No answers on rough sheets, speak or peek, biometric locking in exams: SSC advises candidates

The Staff Selection Commission (SSC) has issued a warning and an advisory against malpractices in the computer-based examination (CBE). Asserting that it maintains a strict policy of zero tolerance towards malpractices in its examinations, SSC cautioned candidates that any attempt to indulge in unfair means will invite severe action under the Public Examinations (Prevention of Unfair Means) Act, 2024 and administrative measures such as cancellation of candidature and debarment from present and future examinations.

The commission shared the modes of malpractices and detection measures used against them which are as follows:

• Remote control of nodes: Advanced technological solutions have been deployed to detect cases where any examination node is taken on remote control.
• Impersonation at the registration stage: Aadhaar verification, locally captured biometrics, and facial recognition at entry and exit are used to identify impersonators.
• Swap after node allocation: CCTV surveillance and AI analytics are deployed to flag such cases.
• Passing of chits/unfair assistance in examination hall: CCTV cameras and AI-based analytics are actively monitoring to detect such activities.

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SSC advisory for CBE

SSC said that details of debarred candidates have been made public and it shall continue to publish them in the interest of transparency.

The commission further informed candidates that during the course of any exam, whenever any such malpractice is detected by technological solutions, it is possible that the candidate’s exam may not be interrupted by the invigilators, in order to ensure that such activities do not disturb the other “sincere” candidates taking the exams “honestly”. But, subsequently based on electronic evidence, the scores of such aspirants will not be processed and action will be taken to debar them.

Given that, SSC issued the following instructions:

• Do not write down answers on rough sheets with the intention of attempting all questions at once at the end. Such behaviour is detected as “fast answering” by the system and will be suspected as malpractice.
• Do not speak to or peek into other candidates’ computers during the examination.
• Do not lock Aadhaar biometrics; biometric verification is mandatory at different stages.