Two Answer Sheets for One Name, One Candidate Missing
After the E-5 exam, the ESO counts 58 answer sheets for 59 candidates. The sign-in sheet shows 59 candidates checked in. One answer sheet has no name but a booklet serial number; two answer sheets carry the same name; one candidate's name is missing from the stack. The exam booklets are counted at 59 and are secured. The proctor notes show two candidates left for restroom breaks and one candidate moved seats after a spill. The ESO has the seating chart, sign-in sheet, booklet serials, and proctor notes, but the answer sheets are scan forms that cannot be casually relabeled. The Navy Advancement Center has not yet been contacted.
1. What should the ESO do immediately with the answer sheets and exam booklets?
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Stop reconciliation work that could alter the documents. Place all answer sheets and booklets in a secure location, limit access, and start a chain-of-custody log. Do not write on, erase, relabel, or reassign any answer sheet. Photograph the current condition and count the sheets and booklets in the presence of a witness. The ESO should notify the CO/XO and the Navy Advancement Center that the count and names do not match, and request guidance before submitting anything. Because a misplaced answer sheet can affect two candidates-one with no sheet and one with a duplicate name-the ESO should preserve the seating chart, sign-in sheet, and proctor notes as evidence. The goal is to prevent further confusion, not to guess the correct owner.
2. How should the ESO reconcile the 58 sheets against 59 candidates?
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Reconcile using independent records: the sign-in sheet, seating chart, booklet serial numbers, proctor notes, and restroom and move logs. The unnamed sheet should be matched only by positive serial or seating evidence, not by handwriting or assumption. The duplicate-name sheets should be treated as two separate documents until the NAC advises. The ESO should prepare a written discrepancy report listing each candidate, whether an answer sheet was located, and the evidence for any proposed match. The ESO should not ask candidates to identify their own answer sheets by looking at them, because that could compromise confidentiality. If the evidence is insufficient, the NAC decides whether to score, void, or reschedule; the ESO's role is accurate documentation and custody.
3. What should candidates be told about delayed results?
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Tell the candidates that the command is completing an accountability review and that results may be delayed; do not disclose the missing or duplicate sheets or identify affected candidates. Because candidates may worry about their scores, the ESO should give a single point of contact and a realistic update timeline. The ESO should not promise that everyone will be scored or that a reschedule will occur until the NAC decides. Documentation should include the notification date and content. Keeping the message factual and confidential protects the candidates and the integrity of the review.