A

gni Kurnia left the computer laboratory at SMA 3 Jakarta state senior high school building feeling calm on Sunday after completing a test that will determine the course of his career.

The employment division head with the Thousand Islands regency administration wants to be a district leader. He acknowledged that the questions were not as easy as they seemed.

 'The questions were quite tricky. For example, they would ask 'these are examples of something' but later they put 'except' in the end of the question. If the participants were not careful enough, they would have chosen the wrong answer,' Agni said. 'I am only 50 percent sure about my answers.'

Agni, was one of hundreds of civil servants with the Jakarta administration who took competency tests this weekend in answer to the first open call to fill local leader positions in the administration.

During the tests, held simultaneously at eight state senior high schools and vocational schools, participants had 90 minutes to answer 60 multiple-choice questions on leadership, city administration and regulations.

Rusdiyanto, the incumbent district leader of Penjaringan, North Jakarta, acknowledged that the questions were not easy, although he managed to muddle through. 'Praise God, I was able to answer all of the questions because most of the questions were related to my daily tasks.'

The district leader said that he was ready to accept the results of the open call, even though it means he might lose his current position.

'This test is a necessity for all eligible civil servants who want to secure local leader positions. The leaders will decide whether I am eligible for the job or not. I am a professional civil servant, therefore I am ready,' Rusdiyanto said.

Separately, Palmerah district leader Agus Triyono shared a similar sentiment, saying that the tests were not the first step in the process.

'Before this open call, all local leader hopefuls with the Jakarta administration had to undergo an assessment process. The form was not precisely like this, but the questions were relatively the same: They were all related to a local leader's job description,' Agus said.

While incumbents might have been familiar with the questions, those who have never held a local leader position said that they needed some extra preparation for the test.

'I studied the RPJMD [mid-term regional development plan], the regional administration laws and the gubernatorial regulations regarding local leaders for this test,' Mujiono, the information system division head at the Library and Archives Agency, said.

'Unlike the incumbents, I have nothing to lose should I fail this open call. The positive side is that this process will capture my potential.' Mujiono said. 'So I am cool.'

Lilis Suwandi, a division head at the Gambir district office, said that she welcomed the opportunity given to all eligible civil servants for promotion. 'I am glad to be given this opportunity. I hope I can help Pak Jokowi's administration to serve the people of Jakarta,' Lilis said, referring to Governor Joko 'Jokowi' Widodo.

According to the Jakarta Employment Agency, 80 of the 1,118 eligible civil servants who met administrative requirements and were registered for the tests were absent this weekend.

'Those who can give acceptable reasons with supporting evidence will be given another chance to take the test another day,' Jakarta Employment Agency head I Made Karmayoga said.

In the next step, candidates will take management tests, to be held from May 6 to June 11 at City Hall and National Police headquarters.