An estimated 6.6 lakh students appeared on Monday for West Bengal’s first-ever class 12 board examinations under the newly introduced semester system.

This marked a historic shift from the annual examination format that had been in place since 1978, with the last such test held in March this year.

According to official figures from the West Bengal Council of Higher Secondary Education (WBCHSE), 56.03 percent of those appearing were girl candidates.

SHIFT TO NEW FORMAT

Students under the state board had already experienced the semester structure in class 11 and continued with the same model in their final year of school.

Council president Chiranjib Bhattacharya confirmed that the semester-based system was being implemented in line with the new state education policy.

“The students, who passed the first and second semester exams of class 11, took the third semester exams (of class 12) at 2,106 centres across the state,” Bhattacharya said.

The examinations were conducted between 10 am and 11.15 am. Officials stated that strict monitoring had been put in place to ensure transparency.

SECURITY AND SENSITIVE VENUES

Out of the total centres, 122 were categorised as ‘sensitive’, requiring additional oversight. Bhattacharya emphasised that all electronic devices, including mobile phones, had been strictly prohibited at the venues to prevent malpractice.

He added that the board was fully committed to maintaining fairness and credibility during the examinations.

STRUCTURE OF THE SEMESTER SYSTEM

Explaining the new format, Bhattacharya said that question papers in semesters one and three would contain multiple-choice questions, designed to test critical thinking and reasoning skills.

Semesters two and four, however, would focus on written answers, with short answers and development quotient sections aimed at preserving students’ writing abilities.

The class 12 semester exams will continue until August 22.

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