The Staff Selection Commission (SSC) has revised its system of normalisation for exams conducted in multiple shifts, introducing the equipercentile method to ensure fairness in evaluation.
In its official notice, the SSC explained that normalisation is necessary to provide fair treatment to candidates who appear in different shifts where the difficulty level of papers may vary. "To make sure everyone is treated fairly, the Commission normalises the scores. This means that the scores are adjusted so that candidates from different shifts can be compared fairly on the same scale," it said.
So far, the process of normalisation was based on top scores, average scores, and score variations across shifts. While this method aimed to prevent disadvantage to candidates appearing in tougher shifts, the SSC has now moved towards a percentile-based approach for greater accuracy.
Under the equipercentile system, a candidate's relative rank within a shift determines their percentile score, which is then matched with the corresponding percentile in other shifts. For instance, a candidate performing better than 80% of examinees in one shift will be equated to a candidate with the same relative standing in another shift, regardless of raw scores.
According to the Commission, this approach ensures a fair comparison of candidates across shifts, even when exam content or difficulty differs. "By matching candidates based on their relative positions in their own shift, this method creates a fair way to compare scores," the notice added.
The SSC stated that the new system would address concerns raised by candidates regarding uneven difficulty levels, ensuring that no group of test-takers is unfairly ranked due to factors beyond their control.
