Evening star., 1939-06-18
Mechanical Rater
Tried Out in Civil
Service Tests
Device Would Speed
Examinations and
Register Lisfines

The Civil Service Commission ha.
started experimenting with an elec-
trical test-scoring machine in an
effort to speed up its examining pro-
cedure, which has become a serious
problem because of the huge in
crease In the number of job appli-
cants developing from the slacken-
Ing Of private industry.
Commission employees have pre-
pared the examination papers on
which the initial tests have been
made and the results thus far have
been satisfactory, it was said at the
commission yesterday, although it is
too early yet to determine just how
eff1cient the machine-rating will be
Principal attention is being CEN
tered at present on the extent to
which error may creep into the me-
chanical process, which would re-
place the rating work now done by
examiners. If it is determined to
give the plan tryout in a regular
examination, it likely will be for
some local position where the num-
Der OF applicants is limited.
Designed for Short Answers,
The mechanical rater is designed
only for the so-called short answer"
type OF examination, that is, an in
telllgence test in which, as a rule,
several possible answers are sug-
gested for question, and the appli-
cant writes down the number of
that which he believes is correct.
1t would be fitted for the sort
OF examinations now given for the
postal service, inspectors of various
classiflcations, examiners, messen-
gers, and other classes, it was ex-
planned; If found successful, how
ever, additional examinations
could be modified so the machine
method could be employed.
The machine, which resembles
nothing so much as an under
sized gas range, is made by the
International Business Machines
Corp, and has been in use for
some time by the New York Civil
Service Commission.
The principle on which it oper-
ateS is relatively simple.
Positions Numbered.
A competitor in an examination
IS given two sheets. One contains
questions and alternative answers.
all of which are numbered the
other is an answer sheet" bearing
numbers corresponding to the
questions and answers. A pencil
mark on numbered positions of this
second sheet answers the ques-
tions.
These sheets then are fed by
hand into slotlike arrangement
in the top of the machine, which
contains master card" on which
the correct answers have been
punched by hand. AS the sheets
drop in, the graphite in the pencil
mark makes an electrical contact,
and the master card" automati-
cally records whether answers are
right or wrong, the total in each
class being shown on a meter on
the face of the machine.
An examiner then completes the
process, figuring out the grades by
multiplying the results by the
weights assigned each group of ques-
tions.
See Possibility of Error.
1t is in the step where the partici-
pant in an examination marks in his
answer that commission officials see
the possibility of error creeping in,
too-light mark perhaps failing to
register. 1t is for this reason that
the experimental process is being
observed with great care, as one
point, or perhaps half-point, in the
flnal rating of an applicant might
mean the difference between getting
q job or not.
Even at that. it is believed by
some, that if the machines will reg
lister that close to accuracy, it
might be possible by their use to
rate the top $4,000 or 10000 persons
in one of the larger examinations.
and then have personal reviews of
these papers by examiners to elm
mate all chance of error.
For several years the commission
has sought some means of speeding
examinations, to aid both the Gov
ernment agencies and the competi-
tors themselves, but without making
much headway. Where tests bring
In applications by the hundred
thousands, months of delay have oc-
CURED before employment registers
could be established.