CA Students protest against ICAI’s Evaluation Methods: ICAI issues Clarification on Exam Evaluation

The Institute of Chartered Accountants of India (ICAI) has made an announcement with respect to Evaluation of answer books of CA exams on September 21, 2019. Thereafter, a webinar was conducted on September 22, 2019, wherein the procedure and processes followed in the examination system were explained and all the misgivings about the examination process were cleared.

1. Digital evaluation: As communicated in January 2019 Chartered Accountant Student newsletter, continuing further from the pilot e evaluation for the first group of Intermediate Nov 2018 exams; all papers of Intermediate and Foundation level exams in November 2019/May 2020 will be put through the digital evaluation mode bringing in following benefits

• Doing away with stages of physical handling of answer books
• Avoiding variations in marks awarded by examiners.
• Eliminating scope of any totalling errors
• Continuous review of performance of the Examiners on real time basis;
• Generation of analytical reports enabling quality control checks; and

2. Central evaluation:Further the Central Evaluation is being carried out in several papers of CA exams, w.e.f November 2018 wherein examiners evaluate answer books under the supervision of Head Examiner/Associate Head Examiners.3. Machine-based evaluation: Effective May, 2019 exams, objective type questions for 30 marks have been introduced in select papers of Intermediate and Final Exams. Further, the Institute has decided to introduce OMR based evaluation for MCQ’s of Elective Papers 6A to 6F of final New course with effect from November 2019 which are machine processed thus avoiding subjectivity.4.Stepwise marking: Provision regarding stepwise marking is being enforced whereby in case the stepwise marks are not awarded; it will be deemed as the unevaluated answer and stepwise marks will be awarded during the course of re-verification of marks5.Mandatory on-line test for empanelment of examiners: All applicants shortlisted for empanelment as examiners are required to qualify an on-line test in the subject of their choice before inclusion of their names in the Panel of Examiners. It has further been decided that all existing examiners would also be required to undergo an online test in their respective subjects, once in 3 years.

Currently, the Regulation 39(4) dealing with the subject matter provides as under:-

(4)        (i)  Information as to whether a candidate’s answers in any particular paper or papers of any examination have been examined and marked shall be supplied to the candidate on his submitting within a month of the declaration of the result of the said examination, an application, accompanied by a fee as may be fixed by the Council which shall not exceed rupees five hundred in any case.]

(ii)  The fee shall be only for verifying whether the candidate’s answers in any particular paper or papers have been examined and marked, and not for the re-examination of the answers.

(iii) The marks obtained by a candidate in individual questions or in sections of a paper shall not be supplied.

(iv) If as a result of such verification, it is discovered that there has been either an omission to examine or mark any answer or answers or there has been a mistake in the totalling of the marks, the fee for verification shall be refunded in full to the candidate.

The above Chartered Accountants Regulations allow correction of marks awarded in case of :

1. No marks awarded to any answer or part of it.
2. Totalling errors in step-wise marks awarded for an answer
3. Wrong carry forward or it’s part of marks awarded to answer on the cover page of the answer books.

Beyond this, the Regulation does permit any subjectivity in checking of answer books.

The representatives were explained about the afore-stated provisions of Chartered Accountants Regulations 39(4) of the Chartered Accountants Regulations, 1988.

However, they were insistent on the demand for allowing re-evaluation of the answer books.  They were informed that due process will be followed for consideration of their demand. They were also requested to call off the agitation and students be advised to concentrate on their studies and preparation for the forthcoming examination. In spite of the same; the representatives mentioned that they would continue with this agitation till the time the matter is sorted out.

All the students are advised not to be carried away by such issues. The Institute is seized of their problems and will be considered and taken up at the appropriate forum by following due process.