The Staff Selection Commission (SSC) has announced a significant update to its normalisation process for exams conducted across multiple shifts, adopting the equipercentile method to enhance fairness in candidate evaluation. This change aims to address variations in difficulty levels across different exam shifts, reported NDTV.

Purpose of normalisation
The SSC emphasised the need for normalisation to ensure equitable treatment for all candidates. 

According to the official notice, "To make sure everyone is treated fairly, the Commission normalises the scores. This means that the scores are adjusted so that candidates from different shifts can be compared fairly on the same scale." This process is critical when exam papers vary in difficulty, preventing any candidate from being disadvantaged due to the shift they are assigned.

Shift to equipercentile method
Previously, the SSC relied on a normalisation method that considered top scores, average scores, and score variations across shifts. The new equipercentile system, however, focuses on a candidate’s percentile rank within their shift. For example, a candidate outperforming 80% of peers in one shift will be equated to a candidate with the same percentile rank in another shift, irrespective of their raw scores.

Benefits of the new approach
The equipercentile method is designed to provide greater precision in score adjustments, addressing candidate concerns about inconsistent difficulty levels. The SSC stated,  "By matching candidates based on their relative positions in their own shift, this method creates a fair way to compare scores."

The change reflects the Commission’s commitment to improving transparency and fairness in its evaluation process.