The Washington critic. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1889-1889, 1889-05-30
TRICKS IN EXAMINATION.

The Civil Service Commissioners have
not yet yet returned IRON their investi
cations in New York City with refer
encc to the alleged irregularities in the
conduct of the work Of the Examining
Board. Secretary Doyle, of the Com.
mission, stated this morning that he did
not think that the members of the board
were implicated in the irregularities.
There had been good deal Of current
rumoT and some newspaper talk with
reference to dummies having been sub.
stitutcd in examinations, and that ap.
plicants had obtained lists of questions
before hand.
we have TO be constantly on the
Lookout for impostions on the part Of
people who arc taking the examina-
lion" said Major Webster, the Ex.
amiuor In Chief, at Washington.
Some of them appear to be absolutely
oonscicncoIess when they 10 into the
examination room. Sometimes friends
come In pairs and beg to sit close
together in order TO help each other.
Whenever We see any disposition of this
kind we take pains TO separate them
quietly but kindly. Sometimes we have
reason TO believe that one of the pcrties
10 uS W WuttutT lic
passes OF not, and comes merely for the
purpose Of assisting the other as much
as possible. Some of them bring In
books or slips TO which thty expect to
refer"
II is usually easy to detect such in.
stances as their very manners betray
them. We take the books or pape.s
from them. On one occasion we had
TO take a valuable book from a man who
was taking the examination for mechan-
ioal draughtsman. We took Il for the
purpose Of determining how far II had
assisted him in his examination. II was
found that the book was of no value to
him, but II would have been of great
service on list of questions which
might have been submitted to him. The
book was returned to him some
time later as II was one which was of
great value in his business.
I'VE have trouble with them becarse
of their proneness to look at each
others papers. They sit close to-
gether, and IL isa great temptation to
them TO look over each others papers.
Their attitudes betI'ay them when they
t,y this, and we transfer the offender to
some other part Of the room. They are
allowed to use lead-pencil and scrap
paper TO make rough drafts to be
copied in ink on the examination
papers. These pieces of scrap paper
are all taken up with the exam
ination papers. We were once
struck by the similarity to ;wo
papers They were the same verbatim
ct literatim ct punctuatim. We sent
word TO young ladies', and one OF
them came TO the Office and said that
she had finished her examination before
the girl who sat next to her, and had
left the scrap-paper she had used on
her desk This explained the matter,
and the explanation was emphasized by
the fact that the other girl never had q
word to say"
"What, arc the dummies q
"The dummy scheme is the most
elaborate of all the attempts at frauds
on the examiners, but ] think 1t is
rarely used, as there is great danger of
detection. A man or woman will pass
the examination in the name of some.
body else who realizes that he Is not
able TO pass. The first man doesn't want
any position himself, but is willing to 70
thought the examination for the sake of
obliging friend. The objection to this
is that the dissimilarity in handwriting
is almost sure to be noticed, and to cause
an investigation. The papers are very
carefully examined for the purpose Of
noting any suspicious similarities, and
j think on the whole. that there. are
very few 4 any successful attempts at
nhpntinrfv