O-Level Students Took Wrong Math Paper due to School’s Mistake, Now Afraid They’ll be Penalised

Imagine studying and practising like crazy for your O-levels, burning midnight oil and suffering through the pre-exam jitters only to find that you’ve taken the wrong math paper. Crazy, right?

I agree, but that was precisely what happened in Singapore.

Noticed something was wrong during the paper

73 students from two schools, 24 from Ahmad Ibrahim Secondary School and 49 from Woodgrove Secondary School realised that something was amiss when they realised that some questions were unfamiliar.

It wasn’t only until later that they realised the papers they took were the wrong ones.

And for those who asked why they never raised it up during the paper, think back to your exam-taking days; do you remember looking at questions and thinking they look unfamiliar? I did, and I thought I studied the wrong chapters for the exam.

Math Paper Syllabus Code Different from the One on their Ten-Year-Series

After the exams, the students compared the syllabus code on their entry proof and their ten-year-series. They found that the numbers are different.

It was confirmed by the Ministry of Education (MOE) that there was a mix-up on Monday, 24 Oct 2016. They also stated that no other schools were affected.

Error in Registering Students during the Registration Process

MOE stated that the error occurred during the registration process where the schools indicated the wrong syllabus code.

The affected students are Secondary 5 Normal (Academic) who are still using the old syllabus which they started a year ago while the Secondary 4 students are on the new one.

After the error was reported, the school immediately informed the Singapore Examination Assessment Board (SEAB) and ensured that the students sat for the correct Paper 2 the next day.

Students do not have to re-sit for the exam

SEAB announced that the students do not have to re-sit for the exam. Instead, the students will be “assessed fairly” on the paper they took and according to the competency shown on their Math Paper 2.

Students were worried that their results will be negatively impacted. When asked if they would prefer their scores to be based on the prelims, they mentioned that it’s “not fair” as they put in more effort for the O-levels than prelims.

Featured Image: straitstimes.com

This article was first published on goodyfeed.com