SSC Phase 13 Exam Not Cancelled; Re-Test Planned for Affected Candidates, Confirms Chairman
SSC won’t cancel Phase 13 exam amid protest; Chairman confirms re-test for affected candidates due to glitches during July 24–Aug 1 test window.
Candidates protest in Delhi over SSC Phase 13 exam glitches as authorities announce re-test for those affected by technical and administrative issues.
Amid mounting protests over irregularities in the SSC Selection Post Phase 13 exam, SSC Chairman S Gopalakrishnan has ruled out a cancellation of the exam. Instead, he confirmed that a re-test will be conducted for candidates who were denied a fair opportunity due to technical and administrative glitches.
The Phase 13 exam, conducted between July 24 and August 1 across 194 centres in 142 cities, saw multiple issues including software crashes, biometric verification failures, centre mismatches, and abrupt cancellations. Over 5 lakh candidates appeared for the exam, with widespread disruptions prompting student protests in Delhi and backlash on social media.
SSC Responds to Controversy
Speaking to ANI, the Chairman acknowledged the mismanagement, admitting to "teething problems" with the new exam vendor, Eduquity Career Technologies. Despite pressure to drop the vendor, Gopalakrishnan stated that immediate removal is not feasible due to upcoming exams and procurement delays.
"If we find even one student was wronged, we will conduct a re-test for them," he said.
The Commission has also warned Eduquity of penalties for lapses such as system failures and hardware malfunctions. The Chairman confirmed that data logs, CCTV footage, and AI-based analysis are being used to verify claims.
Retests Underway, More May Follow
To address initial complaints, the SSC held additional tests on August 2 in three shifts. Two centres — one in Delhi and one in Uttar Pradesh — faced full cancellations, affecting around 2,500 candidates. Of the 16,600 candidates scheduled for the re-test, only 8,048 appeared, marking a 60% turnout.
Another round of re-tests may be scheduled if further discrepancies are found.
AI Question Controversy Addressed
Concerns over the use of Artificial Intelligence in question selection were also addressed. The SSC clarified that AI is only used to prevent question repetition, and not to generate new questions, countering claims by students about repeated content.
Assurance for Upcoming Exams
Gopalakrishnan assured that upcoming exams scheduled for August 6–8, which will see 3.5 lakh candidates, will be conducted more smoothly.
“We’ve learned from this experience. The upcoming exams will be much less disruptive,” he added.
