PRAYAGRAJ, July 24 -- As part of strict security measures put in place for the Review Officer (RO)/Assistant Review Officer (ARO) Preliminary Examination 2023 - slated to take place on July 27 in all districts of the state - UPPSC secretary Ashok Kumar has directed that the allocation of exam rooms to invigilators will be carried out randomly by static magistrates, 30 minutes before candidates are allowed to enter the examination centres. With over 10,76,004 candidates registered, this is the largest RO/ARO (preliminary) examination ever conducted by the Uttar Pradesh Public Service Commission (UPPSC) in terms of candidate volume. Candidates will be allowed to enter the centres -90 minutes before the exam begins-and entry will close strictly at 8.45 am i.e., 45 minutes before the exam starts. Invigilators will be required to report by 7.30 am, the guidelines instruct. Only centre administrators, static magistrates, sector magistrates, UPPSC officials, and authorised personnel will be permitted at the centers. Carrying mobile phones inside the exam centre or exam halls is strictly prohibited for all, including police personnel, said officials. The RO/ARO (Preliminary) Examination-2023 was previously held across 2,387 centres in 58 districts of the state on February 11, 2024. However, it was cancelled due to the paper leak. The exam is being reconducted now after a delay of one and a half years. This time, it will take place in 75 districts at 2,382 tentative centres, 17 more districts but five less centres. The exam will be of three hours (180 minutes) duration. The question paper will consist of 200 questions-140 from General Studies and 60 from General Hindi. Negative marking will be applicable: one-third of the marks will be deducted for each incorrect answer or for selecting more than one option for a question. The OMR answer sheet will be in three copies: Original (pink), Confidential (green) and Candidate copy (blue). The original pink and confidential green copies will be sealed in tamper-proof polybags. UPPSC has finalised 98 exam centers in Prayagraj for the RO/ARO Preliminary Examination (Pre) 2023. Notably, prominent institutions like Uttar Pradesh Rajarshi Tandon Open University (Phaphamau), Prof Rajendra Singh (Rajju Bhaiya) University (Naini), and CBSE-affiliated schools have been designated as exam venues. The Commission has reiterated that any form of cheating, impersonation, question paper leakage, or conspiracy thereof will be considered a criminal offense under the Uttar Pradesh Public Examination (Prevention of Unfair Means) Act, 2024....