UPSC exam: Visually impaired candidates to get extra time

Visually impaired candidates appearing for civil services preliminary examination will get 40 minutes extra time per paper, the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) said today.
"All the visually impaired category candidates appearing in the civil services preliminary examination, 2014 to be conducted by the UPSC on August 24 will be allowed an extra time of 20 minutes per hour for both Paper-I and Paper-II of the examination," the Commission said in a public notice.
Thus, the visually impaired category candidates will be allowed an extra time of 40 minutes for Paper I and also an extra time of 40 minutes for Paper II of the civil services preliminary examination, it said.

There are two compulsory papers of 200 marks each in the civil services preliminary examination. Candidates are given two-hour time per paper.
The announcement comes following a directive by Delhi High Court in this regard on August 19, the notice said.
In another public notice, the UPSC advised candidates not to attempt questions on English language comprehension skills asked in Paper II of the preliminary exam.
"The questions on English language comprehension skills (of Class X level) contained in each set of test booklets of Paper II are not to be attempted as these questions shall not be evaluated for gradation or merit," it said.

The civil services preliminary examination shall thus comprise of two compulsory papers of which Paper I will be of 200 marks and Paper II will be of 200 marks minus the maximum marks allocated to the question on English language comprehension skills, the UPSC said.