And you think Harvard exams are hair-raising.

The State Appeals Court ruled on September 17 that the City of Cambridge may not promote 20 police officers to the rank of sergeant--because of behavior that a Harvard professor wouldn't think twice about.

The ruling blocks the city from making police promotions until a hearing resolves the question of whether the exam used to select candidates in 1985 was fairly administered. Fifteen officers who failed that test are suing the city and the state Department of Personnel, charging that the Cambridge Police Department manipulated their grades so that exactly 20 officers would qualify to become sergeants.

Although the exam was not designed to produce failing grades, the officers say Cambridge used it to weed out applicants by rushing them through the exam and by carefully adjusting the 35 candidates' grades so that only 20 would pass.

The State Superior Court ruled last Wednesday that the 20 officers who passed the exam may not hire an attorney to defend their promotions. The court ruled that the 20 officers are already protected by the city's counsel.

Mixed Success

Officer Reuben Dottin, one of the 15 who failed, recalled a precinct-house version of The Paper Chase. He said he studied for an entire year--"I gave up my social life and everything"--before failing.

On the exam in question, candidates were asked how they would respond to a problem on the job--for example, a series of housebreaks in a particular area. "Everyone there was a nervous wreck," Dottin said, mentioning time pressure, the presence of out-of-town examiners, and ambiguously worded questions. The officers were graded on their answers' similarity to a prepared list of solutions.

"The exam was administered unfairly--it was arbitrary and too subjective," said Richard Gardner, a spokesman for the 15 plaintiffs.

"This has created a lot of animosity in the department," said Dottin. "Guys not talking to each other...I wouldn't be surprised if somebody got hurt there."

"Some people can talk good and others can't. Some people are good on books and others aren't," Dottin said.

Cambridge has conducted only six such exams for promotion since World War II. "It goes to show you what kind of archaic promotion system we have," Gardner said.

Police Chief Anthony J. Paolillo could not be reached for comment, but he and City Manager Robert M. Healy have both asserted that the exam was fair.