel the online centres will help reduce the cost of conducting the examination. “At present, we have to spend `5 for each candidate appearing for a PSC test. This figure is apart from the utility charges which include remuneration, school charges, transportation, printing and others. If the online system comes into force, the department can save a whopping amount spent for conducting the examinations,’’ T K Joseph said.