The school service commission (SSC) will hold a selection test on Sunday to shortlist candidates for 12,514 assistant teacher posts at the higher secondary level (Classes XI and XII) of government-aided schools.

Over 2.46 lakh candidates have applied for the selection tests that will be held at 478 centres across the state.

This is the second selection test that SSC will be conducting in a week.

On September 7, 2.91 lakh examinees participated in a selection test at 636 centres to shortlist candidates for 25,512 assistant teachers posts at the secondary level (Classes IX and X) of government-aided schools.

The commission resumed its selection tests to appoint school teachers at the secondary and higher secondary levels after nine years, overcoming scores of legal challenges.

SSC chairperson Siddhartha Majumdar said they requested the state administration for an uninterrupted power supply during the examination.

The exams will start at noon and end at 1.30pm. For differently-abled candidates, the examinations will continue until 2pm.

“We have spoken to the administration to ensure adequate transport facilities,” said Majumdar.

Candidates have been asked to reach the respective exam centres by 10am, so that they can be frisked with hand-held metal detectors in the presence of police personnel.

The tests will be conducted to shortlist teaching job aspirants for 36 subjects.

The September 7 tests were conducted to shortlist teaching job aspirants for 11 subjects.

Among those writing the exam are 15,403 teachers who were sacked following a Supreme Court order and now have to qualify afresh to retain their jobs.

On April 3, the Supreme Court terminated the appointments of 17,206 teachers. Of them, 15,403 were “not specifically found tainted” and were allowed to work until December 31. These teachers now need to clear the SLST again to continue in their roles.

These sacked teachers wrote the examinations on September 7.

Amit Ranjan Bhuniya wrote the test on September 7 at NK Pal Adarsha Shikshayatan at Jadavpur. He will write the test at a school on CIT Road in central Calcutta on Sunday.

Mobile phones, watches, calculators, log tables, and other gadgets are banned inside the exam venue. Possession of any prohibited item will lead to immediate disqualification.

Candidates must carry their admit cards (downloaded from the SSC website and bearing barcodes), a photo identity card such as Aadhaar, and only transparent black or blue ballpoint pens. Transparent water bottles are permitted. Venue-in-charges have been instructed to keep extra transparent pens available.

Facilities: Each centre will have a cloakroom for candidates to deposit valuables in exchange for a token. There will also be designated enclosures where women candidates will be frisked by female personnel.