Patna: The Bihar Board Intermediate (Class 12) examinations begin today and will continue until February 15. On the first day, the Biology (Science) and Philosophy (Arts) exams will be held in the first shift from 9:30 am to 12:45 pm, while the Economics (Arts-Commerce) exam will take place in the second shift from 2 pm to 5:15 pm.
This year, 12,90,213 students are set to appear for the exams, including 6,41,847 girls and 6,50,466 boys. The Bihar School Examination Board (BSEB) has set up 1,677 exam centres across the state—150 more than last year—to accommodate candidates.
The education department has implemented stringent security measures to prevent malpractice, including paper leaks. The board is closely monitoring the examination process through CCTV cameras installed at all centres, with a centralised control and command centre at the board office.
Students are required to enter the exam centres at least 30 minutes before the start of their papers. Those appearing for the first shift must reach by 9 am, while second-shift candidates must arrive by 1:30 pm. Latecomers will not be allowed entry.
Due to the ongoing cold weather, students have been permitted to wear shoes and socks inside exam centres until 5 February, after which the board will review the situation.
In Patna district alone, 75,917 students—37,174 girls and 38,743 boys—will take the exams at 85 designated centres. BSEB chairman Anand Kishore said that each student has been assigned a unique ID, and question papers will be available in 10 different set codes to prevent cheating.
The board has also introduced a new arrangement for students who forget or lose their admit cards. In such cases, they will still be allowed to sit for the exam after verification against the attendance sheet. If the photograph on an admit card is unclear, students can use an Aadhaar card or PAN card as proof of identity.
A control room has been set up at the board office for monitoring the exams, operational from February 1 to 15 February until 6 pm. To report any issues, students and officials can contact the board on 0612-2232257 or 0612-2232227.
