Bengaluru, (DHNS): The SSLC examination is set to begin from Friday, with the first language papers. A total of 7.6 lakh fresh candidates, 70,253 repeaters and 23,199 private candidates will be writing the examination this year.

The exam, conducted by the Karnataka Secondary Education Examination Board, concludes on April 6.

This time, all the 2,817 centres will be monitored through closed circuit cameras. Minister for Primary and Secondary Education Tanveer Sait said that last year, only about 15% of the centres were covered by CCTV. But this time, they had ensured 100% coverage. The rooms where answer papers will be stored after the examination also have CCTV cameras installed there.

Two police personnel will be deployed at every exam centre. All officials involved in the conduct of the examination will carry ID cards and those stationed at the exam centres, other than the centre chief, have been restricted from using their mobile phones.

Students have been randomly assigned to centres to ensure they don't write the examination in their own school. In 1,806 centres where randomisation could not be done due to geographical reasons, teachers from other schools will be deployed for invigilation. Of the total centres, 45 have been identified as sensitive and 23 as very sensitive.

This year, for the first time, the process of registration for the examination was simplified by using the Student Achievement Tracking System.

Instead of the usual hassle of filling up OMR sheets with student details, information was taken through this system.

Hall tickets were also not printed and sent from the Board to the schools. Schools could instead access the hall tickets online and print them by logging in through their IDs.

A total of 3,785 students from 100 high schools are writing the examination under the National Skills Qualification Framework. A helpline, 23310075/23310076, can be contacted between 9 am and 7 pm.

Fresh candidates

Boys 3,88,701
Girls 3,72,271
Total 7,60,972

Exam centres 2,817 (with closed circuit camera monitoring)

* March 23 to April 6