Kolkata: Nearly 2,500 students who had either skipped or not enrolled in the Higher Secondary Semester III (Part I) examination have re-entered the academic cycle by registering for the Semester III supplementary examination alongside Semester IV, according to official data from the West Bengal Council of Higher Secondary Education (WBCHSE).
The Higher Secondary (HS) Semester IV (Part II) examination for the 2026 batch, along with the Semester III supplementary examination and the HS examination under the old annual system, will be held from February 12 to 27. Council figures show that a total of 7,07,672 candidates have enrolled across the three examinations.
Of them, 6,33,584 candidates are enrolled for Semester IV, 58,864 for the Semester III supplementary examination, and 15,224 under the old annual syllabus. Data from the Semester III main examination held between September 8 and 22, 2025, show that 6,60,260 candidates had enrolled, of whom 6,45,832 appeared. Of those who appeared, 6,05,277 passed, resulting in a pass percentage of 93.72. This left more than 50,000 candidates who either failed or remained absent. However, the supplementary enrolment figure exceeds the combined number of failed and absent candidates, indicating that students who had previously remained outside the examination system have entered it at this stage.
Of the 58,864 candidates enrolled for the Semester III supplementary examination, 56,394 are students who failed the main examination, while 1,466 candidates who had enrolled earlier but did not appear for the main examination have also registered. In addition, 1,004 candidates have enrolled as first-time examinees despite not having enrolled for the Semester III main examination. Along with those who had remained absent, this brings the number of students appearing for the Semester III examination for the first time to 2,470.
Under examination regulations, students who fail, remain absent, or do not enrol in Semester III are permitted to appear for the supplementary examination along with Semester IV. Officials said the mechanism ensures that students are not forced to lose an academic year or exit the Higher Secondary system altogether.
WBCHSE president Chiranjib Bhattacharya said the figures underline the flexibility built into the semester framework. “Though the number may appear small in absolute terms, it is significant in what it represents.
These students could have dropped out of the system altogether, but the semester structure has allowed them to return and continue their education,” he said.