First time on OMR: West Bengal Higher Secondary third semester exam begins

The third-semester Higher Secondary exams in West Bengal commenced on Monday, September 21, with 718,620 registered candidates. This marks the inaugural use of OMR sheets for the 3rd-semester examinations. The WBCHSE has collaborated with India Post to handle the logistics of collecting and transporting used OMR answer sheets post each examination.

Council officials will gather, seal, and package the used OMR sheets at various examination centers, subsequently delivering them to regional offices through authorized post offices, with at least one designated in each district.

Council president Masiur Rahman Sardar addressed a press conference, emphasizing security measures to prevent question paper leaks. Each exam paper carries a unique serial number, and sealed packets are opened openly in front of students at 10:55 am. To verify the seals were intact, two students sign off on the process before the papers are distributed. The exams, held daily from 11 am to 12:30 pm, commence on September 21 and conclude on October 14. Students must arrive at the exam center by 10 am.

Security measures are stringent across all venues. Candidates undergo mandatory metal detector screening before entering examination centers. CCTV surveillance is installed at each location. Electronic devices like mobile phones and calculators are strictly banned. The Council mandates a security ratio of two invigilators for every 20 candidates. Any candidate caught with a mobile phone faces immediate disqualification from the exams and all subsequent evaluations.

A total of 718,620 students, including 315,731 males and 402,889 females, from 6,877 schools will appear for the tests. Ninety-nine examination centers have been flagged as sensitive due to proximity to upcoming local body elections. Consequently, the dates for exams originally slated for October 5, 6, and 7 have been postponed to October 12, 13, and 14, respectively.

Additionally, vocational papers originally planned for September 22 have been rescheduled to October 13, accounting for the Karam Puja holiday. The WBCHSE has provided helpline numbers for student assistance during the examination period: Helpdesk at 033-23370792 / 6289886606 and a control room at 033-23379661.