SSLC exams with separate question, answer papers begin tomorrow

Students must report at centres at 9.15 am; free bus service arranged

The Class X Secondary School Leaving Certificate (SSLC) examination conducted by the Karnataka Secondary Education Examination Board (KSEEB) will begin on Thursday, March 30.

This year, 8,77,174 students across the state will write the examination at 2,770 centres. Unlike previous years, students will write their answers in a separate booklet and they will be allowed to carry the question paper back home.

Speaking at a press conference on Tuesday, Yashoda Bopanna, director of KSEEB, said, “This has been done to make transportation and storage of papers easier as the bulk of the papers will be reduced.” Besides this, there is no change in the examination pattern.

Commissioner of public instruction, Sowjanya, who was also present at the conference, urged students to be present at the exam hall between 9.15 am and 9.30 am. However, she said students will be allowed to enter the hall till 9.45 am.

The number of centres has been reduced this year, from 3,082 in 2016, to improve
security.

Candidates are prohibited from carrying mobile phones, calculators, textbooks, reference books and chits into the examination hall. Students can travel for free on BMTC or KSRTC buses to their examination centre, by displaying their hall tickets and bus pass which they use to commute to their school.

For any subject-related doubts, tips for preparation or overcoming stress, students may call the KSEEB helpline at 080 23310075 or 080 23310076. The helpline will be functional between 9 am and 2.30 pm, from March 30 to April 12, the last day of the exam. 

Security measures

Under the Karnataka Secured Examination System, 40 CCTV cameras have been installed at the KSEEB office. Cameras in the 30 district treasuries and four sub-treasuries will be monitored 24x7 from the KSEEB, till the completion of exams.

The department did not make installation of CCTV cameras mandatory in all schools as many would have resource constraints, the commissioner said. Of the total centres, 1,184 have installed CCTV cameras in all class rooms and 1,361 have installed cameras in the chief’s room.

“Special observers will be deployed at centres without cameras, sensitive and most sensitive centres. These observers will be tahsildars or revenue officials who will be assigned random centres,” Sowjanya said. Inter-district vigilance squads have also been formed, comprising DIET lecturers and other officers. A custodian has been appointed in each centre to keep an account of the number of question papers and answer papers.

Photocopiers within 200 metres of examination centres are to remain closed.