Uccha Madhyamik semester 1 exam starts on Sept 8; OMR sheets to be used

The Higher Secondary Education Council has announced strict measures for the upcoming third semester exams, scheduled from September 8 to 22. For the first time, the higher secondary system is following the semester model, with 6.6 lakh students set to appear this year.

Council president Chiranjeev Bhattacharya said any kind of harassment of invigilators, examiners or staff will lead to immediate cancellation of the accused student’s exam. Incidents of vandalism at examination centres will also be recorded digitally and reported to the Council for direct action. The move comes after past instances of violence, including an incident earlier this year where teachers were assaulted during an English exam.

To prevent malpractice, CCTV has been made mandatory at all centres, with additional videography in 122 sensitive locations, including Malda. Question papers will be sealed in laminated boxes and opened just before the exam in the supervisor’s room. The exams will be conducted in OMR format with MCQs, and no electronic devices or calculators will be allowed.

The exam will run for 12 days, with each paper lasting 1 hour 15 minutes. Students will not be allowed to leave the hall until the exam concludes. Results will be available online by October 31, with OMR sheets and answer keys accessible through student IDs and passwords