Shortage of question papers forces NUS to cancel econ
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[TDY]: Shortage of question papers forces NUS to cancel economics exam
Shortage of question papers forces NUS to cancel economics exam
by Wendy Wong 04:46 AM Oct 04, 2011
SINGAPORE - Some 700 first-year undergraduates at the National University of Singapore (NUS), who were supposed to sit for a paper on managerial economics last Saturday, were told on the spot that the exam was cancelled - because not enough question papers were printed.
In response to MediaCorp's queries, an NUS spokesperson attributed the gaffe to "human error".
The university is looking into the matter "to strengthen the processes to prevent this from happening again", the spokesperson added.
According to the spokesperson, the mid-year test for the module "BSP 1005 Managerial Economics" was scheduled to be held at 2pm last Saturday.
The spokesperson said 750 copies were supposed to be printed for a class of 725.
The lecturer-in-charge of the exam, who works in the banking industry, had another class in the morning and he discovered at "about 2pm" that there was a shortage of 200 scripts, the spokesperson said.
The spokesperson said: "The lecturer-in-charge discussed with fellow colleagues on duty that day on the various available options. There was insufficient time to make additional copies as another test had been scheduled in the same hall immediately after the stated test.
"After considering all options, the lecturer-in-charge made the difficult decision of cancelling the test. The lecturer-in-charge then made the announcement to the students, took responsibility and apologised for the human error made, and followed up with an explanation email to all affected students."
The mid-year test would have made up 30 per cent of the students' overall grades. The weightage will now be shifted to other assignments.
In an email sent to the affected undergraduates last Saturday - a copy of which was obtained by MediaCorp - the course coordinator said: "On behalf of the entire team, I am really sorry for today's fiasco. We fell short in the number of printed papers we had and we could not find a way to make this work."
Pointing out the difficulty of rearranging another sitting for the exam, he added that there will not be a mid-year exam.
Adding that the situation was "completely unintended", the coordinator said the question paper will also be made available to the students for them to try the questions for practice and for tutorial discussions.
An affected undergraduate, who wished to be known only as Mr Tan, said he felt "very frustrated and annoyed".
He added: "I studied so hard for it and it got cancelled at the last minute."
http://www.todayonline.com/Hotnews/E...economics-exam
Related:
- 'NUS students upset over exam cancellation': [A1news; 04Oct2011]
- 'NUS cancels exam due to lost scripts: Why make us pay for your mistake, say students': [STOMP; 04Oct2011] -
Reminds me of an exam I took a few years ago.
The goondus in charge forgot to check whether they had enough formula booklets for everyone. Then, at the last minute - whoops, they're short by a few hundred.
In the end, the exam was delayed for more than an hour while they went into a frenzy of mass photocopying.
When I finally sat down at my seat, my formula booklet was still hot from the photocopier.
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Originally posted by fudgester:
Reminds me of an exam I took a few years ago.
The goondus in charge forgot to check whether they had enough formula booklets for everyone. Then, at the last minute - whoops, they're short by a few hundred.
In the end, the exam was delayed for more than an hour while they went into a frenzy of mass photocopying.
When I finally sat down at my seat, my formula booklet was still hot from the photocopier.
u from NUS or NTU or SMU? -
Seven hundred and twenty-five scripts would take some time to distribute out. So the papers would have been laid out before the exam starts. The shortage should have been discovered earlier.
Surely NUS would have the paper and copier machines to zap 200 copies in a jiffy.
Some how they couldn't or wouldn't.
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so any reprimand for the lecurer in charge? Or just slap on the wrist for the error?
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the lecturer is a part timer. he will likely be sacked and blacklisted in future.
dun NUS have an exam dept to oversee all their exams?
the lecturer should just set the questions, the exam dept should ensure scripts are enough.
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Originally posted by bic_cherry:
[TDY]: Shortage of question papers forces NUS to cancel economics exam
Some good comments from same TODAYonline site [link]:
Quote:Miracleman
Updated 02:30 PM October 04, 2011
Problem:
Number of Students: 725
Number of Scripts to be printed: 750
Number of Scripts available: 550 (200 short)
If 5 Loaves and 2 Fishes can feed 5,000 [John 6:1-15, link] then NUS also can!
Solution:
1. Divide 400 scripts to Section A & Section B
2. Divide give students into Group 1 & Group 2
3. Give Section A to Group 1 and Section B to Group 2
4. After half time, Group 1 and Group 2 swap their Scripts
5. Wow! a Miracle has happened, we only used 400 scripts and still have 150 to spare.
6. To compensate for the error, can give students 10 extra minutes.
Everybody will be happy!
Think out of the BOX.
Wiseman
Updated 03:05 PM October 04, 2011
The other day, I attended a dinner for 7 people.
After all the hard work and intensive preparation when we were about to dig into the food, we found that we were short of 2 plates.
So, the host told us, "very sorry", because we were short of 2 plates, we had to cancel the entire dinner.
All of us were asked to leave. We left, feeling hungry and angry.
We were told it was a human error.
But we beg to differ, there were 2 human errors.
The first was the missing 2 plates BUT the Greater error was asking everyone to leave!=====
My own conclusion:
Perhaps if the lecturers thought on their feet, they could have still conducted the same exam, 'Miracleman' seems to have a good and workable suggestion to the conundrum.
Guess these bankers are still partying on the too big to fail bank [wiki] phenomenon and perhaps lying in wait for yet another government big bank bailout [wiki].
Some bankers should really learn to be more focused to the progress of society rather then being obsessed with making money by hook or by crook through multiple twisted and dishonest methods (esp the Wall St ones!). -
Its a level 1 paper, all the ones complaining must be freshmen who don't know that exam screw-ups are extremely common and should be taken as part of uni life, at least in NUS. Seriously.
fudge has pointed his own experiences out.
mine are screw-ups that affect grades since they are only discovered only when we do the exams! Yet we just shrug it off and move on.
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Originally posted by bic_cherry:
Some good comments from same TODAYonline site [link]:
Quote:Miracleman
Updated 02:30 PM October 04, 2011
Problem:
Number of Students: 725
Number of Scripts to be printed: 750
Number of Scripts available: 550 (200 short)
If 5 Loaves and 2 Fishes can feed 5,000 [John 6:1-15, link] then NUS also can!
Solution:
1. Divide 400 scripts to Section A & Section B
2. Divide give students into Group 1 & Group 2
3. Give Section A to Group 1 and Section B to Group 2
4. After half time, Group 1 and Group 2 swap their Scripts
5. Wow! a Miracle has happened, we only used 400 scripts and still have 150 to spare.
6. To compensate for the error, can give students 10 extra minutes.
Everybody will be happy!
Think out of the BOX.
Wiseman
Updated 03:05 PM October 04, 2011
The other day, I attended a dinner for 7 people.
After all the hard work and intensive preparation when we were about to dig into the food, we found that we were short of 2 plates.
So, the host told us, "very sorry", because we were short of 2 plates, we had to cancel the entire dinner.
All of us were asked to leave. We left, feeling hungry and angry.
We were told it was a human error.
But we beg to differ, there were 2 human errors.
The first was the missing 2 plates BUT the Greater error was asking everyone to leave!=====
My own conclusion:
Perhaps if the lecturers thought on their feet, they could have still conducted the same exam, 'Miracleman' seems to have a good and workable suggestion to the conundrum.
Guess these bankers are still partying on the too big to fail bank [wiki] phenomenon and perhaps lying in wait for yet another government big bank bailout [wiki].
Some bankers should really learn to be more focused to the progress of society rather then being obsessed with making money by hook or by crook through multiple twisted and dishonest methods (esp the Wall St ones!).steady.
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We dunno the details, but the scripts could be 50 pages thick, properly binded so photocopying wouldn't be the most feasible course of action. And usually scripts are never reused, because each script to each student, they are allowed to make notes in them, and returned back to examining authority, hence dividing them out would'nt work either.
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dun NUS give a buffer, like 100-200 copies for emergencies like this?
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They need 725, requisition for 750, maybe they got 570 due to an typo error.
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Yeah, I think it's a typo mistake somewhere along the line, mistaking 7 for 5. Anyway its just an exam cancellation, no harm done. So what if you studied so hard for an exam? Shouldn't you be studying hard everyday till you graduate?
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the harm already been done, to their reputation. the top management wouldnt be happy reading this in the newspapers and in forums.
they need to look into how their exams are run at NUS. lecturer should just submit their exam questions, period.
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The same probably happens in the other tertiary institutes too, they just don't get reported. So what's the big deal?
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its a big deal to their corporate communications and PR. all companies want good news, not bad news or publicity.
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Anyway, this was a mid-term paper and not a final exam, so screwups like this, while extremely stupid, are still more forgivable.
In my case, that was a final exam, and it seriously impacted those who had to take another paper later in the day. All we got out of it was 'special consideration' being given to those who had to take another paper later on. We never got a formal apology or anything from it - heck, it never made the news or anything.
What to do? These things happen everywhere - you just don't really hear of them very often.
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Originally posted by fudgester:
Anyway, this was a mid-term paper and not a final exam, so screwups like this, while extremely stupid, are still more forgivable.
In my case, that was a final exam, and it seriously impacted those who had to take another paper later in the day. All we got out of it was 'special consideration' being given to those who had to take another paper later on. We never got a formal apology or anything from it - heck, it never made the news or anything.
What to do? These things happen everywhere - you just don't really hear of them very often.
I see. was it local uni or private school?
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Originally posted by Rooney9:
I see. was it local uni or private school?
NUS.
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Originally posted by fudgester:
NUS.
I am sure some of your classmates complain to Dean or higher management?
should call TNP and highlight to them, they are sure as keen to report this out.
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Aiyoh.
Screw-ups in exam are so darn common.
I just had a cock-up yesterday already. Wont reveal details here.
And 1 sem ago....the MCQ had options A-F.....the answer booklet to be shaded only had A-E.
Epic!!
Worse, the prof was in hospital from high fever and the prof who took his stead for that day kena this sh!t for no good reason.
What happened in the end?
The delirious prof was phoned while in A&E and he said: If you think its E, shade E. If you think its F, shade E.
Cancel exam would have been more appropriate here.
I should add that the paper was riddled with errors....serious ones that caused us to crack heads for no reason over simple stuff like having dollar sign or not....which makes a huge difference in calculations.