The higher secondary examinations will start on Monday. This will be the final time the exams are held under the current system before transitioning to a semester-based format starting with the next academic year.
Around five lakh students will write the examination this year. The three-hour-
long examination will start at 10am in 2,100 examination centres.
The West Bengal Council for Higher Secondary Education has decided to frisk students with hand-held metal detectors to check for devices banned in the examination hall.
“We made this provision to prevent students from entering the examination hall with phones, smart watches, Bluetooth or any other electronic devices. Till last year, such frisking was done only in select centres identified as high-risk examination centres,” said Chiranjib Bhattacharya, president, West Bengal Council for Higher Secondary
Education.
Last year, such checks were conducted at 176 centres across the state.
With the proliferation of technological devices and easy access, the use has become much more common than before, said Bhattacharya.
Sarbari Sengupta, headmistress and venue supervisor at Children’s Welfare Association High School for Girls, Behala, said this time, the council has become stricter with the conduct of the examination.
“Earlier, the venue supervisor would open the sealed question paper packets and put the papers into smaller packets to be sent to different exam rooms in the centre. This time, the venue supervisor need not open the packets as the question paper packets will be unsealed in the exam rooms by the invigilator in the presence of students,” said Sengupta.
Examinees have been asked to enter the exam centre at least an hour before the start of the examination to complete the checking before they enter the hall.
Earlier, they were asked to come about 30 minutes before the start of the examination. The examination will end on March 18.
From the next academic year the higher secondary examinations will be split into semesters. There will be four semesters, two in Class XI and the remaining two in Class XII. The Council will conduct the examination in Class XII only, while the schools will conduct the examination in Class XI.
The students who have enrolled in the semester system in Class XI have appeared for the first semester in September last year.
Last updated on 03 Mar 2025
