Examination Yuan: National Exams May Be Postponed or Canceled in Affected Areas Due to Major Natural Disasters

(CNA reporter Kao Hua-chien, Taipei, July 2) The Examination Yuan today amended and passed regulations allowing for the postponement or cancellation of national examinations in all or part of the examination areas if a major natural disaster or accident occurs, taking into account factors such as the scope of impact. Additionally, for computer-based tests that cannot proceed normally due to information equipment failure or other incidents, the examination may continue using paper-based or other methods.

The Examination Yuan stated in a press release today that in response to the impact of extreme weather and the increasing prevalence of computer-based testing, as well as to improve the handling mechanisms for various unforeseen events, the Examination Yuan today amended and passed the "Regulations on Handling Unforeseen Events in National Examinations." This amendment increases flexibility in handling unforeseen events during examinations, aiming to balance national personnel needs, maintain examination fairness, and protect the rights and interests of candidates. The Examination Yuan expects to issue the amendment tomorrow, with it taking effect on July 5.

The current Article 12 of the "Regulations on Handling Unforeseen Events in National Examinations" stipulates that if a major natural disaster such as a typhoon, earthquake, or flood, or other major incident such as a fire, air raid, or epidemic, occurs before or during the examination, or if less than half of the allotted time remains after the test papers have been distributed, and the examination cannot proceed or must be stopped for all or part of the subjects, the examination shall be rescheduled, and all examination areas must cease operations.

The Examination Yuan pointed out that the types of natural disasters have become more diverse in recent years. When a major natural disaster occurs, not all examination areas or testing sites are affected simultaneously. Therefore, this amendment clarifies that when an examination encounters a major natural disaster or major incident, the Examination Yuan may notify all or part of the examination areas or testing sites to postpone or cancel the examination, taking into account the scope of the event's impact, the nature of the examination, and related factors, thereby increasing handling flexibility.

The Examination Yuan also stated that to cope with the expanding scope of computer-based testing in national examinations, this amendment has added relevant contingency mechanisms. For computer-based tests that cannot proceed normally due to information equipment failure or other incidents, the examination may continue using paper-based or other answerable methods. If it is impossible to continue with other methods, all or part of the candidates may be notified to stop the examination, thereby enhancing the response capabilities of computer-based tests to sudden events. (Editor: Chai Ssu-chia) 1150702

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