RBE No. 168/2006: Question Banks – Written Examinations
No.E(NG)I-2006/PM1/34, dated 06.11.2006
Sub: Written examinations conducted for promotion within and to Group ‘C’ – Preparation of Question Banks.
1. As the Railways are aware the issue of failures of senior staff in written tests held for promotion to and within Gr. ‘C’ posts has been taken up by the federations in the past. The Ministry of Railways after considering the same have taken following measures in this direction:
(i) Setting up of objective type questions to the extent of 50% (in the range of 45% – 55%) of the total marks prescribed for the written test in highest grade selection post vide this Ministry’s letter No.E(NG)I-2000/PM1/41, dated 08.03.2002 (RBE No. 32/2002). This provision has been extended to lower grade selection posts also vide this Ministry’s letter No.E(NG)I-2006/PM1/18, dated 30.08.2006.
(ii) Preparation of question papers for written test having a practical bias i.e. question papers should be designed to test the ability of the candidates to tackle the practical problems they are likely to face rather than their theoretical knowledge vide this Ministry’s letter No.E(NG)I-2004/PM1/25, dated 21.09.2004 (RBE No. 208/2004); and
(iii) Permitting the candidates to take away the question papers with them after the examination is over vide this Ministry’s letter No.E(NG)I-2004/PM1/25, dated 23.09.2005 (RBE No. 162/2005).
2. The issue of ‘Problems in Selections’ has again been raised by AIRF in the PREM meeting indicating that the main irritants in the conduct of selections are delay in issue of notification, repeated cancellation of the notification/ cancellation of panels for one reason or the other, large number of failures of senior employees in the selection and declaration of short panels keeping vacancies in the cadre and so on. It has been inter alia suggested by the Federation that question banks with model answers may be prepared for each department and grade for filling up the posts classified as selection.
3. In this connection it may be mentioned that the provisions relating to the procedure to be followed by the Zonal Railways for holding selection are contained in Chapter-II Section-B, IREM Vol.-I, 1989 Edition. Detailed administrative instructions covering inter-alia the issues raised by the Federation have also been issued by this Ministry from time to time. The issue of preparation of question banks has also been considered by this Ministry and it has been decided that Zonal Railways should prepare question banks for each department and grade covering the complete syllabus and circulate the same to the staff concerned. It may, however, be noted that there will not be any mandatory limit of questions/ exams from the question banks only and secondly, holding of selections will not be postponed/ delayed due to non-circulation of question banks. The question banks so prepared should also be updated regularly in accordance with the changing technology and job requirements.
Download Railway Board Circular RBE No.168/2006
Forward reference ⇒ RBE No.