Madras University language exam postponed after wrong question paper was distributed

The third-semester students of arts and science colleges, affiliated to the University of Madras, were in for a surprise on Friday as they were given the Tamil language question paper meant for the fourth semester.

The semester examinations are under way for undergraduate students. On Friday, the students sat for their third examination. The university has over 200 colleges affiliated to it in three districts.

“The students were surprised to find that the questions were out of the portion for the third semester. A few students left the exam hall,” said a college principal. 

“When students alerted the invigilators, they checked the code of the question paper and found that the code matched, but the portion pertained to the next semester,” she explained.

The teachers shared the information on WhatsApp groups and informed the university’s Controller of Examination. “Within half- an-hour, the university informed us that the exam was postponed,” the principal added.

Another principal said that usually the code of the question paper on the package would be checked before it was opened and the question papers were distributed. The package would be received a day before the examination and would be opened in the classrooms, she said.

Vice-Chancellor S. Gowri said the one who set the question paper would turn in a handwritten manuscript, which would be printed. This time, the question setter made a mistake while writing the code, which was not cross-checked by university officials. Hence, it was printed with the wrong code. This led to the mistake.