Competency Test: 89% Of 2,800 Passed – Oronsaye Print E-mail
Written by Joshua Uma, Abuja
Tuesday, 17 August 2010 20:17

The Head of Service (HOS), Mr. Steve Oronsaye, has disclosed that 89 per cent of the 2,800 civil servants drawn from grade levels 14-16, who sat for the recent competency test resit, crossed the stipulated cut-off mark of 40 percent.

This figure is an improvement as against the previous mandatory training competency test in which only 30.5 per cent of those who sat for the test crossed the 40per cent mark.

The HOS said this in a press briefing in his office, stating that the result of the just concluded competency test had shown that the civil service could be put back on track, and criticisms by policy makers and the public on the ineffectiveness of the service on policy implementation and service delivery could be reduced.

Mr. Oronsaye said, "The recent controversy on the writing of the post-training test by civil servants has ended with the successful completion of the resit test on August 9, 2010 and the result of the resit test has been posted on the website of the Office of the Head of the Civil Service of the Federation.

"The result of the first test was poor; the resit was better. The exercise, on the whole, has shown that we can put the civil service back on track and reduce the criticism by policy makers and the public on the ineffectiveness of the Service on policy implementation and service delivery."

It would be recalled that the HOS before the Post- Training Assessment resit for civil servants, pointed out the need to pay strong attention to capacity building, institutional strengthening, as well as the enhancement of skills and competencies of civil servants. This, he said, had been his priority since assumption of office. "I believe we are all in agreement on the need to re-tool the civil service to perform its statutory functions efficiently and effectively. The objective of this re-tooling is to place the civil service at the forefront of driving the national development agenda, particularly the attainment of the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) and Vision 20:2020," he said.

This must be the lowest cut-off mark for any exam anywhere in the world. Little wonder Nigeria is mediocrity personified.

it usually is 70% in most places

No wonder but I am really not surprised

I think it is better that way.
if not , how do you expect my brothers from upper side of the country to pass.
after all, some of them were able to enter either through back yard or base on quota system which they claim more that 75% of.
it is a good cut off mark