Kolkata: The West Bengal Council of Higher Secondary Education (WBCHSE) has released a specimen copy of the Optical Mark Recognition (OMR) answer sheet to be used for answering Multiple Choice Questions (MCQs) in the upcoming Semester III Higher Secondary (HS) Examination, scheduled from September 8 to 22.
This batch of Semester III students is the first to appear for the HS exam under the newly-introduced semester system. While they had earlier appeared for the Semester I exam in Class XI using OMR sheets provided by their respective schools, this will be their first OMR-based examination conducted by the Council. In a circular issued on Wednesday, the Council urged heads of institutions to familiarise students with both the format and the instructions printed on the reverse of the OMR sheet, to avoid confusion during the examination.
The OMR sheet carries several key instructions that candidates must follow strictly to ensure their responses are considered valid for evaluation. Students must use only blue or black ballpoint pens and must exercise extreme caution while filling in critical fields such as registration number, roll number, question booklet serial number, subject and full signature, as any error in these may result in the sheet being rendered invalid.
Candidates must darken only one bubble/circle per question, completely and carefully. The ink should not spill beyond the marked circle. No cutting, overwriting, erasing, or changes will be permitted under any circumstances.
Each correct answer will carry one mark, with no negative marking. All rough work must be confined to the designated space within the question booklet. Students must also ensure the OMR sheet is not folded, torn, or marked in any unintended way. While the question booklet may be taken home post examination, the OMR answer sheet must be submitted to the invigilator before exiting the examination hall.