Fri. Mar 29th, 2024
Uttar Pradesh

The National Testing Agency conducted its first-ever examination in December. There was strict security employed by the NTA, teachers are also advised to be more sensitive.

“We have asked the frisking staff to be more sensitive, especially towards the female candidates,” NTA DG, Vineet Joshi said.

The different measures taken by the NTA are:

  • 3 Tier Monitoring through CCTV cameras: The examination was monitored through live CCTV feeds at center, state and national level (headquarters).
  • Over 4000 jammers were placed at various centers across 91 cities to ensure no technical methods could be used for using unfair means.
  • The question paper in an encrypted format reaches every exam center and is decrypted only when the first ever candidate clicks the question paper.
  • During the exam, every student biometrics and pictures are collected. This personal data is collected to eliminate any sort of disguised entry.
  • NTA also broadcasts live feed from each exam center
  • The computers are programmed to read cheating patterns in its headquarter where vigilantes observe every moment.
  • The NTA has installed two invigilators per 30 students in the exam hall along with CCTV cameras.
  •  The exam centers, computers etc all are allotted through a randomized formula.
  • During the exam, the computer understands the IP addresses of the students and not only are the questions in their exams jumbled but also the number or placement of the answers.
  • As the exam gets over, all the answer sheets get collected to a commonplace all of which is encrypted and secured under ‘highly sophisticated’ servers.

The exam is conducted in the CBT pattern, “In the CBT or computer-based testing format, the exam is conducted on a computer but not online. The question paper in an encrypted format reaches every exam center and is decrypted only when the first ever candidate clicks the question paper. Which ensures that no one except the student has seen the final questions.” The CBT exam can also be called a LAN-based exam.

“A CBT exam is set online with help of a computer. Once the final question paper is decided, the answer keys and question papers are saved separately and encrypted in such a sophisticated manner that it would take more than one year for powerful computers to decrypt it,” informed Venguswamy Ramaswamy, Global Head, TCS iON.

Speaking about how the question papers are set Ramaswamy informed “All the questions are tagged with difficulty-level, subject and question’s author tag. Now based on directives by the person(s) the computer will pick chose the questions. This system can be done completely automatically and also a person or group of persons can oversee based on the number of questions from certain chapter and number of questions from certain difficulty or time level.”

Vineet Joshi had informed, “A number of question paper setters are involved and the questions are selected by a psychometric test.”

He added, “If a question which is meant to be difficult for an average student is considered easy by many, then there is something wrong with the question. The psychometric test will eliminate all these anomalies.”

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