Commissioner of Examinations responds to problems surrounding O/L maths paper

Commissioner General of Examinations Sanath Pujitha issued a statement on the divisive statements made by certain politicians and union heads on the difficulty of the 2017 GCE Ordinary Level mathematics examination.  

Sanath Pujitha stated that many individuals have come forward to state that the majority of ordinary level students had extreme difficulties in facing the 2017 mathematics examination as it contained advanced questions that students could not answer with their current level of knowledge. 

In light of recent events the Commissioner conducted an inquiry into the many complaints under the purview of the minister of Education. 

The Commissioner stated that an expert panel consisting of the examination department, heads of paper marking and senior mathematics instructors were called to resolve the issue.  

“At the end of any examination the paper marking panel will collect a sample of answer scripts from all districts to formulate a justifiable cut-off mark that can be agreeable to all students. Taking the current situation into consideration the marking panel collected a larger sample of answer scripts to study the difficulties faced by students. Following a comprehensive survey it was clear that a majority of students did not have extreme difficulties in facing the 2017 mathematics paper” Commissioner Pujitha said. 

He however stated that many students were not able to display primary-level competencies by showing working and proof for the final answer that was obtained. Taking the above fact into consideration the department will arrive at a consensus to revise the predetermined minimum passable mark.