Kathmandu, Mar. 18: The National Examinations Board, Office of the Controller of Examinations has completed all preparations for the Secondary Education Examination (SEE) scheduled to begin from Thursday, (March 20).

Nandalal Paudel, Controller of Examinations for Grade 10, stated that all necessary arrangements have been finalised for the SEE. 

This year, more than half a million students will be taking the exam, an increase of 49,286 students compared to the previous year. He said, “We have distributed admit cards to 514,071 students, including 75,500 to those appearing for the partial examination.”

According to Paudel, this year, the number of students appearing in partial examinations has increased. Until 2023 SEE, all students were graded, reducing the number of students applying for grade improvement and partial exams. However, this system was cancelled last year and ‘No Grading’ system was introduced. As a result, 75,500 are appearing for partial exams this year.

To ensure a smooth examination process, the office has set up 2,075 examination centres across the country. Additionally, one exam centre has been set up in Japan. For students in custody, three out-of-school centres have been arranged, one at the Juvenile Correction Centre in Bhaktapur, one at the Central Jail in Kathmandu and one at Dailekh Jail in Karnali.

According to Paudel, 77,800 examiners will be deployed across all centres with 15 civil police personnel assigned to each exam centre to ensure fair conduction of the examinations. Each centre with up to 150 students will have one assistant superintendent, while one invigilator equivalent to 20 students will be deployed in an examination centre.    

“Approximately 5.4 million sets of question papers have been printed and sent to the district-level educational units in all 77 districts,” Paudel said. “Special arrangements have also been made for students with disabilities. Separate Science and Mathematics question papers have been prepared for visually impaired students.”

This year, students from Saphalta HIV Shiksha Sadan in Kirtipur will also be participating in the SEE. Four HIV-positive students from the institution will be appearing for the exam. Meanwhile, our Makwanpur correspondent Ram Mani Dahal reported that Bagmati Province has the highest number of students taking the SEE this year. 

According to Pavitra Timilsina, the head of examinations at the Education Development Directorate in Hetauda, a total of 108,571 students will be sitting for the SEE in Bagmati Province. This marks an increase of 8,538 students compared to last year.

In the 2024 SEE, 100,033 students from the 13 districts of the province took the exam.

Despite the increase in the number of students, the number of examination centres has decreased. This year, 438 exam centres have been designated across the province, whereas there were 443 centres last year. 

Manang district has the lowest number of exam centres, with only one centre established. In the district, only 46 students are set to take the SEE and the exam centre has been set up at Lokpriya Secondary School, located in Chame, the district headquarters

The SEE will be conducted from 8 AM to 11 AM. The examinations will conclude on April 1.