Labour Ministry conducts tests for new batch of job-seekers

MUSCAT: A new set of jobseekers has started taking the written test at the University of Technology and Applied Sciences (UTAS) here on Tuesday for the employment opportunities in the public sector.

Saif bin Sulaiman al Shaqsi, Head of the Department of Job Vacancies and Announcements Section at the Ministry of Labour, said that the ministry sent invitations to 17,525 jobseekers to sit for the tests and compete for 1003 employment opportunities available in nine government departments, which are the Ministry of Health, the Ministry of Education, the Directorate General of the Council of Ministers, the Ministry of Information, the Ministry of Housing and Urban Planning, the Ministry of Labour, the Ministry of Economy, the Ministry of Higher Education, Research and Innovation and the State Audit Institution.

Al Shaqsi pointed out that today’s tests were run in a smooth manner, thanks to the presence of a large number of supervisory human resources having enough experience in this field. UTAS facilities were ideal for organising such tests, said Al Shaqsi, adding that precautionary measures were undertaken for protection against Covid-19.

Al Shaqsi said “The jobseekers, who come from all governorates of the Sultanate, have been distributed in accordance with the capacity of each college so that all candidates could be accommodated. The job-seekers are received in sets of 600 each day over a period of three days from Tuesday to Thursday from 8.30 am to 2 pm. The test for each set takes 30 minutes, followed by 40 minutes for sorting and announcement of results, after which a new group enters the exam halls.”

Al Shaqsi explained that each test consists of 30 questions, of which 20 pertain to the specialisation, 5 are dedicated to mental abilities and 5 for general knowledge.

As many as 83,038 applied after the jobs were announced, said Al Shaqsi, adding that precedence in sorting of results was accorded to those who applied first.