KARACHI, March 5: The Board of Secondary Education Karachi is all set to conduct Secondary School Certificate (SSC) annual examinations from Monday (March 8).
About 280,000 regular and private candidates would appear in the examinations in two phases.
During the first phase - March 8-13 - examinations would be conducted for candidates of Class X, who are re-appearing in one or more paper of Class IX. The Board's Controller of Examinations, Muhammad Saleem Khan, told Dawn that papers for the candidates taking Class X examination this year for the first time would start from March 15 in the case of General Group and from March 16 in the case of Science Group.
He clarified that any Class X student appearing in Class IX papers from March 8 and turn up accordingly could avail another chance by appearing in their respective papers along with fresh candidates of Class IX. Class IX Science Group papers would commence on March 15 while General Group papers on March 16.
The Board has planned 359 examination centres, including 155 for girl students, at government and private schools. A centre for examination of about 50 jail-inmates would also be set up at the Karachi Central Prison.
The papers of Class X (regular and private) candidates of Science and General groups would be held in the morning, i.e. from 9am to 12 noon, while papers of Class IX General and Science groups (private and regular) would be held in the afternoon shift from 2pm to 5pm.
The controller mentioned that admit cards of private students had been sent to their addresses, while regular candidates could collect the same from their respective educational institutions. In case of non-receipt of cards, private candidates could contact the BSE offices, he added.
The Board has made elaborate arrangements for holding the examinations in a peaceful manner. An emergency reporting cell is being set up for the convenience of centre superintendents. The cell could be approached on telephone No. 6617409.
The controller said that vigilance teams, comprising male and female officials, would also be visiting examination centres in the second phase of examinations starting March 15.
The Board, he stated, had issued admit cards against all forms received from the affiliated educational institutions and, as such, the question of any regular student's card having been withheld at the Board office did not arise. The group-wise breakup of candidates is as follows:
SCIENCE: Class IX (Boys) 52,429; Class X (Boys) 52,298; Class IX (Girls) 40,183; and Class X (Girls) 40,120.
GENERAL: Class IX (Boys) 10,614; Class X (Boys) 10,008; Class IX (Girls) 25,523; and Class X (Girls) 26,782.
GENERAL (Private): Class IX (Boys) 5,573; Class X (Boys) 6,090; Class IX (Girls) 3,376; and Class X (Girls) 3,519.
