KARACHI: Amid all the frustration, confusion and depression of the past several days about issuance of admit cards, etc, the annual Secondary School Certificate (SSC) exams commenced for over 385,529 students at 521 examination centres in the metropolis on Friday.

The annual matriculation exams were to begin on April 7. However, the Board of Secondary Education (BSEK) was forced to postpone the exams for three days after thousands of students complained that they did not get admit cards.

On Friday morning, students were seen solving the first paper, Computer Studies (theory), Part 2, at one of the designated examination centres on the first day of the exams in nice airy and well-lit classrooms.

However, there were reports that due to loadshedding, students at several other exam centres, particularly those set up in government schools, had to take their papers in the absence of fans and lights Most students were of the view that the exam was not very simple or easy to solve.

BSEK sets up 521 centres for over 385,000 students

One student, of Government Girls Pilot Higher Secondary School Nazimabad No 3, told Dawn that she found the paper challenging because she had been practicing on exam papers of the past five years but the current exam was quite different.

“I had acquired so many past papers from as far back as five years to practice. I realise now that I should have concentrated more on the course than past papers because this first exam is very different from the previous exams. Anyway, it has helped me know what to expect in the other papers now,” she said.

Earlier, the media was invited by the Board of Secondary Education Karachi (BSEK) Chairman Ghulam Hussain Sohoo at the Board Office Committee Room to witness their work of safely delivering the question papers to the centres.

A monitoring desk kept a sharp eye on each delivery car and person leaving the office as they were on live camera throughout the task. There are 25 hubs created in 18 towns for the distribution for the distribution of the exam papers on time.

A monitoring cell has also been established in the office of the Karachi commissioner, who has imposed Section 144 around all examination centres, too, with law enforcement agencies providing security. Speaking to the media, the BSEK chairman said that the FIA’s Cyber Crime section has been specially asked to ensure cyber security in WhatsApp groups against circulating leaflets or cheat sheets there.

“Besides there are also some 51 vigilance committees making random unannounced visits to examination centres. We will remain connected to them throughout,” he said.

He added that he has noticed that not just the Board, educational institutions and teachers are against cheating, these days the students and their parents also realise that cheating hinders progress.

“We all know that cheating is harmful to the intellectual growth of students but these days, I’m glad to note, that our students, too, realise that cheating will only cause them harm in the long run. Only hard work matters,” Mr Sohoo shared.

This year, there are more than 385,529 students who will appear in the morning and afternoon shifts in 521 examination centres. Due to last minute confusion as regards to changing exam centres, the BSEK chairman said that he is quite sure that nothing of the sort will happen. Still, he has issued standing orders to centre superintendents at all the examination centres to let a student, who may not be able to find his or her designated centre, submit their paper at whichever centre they are able to reach.

About the selection of examination centres, the board chairman said that before finalising the centres they met with all the district and town level officers of the Directorate of Schools to request them to suggest centres with best facilities and furniture.

“All such schools suggested to us by them have been turned into centres by us,” he said, adding that in registering the centres they kept the government and private schools ratio of 70/30.

Published in Dawn, April 11th, 2026