All the best! CBSE X and XII board examinations start from March 9

New Delhi: Testing time for CBSE students has started from today. The board examinations for class X and XII students of Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) started from Thursday (March 9).

As per the data provided by the board, about 8,86,506 candidates have registered for Class-X examination, which is 15.73 per cent more than 2016 figure and showing a 2.82 per cent increase from the preceding year's number, a total of 10,98,981 students have enrolled for Class-XII exams in this session.

The exams for class X, however, are voluntary at present, the board has decided to make them compulsory from next year. The CBSE said that number of students registering for class X exams is likely to go further up from the next session after implementing the step.

Examination Centres:

• The examination for class X will be conducted at 16,363 centers across the country and 10,678 centres have been allotted for the intermediate examinations all over India.
• Fifty-eight examination centres have also been set up in some Gulf countries and six in various other countries.

What CBSE officials said:

• The exam material has been dispatched to all the examination centres.
• Admit cards have been downloaded by all schools.
• Full-time observers will be appointed at sensitive centres by the Board.
• Arrangements with the state authorities and local police have been finalised to ensure trouble-free examinations throughout the country.
• The sealed question paper packets will be opened in the presence of at least four Assistant Superintendents- one of them would be from a school other than the examination centre, as a witness.
• The CBSE has a three-tier arrangement for surprise checking- flying squads from the Board itself, Delhi's Directorate of Education (DoE) and those from outside Delhi.
• Centre Superintendents have been asked to approach the local police authorities for ensuring that adequate police force is made available at the place of custody of the question papers and the examination centres.
• The state law-enforcing agencies have also been requested to provide adequate police force at the place of custody of question papers and the examination centres.

It is worth mentioning that joining hands with Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s digital India initiative the board has also come up with a mobile application to help students locate their examination centre using their phone numbers. This has been done by any board for the first time.