Karnataka: 9.02 lakh students to appear for SSLC exam this year

Bengaluru: A record 9.02 lakh students from across the state have registered for the 2026 SSLC-1 examination scheduled between March 18 and April 2.

Of the 9,02,889 students who have registered for the exam this year, 8.12 lakh will be appearing in the exam for the first time, besides 62,845 repeaters and 27,189 private candidates, according to information shared by Minister for School Education and Literacy Madhu Bangarappa. Last year, 8.96 lakh students had registered for the key examination.

At a press conference, Madhu asked SSLC and second-year PU students to stay away from social media sites lest they get distracted by the dubious stories that are spread on those portals.

The minister said that the department would take all the necessary precautions to prevent question papers from being leaked. “Action will be initiated against those involved in spreading rumours about leaked papers,” said Madhu, adding that the department was closely monitoring social media sites to flag and scotch such rumours. “We will enlist the help of Cyber Police to block accounts of miscreants spreading misleading information. We have already taken action against habitual offenders,” said the minister.

Meanwhile, 7,10,363 students have registered for the 2026 second-year PU examinations, of whom 6,46,801 are freshers, 50,540 are repeaters and 13,022 are private candidates. While registration is highest for the Science stream, with 2.92 lakh students, 2.11 lakh Commerce students will be writing the exam this year. However, the number of students from the Arts stream who have registered is only 1.42 lakh.

Acknowledging the declining interest in Arts, Madhu said, “Enrolment for the Arts stream has seen a drastic reduction. In a few years, Arts courses will not be in demand. So, we have decided to increase the number of seats for the Science and Commerce sections at government colleges.”

There will be no awarding of grace marks, confirmed the minister, who, however, refrained from speaking on the dress code for examinations given that the issue is pending before the court.

Meanwhile, the department has extended the deadline for renewal of recognition till March 31 bringing relief for students at unauthorised schools. This will eliminate the need to tag students appearing for the SSLC examination to other schools.