HS Sem III exams: Nearly 6.6L to sit from Monday

Kolkata: The Higher Secondary Semester III examinations conducted by the West Bengal Council of Higher Secondary Education (WBCHSE) are set to begin on Monday, with nearly 6.6 lakh candidates appearing across 2,106 venues in 23 districts.

Distribution of question papers and OMR sheets was delayed and till Saturday several districts, including South 24-Parganas, North 24-Parganas, Kolkata and parts of Asansol, had not received them. Officials attributed the delay to the volume of papers and limited storage space at custodian centres.

By Sunday evening, all venues had received the material. “By 7.15 pm all districts had received question papers and OMR sheets,” WBCHSE president Chiranjib Bhattacharya said.

Candidates must report by 9 am, with entry closing at 10.30 am. Most papers will be held from 10 am to 11.15 am. For the first time, students will answer multiple-choice questions on OMR sheets, 35 for lab-based subjects and 40 for non-lab subjects.

Electronic gadgets, including mobile phones and calculators, are prohibited.

Two sets of question papers have been sent for major subjects. Set I will be used ordinarily, while Set II will be opened only on the Council’s instructions if malpractice or a leak is confirmed.

Papers will be opened before candidates at 9.55 am and distributed at 10 am. Examinees will not be allowed to leave before the exam ends, except in emergencies.