CSC launches computerized exam

CEBU, Philippines - The Civil Service Commission (CSC) launched yesterday the Computerized Examination (Comex) System in region 7.

CSC Commissioner Robert Martinez explained that under the new system, all existing stand-alone examination processes on acceptance and processing of applications, preparation of examination documents, conduct of examination including the processing of results, and generation of examination reports are united into a single system.

"The time you register, you enter your account name to the time you reserve an examination slot up to the time you take the exam at issuance of certificate of illegibility, one system na lang yun," he said.

Through the new system, the public can register anywhere and anytime as long as they have internet connection.

In the Comex system, the five modules of examination have been integrated into one system. The modules start with the Examination Account Registration (EAR), followed by Slot Reservation (ESR), to Slot Confirmation (ESC), Actual Test Program (ATP), and lastly, the Test Result Processing (TRP).

CSC COMEX will run through Wide Area Network environment where the regional office that run its testing centers shall be connected to the central server which is located at CSC Central office.

COMEX replaced the Computer-Assisted Test (CAT) which was first introduced in 1994.

CAT, a Disk Operating System-based system, enabled examinees to read the test questions from a test booklet but recorded their answers on the computer.

In CAT, you could get the certificate of illegibility two hours after the exam ended.

"You had to go to the CSC office to reserve a slot which would take a day and being asked to go back on another day to take the exam. In COMEX, one day lang," Martinez said.

With the COMEX system, the actual test program for general ability test will take three hours for the professional level and 2.5 hours for the sub-professional level. Results will also be released within two to three hours after the examination.

Under this new web-based system, applicants will also be asked to have their biometrics, photo and digital signature captured.

However, COMEX system is still in a pilot testing and its full implementation has yet to be determined by CSC. — Michael H. Braga, Correspondent/GMR (FREEMAN)