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Uproar over CIS exams

by Staff reporter
11 Nov 2013 at 09:57hrs | Views
Chartered Institute of Secretaries (CIS) 2013 examination candidates have accused the examination body of not furnishing them with all the necessary material before their examinations.

The candidates allege that last week they started their examinations without having had access to the "Integrative Case Study Pre-seen material" as per examination requirements.

They accuse the Institute of Chartered Secretaries and Administrators in Zimbabwe (Icsaz) of deliberately concealing the information from them in order to ensure that they fail and re-write the exams, thereby bringing in more cash to the institution.

The pre-seen material, allegedly sent to about 90 out of over 150 candidates, is supposed to be seen by candidates at least 30 days before the examination but they only got it 20 days before.

Other candidates only got the material, a revised version-four days before the examinations on November 4, 2013.

Contacted for comment Icsaz examinations director Edgar Mushore said he was not authorised to speak to the press but said management had met to discuss the allegations with a view to make an informed response.

Farai Musamba, the institute's chief executive officer and secretary however, declined to comment suggesting that the Daily News' source contact them for clarification.

"Thank you for your inquiry based on information given to you by your source," Musamba said in an e-mail.

"Unfortunately we have no comment (s) to make.  We suggest that your source contacts the institute if he or she has issues to raise."

A November 4, 2013 e-mail to about 90 candidates copied to the Daily News, shows that Mushore sent another version of the pre-seen material as an erratum with seven corrections.

Candidates queried the wisdom of giving them the erratum just four days before the examination saying it was as good as not giving them because there was no time to study it.

"Important information for the examination was concealed from some of us," said a candidate.

"We only got the information that many of our colleagues had been furnished with the material from those who had received it and forwarded it to us. It is a strategy that the institution employs every year to make people fail so they pay fees again. Only those that are connected were furnished with the information on time while some did not even get it," complained another candidate.

CIS candidates began their examinations on Friday last week.

Source - dailynews