Mr. Narayan Rao explaining the backstage process of examination control. Photograph by Kulsoom Ali.The Board of Studies (constituted as per the directive of Academic Senate of Manipal University) is required to send sets of question papers to Mr. Narayan Rao (controller of examination), prepared according to the specification table. These sets of question papers form a question bank where at least 20 question papers in each subject are added annually.
On receiving the question papers, Mr. Rao randomly selects one question paper from the whole lot. That very question paper becomes the final exam paper to be handed to students appearing for that exam.
In the case of Manipal University, Dubai, the selected exam paper is sent to the representative of the controller of examination. Required number of copies are made, sealed in an envelope and placed in a cupboard whose keys remain with the representative only.
On the date of examination, the question papers that are sealed in the envelope are handed to the invigilator 30 minutes before the exam begins.
Soon after the completion of written examination, the sealed bundles of answer sheets are piled in their respective covers by the invigilators and kept ready for central valuation which commences on the succeeding day of the theory examination.
A list of eligible internal examiners is forwarded by the deans to the office of the controller of examination. This list is further scrutinized and the final panel of internal examiners is done b y the Board of Studies. The panel of eligible external examiners is also done by the Board of Studies.
Central valuation is done by double valuation. All answer papers are evaluated by the internal examiner and external examiner separately. The marks are not awarded directly on the answer paper but on a separate evaluation sheet. This prevents the influence of one examiner on the other. For every theory paper, guidelines are provided for evaluation.
Once the internal examiners complete the valuation, the external examiners assess the answers. The marks allotted by the two are noted and if the difference is not more than 15%, the average of the two are awarded to the student as the final mark. However, if there is a difference of more tan 15%, the paper is subjected to a third valuation by a subject expert. Here, the average of the two marks, which are closest among the three evaluations, is awarded to the student.
Mr. Narayan Rao says, “The mark must be favorable to student. Karnataka High Court of India also stated that this marking method is the best way to grant justice to a student.”
After the valuation has been done, the mark sheets are sent to the controller of examination in India. He assigns grades according to the cut-offs (grade allotment) that are decided by the Board of Studies. The final result with GPA calculation is prepared and emailed to the concerned departments at Manipal University, Dubai, for immediate release.
-SJ