AP Govt Removes Negative Marks in Departmental Tests

Amaravati: State government relaxed departmental exams rules and removed negative marks, on Friday.

Shashi Bhushan Kumar, Secretary, General Administration Department (GAD) issued a GO MS No 101, through which the Government removed the negative marking system and deleted the provisions added to rule 17 of AP Departmental Tests Rules, 1965 issued in GO MS 55, dated May 2, 2017.

Based on the representations from public representatives and teacher associations requesting for removal of negative marks in Departmental Tests to ease the burden on employees and to alleviate the stress that they have to undergo over non-release of increments and non-acquisition of promotions, the government has taken this decision.

Prior to the introduction of negative marks, the minimum pass marks were 40 per cent which, after the introduction of negative marks and it was reduced to 35 per cent. In spite of the reduction in minimum qualifying marks, the introduction of tests on-line and the introduction of negative marks have had an adverse effect on the candidates. Most of them are getting on in age and are denied their promotions or increments because of their failure to clear the tests, Shashi Bhushan Kumar explained.

The Secretary further added that "A Study of the pass percentage relating to the Departmental Tests prior to and after the introduction of negative marks shows the drastic decline in pass percentage, especially in case of combination tests. As per the law of averages, the pass percentage has declined overall (average is taken on 3 sessions without negative marks and 5 sessions with negative marks), even after the reduction in minimum qualifying marks".

He added that no such procedure exists in the States of Telangana, Tamil Nadu and Karnataka.

While removing the negative marking system in Departmental Tests conducted by the Andhra Pradesh Public Service Commission, he ordered restoring the minimum pass marks as fixed earlier.