Bihar Matriculation Exams Begin Today With Strict Guidelines

Patna: More than 15.85 lakh students will appear for the Bihar School Examination Board (BSEB) matriculation exams starting Monday. The exams, which will run until February 25, will be conducted across 1,677 centres in the state under strict regulations.

On the first day, students will take their mother tongue examination in both shifts. The morning session will be held from 9:30 am to 12:45 pm, while the afternoon shift will take place from 2 pm to 5:15 pm. Candidates must report by 9 am for the first shift and by 1:30 pm for the second shift, as late entry will not be permitted.

Strict Security Measures in Place

BSEB Chairman Anand Kishore has warned that any candidate attempting to enter an exam centre illegally—either by scaling the boundary wall or forcefully entering through the gate—will face a two-year ban from appearing in board exams, along with possible legal action. If any centre superintendent allows such candidates to sit for the exam, they too will face suspension and an FIR.

To ensure smooth conduct, Section 144 has been imposed around all exam centres. Officials, including magistrates, zonal magistrates, and super zonal magistrates, will oversee proceedings, and additional static magistrates will be deployed at each centre.

Patna Sees Higher Participation of Girls

In Patna district alone, 73 exam centres have been set up for 71,669 students. Of these, 38,135 are girls and 33,534 are boys, with the number of female candidates exceeding males by 4,601.

In the first shift, 35,616 students (18,960 girls and 16,656 boys) will take the exam, while 36,053 students (19,175 girls and 16,878 boys) will appear in the second shift. Four model exam centres have been designated in the district: Kamla Nehru Higher Secondary School, Yarpur; Government Girls Higher Secondary School, Gardanibagh; Government Girls Higher Secondary School, Shastrinagar; and Government Girls Higher Secondary School, Bankipur.

Rules for Candidates

To maintain transparency and prevent malpractices, students are prohibited from wearing shoes and socks inside the examination hall. Smartwatches and magnet watches are also banned, with only needle watches allowed.

Additionally, each student has been issued a unique identification number, printed on their admit card, to enhance tracking and security.

OMR answer sheets will be collected at designated times. In the first shift (9:30 am – 12:45 pm), OMR sheets will be taken by 11 am, while for exams ending at 12:15 pm, collection will occur by 10:45 am. Similarly, in the second shift (2 pm – 5:15 pm), OMR sheets will be taken by 3:30 pm, and for exams ending at 4:45 pm, collection will occur by 3:15 pm.