Marks overdose in dental exam revaluation!

And then, second set of valuators incise it to size

A fourth year Bachelor of Dental Science (BDS) student, who failed in the “Periodontics” paper in the examination conducted by Rajiv Gandhi University of Health Science (RGUHS) in January last, opted for revaluation. She secured 29 marks out of the maximum 20 marks allotted for two essay-type questions!

The student was given 15 out of 10 and 14 out of 10 marks respectively for the two essay-type questions - taking the total to a grand 29 out of 20! As if this was not incredible enough, the second set of valuators incised their predecessors’ action and allotted the student only seven marks for the first answer and zero for the second answer - a total of just 7 marks out of 20!

The aggrieved student of a City-based dental college, had applied for the revaluation, titled Challenge Valuation by the university, although it is a costly affair. The fee for CV is Rs 5,000 for a single subject for the undergraduate course.

Two different sets

Each answer script is evaluated twice by two different sets of valuators selected by the 'Channel of Examination'. Under the Challenge Valuation option too, there are two stages - the CV1 procedure consisting of two valuators and CV2 done by two more valuators. A close associate of the student rued that such haphazard correction could ruin a student’s career and life forever. “The valuator and the University must act responsibly,” he asserted.

Plain speak

Blaming the blatant mistake on ‘human error’, Rajiv Gandhi University of Health Sciences (RGUHS) Registrar Sachidananda said, such errors do happen. If the valuator is at fault, action will be taken by the “Professional Lapse Committee”, he assured.

He said, “The punishment could go up to debarring the valuator from all examinations. This decision again will depend on the gravity of the ‘mistake’ committed”. In this case, the date for taking action is yet to be finalised, said the Registrar.

Sachidananda said to ensure fairness in evaluation, the University does dual valuation called V1 and V2. Average of the marks obtained in both the valuations is declared as the result. Students who fail in the examination apply for ‘challenge valuation’, which is again dual - CV1 and CV2. If the student passes the exam based on the average marks scored in CV, then the fee (Rs 5000 per subject) is refunded.

Only 0.5 per cent of the students who pass apply for Challenge Valuation to secure more marks. In such cases, the University takes the individual marks allotted by the first and second set of valuators and Challenge Valuators (that is in V1, V2, CV1 and CV2).
The highest and the lowest marks scored in these four stages are ignored.

The average of the marks allotted in the middle two stages will be declared as the final result, he said.