Editor,

We appreciate the APPSC for its decision to engage a reputed government agency to develop a normalisation methodology for optional subjects in the APPSCCE mains. This is a commendable step towards ensuring fairness, consistency and transparency in evaluation.

We would, however, respectfully urge the commission to extend a similar moderation and standardisation mechanism to the general studies (GS) papers as well.

In successive APPSCCE mains examinations before 2024, there was generally a broad and consistent trend in GS marks. If a paper was difficult, most candidates scored relatively low marks; if it was scoring, most candidates scored comparatively higher. This broad pattern was visible across all GS papers. Neither UPSC examinations nor earlier APPSCCE mains examinations had witnessed such extraordinarily wide variations in marks within the same GS paper.

However, the APPSCCE 2024 mains appears to have witnessed an unusually wide variation of 80-100 marks in the same GS paper. The concern becomes more evident because the APPSC has commendably made answer copies available.

Arunachal Pradesh is a small state where many aspirants know and interact with one another, which allows candidates to compare their answer scripts. In several cases, the apparent difference in the quality of answers does not seem proportionate to the difference in marks.

We fully understand that subjective differences between evaluators are inevitable. However, a difference of 80-100 marks or more in the same paper is difficult for candidates to comprehend and naturally raises concerns about consistency in evaluation.

Therefore, along with the proposed moderation of optional subjects, we humbly request the APPSC to consider adopting a scientific moderation mechanism for the GS papers as well, or simply adopt the evaluation policy that was practised by the APPSC before 2024, which ensured proper moderation of GS marks.

We sincerely expect the commission to look into the unusual and unprecedented variation observed in GS papers of APPSCCE 2024 and take appropriate measures in future examinations to ensure greater consistency, fairness and transparency.

Candidates may accept a delayed result, but they cannot afford an inaccurate one. What we seek is not an early result, but a fair and accurate result.

Concerned APPSCCE aspirants