methods by which the examiners keep

candidates’ identity secret.

after the examination, which is conducted with the most scrupulous care to guard against favoritism or fraud, the local examiners arrange the papers by sheets or subjects and all are forwarded under seal to the united states commission. when they are reached in the order of rating, they are distributed by sheets to the examiners, examiner a being given all of sheets 1, examiner b all of sheets 2, examiner c all of sheets 3, and so on, the sheets being distributed to as many examiners as there are subjects in the particular examination to be rated. after the papers are rated in the first instance they are redistributed, and the first rating is reviewed by other examiners.

when all of the papers of an examination have been rated and reviewed, those of each competitor are then, for the first time, assembled or brought together, his average percentage is ascertained, his declaration envelope is opened, and the declaration sheet to which he has signed his name is attached to his examination[87] papers. the identity of the competitor, therefore, is not disclosed until his papers have been rated and reviewed and his average percentage determined. as the charges for specific errors are all fixed by the rules for rating, and as each subject is rated by two examiners acting separately and then reviewed by both jointly, it will be seen that absolute impartiality, accuracy and uniformity are secured in the work.

appeals from the ratings are sometimes made by competitors, but the prospect of securing a higher rating is very remote. errors on the part of examiners in making charges are seldom found, as the work of each examiner is verified and checked in every particular by another.