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More than 4.2 million students are set to take the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) exams for Class 10 and Class 12, which begin on Saturday. The board exams for the 2024-25 academic year will be held at 7,842 examination centers across India and in 26 other countries.
According to data shared by CBSE, a total of 24,12,072 students from Class 10 will appear for exams across 84 subjects, while 17,88,165 students from Class 12 will take exams in 120 subjects. The Class 10 examinations will conclude on March 18, while Class 12 exams will wrap up on April 4.
The total number of students appearing for the board exams in 2025 stands at 42,00,237, marking an increase of 3,14,695 compared to last year’s 38,85,542 candidates.
Exam Schedule and Entry Guidelines
On the first day of the exams, Class 10 students will take their English (Communicative) and English (Language and Literature) papers from 10:30 AM to 1:30 PM, while Class 12 students will write the Entrepreneurship paper during the same time slot.
“No student will be permitted to enter the examination centres after 10 AM and will not be allowed to leave before 1:30 PM, when the exam ends. For entry to examination centres, regular students must bring their admit card along with the school identity card, while private students must bring their admit card and any government-issued photo ID. Regular students are required to wear school uniforms, while private students can wear light clothing,” said a CBSE official.
Security and Conduct of Examinations
CBSE Chairperson Rahul Singh emphasized the importance of conducting exams fairly. “The conduct of board exams in a free and fair manner is of utmost importance. The examination department of CBSE is continuously engaged in improving the processes starting from setting model question papers, then the actual question papers, and ensuring their security and secure transport right up to examination centres. The security of the question paper before the examination is to be secured and ensured at all costs,” Singh said during a webcast with school administrators.
CBSE Controller of Examination Sanyam Bhardwaj also announced several measures to ensure smooth examination procedures. Examination centers will be equipped with closed-circuit television (CCTV) surveillance, and the marks verification process for students has been updated.
“A total of 24 students will be sitting in each room of the examination centres, and two invigilators will be monitoring them. CCTV will be installed in each room,” Bhardwaj said.
CCTV Monitoring to Prevent Unfair Practices
In September last year, CBSE issued a CCTV policy to uphold the integrity of board exams and prevent any unfair practices.
“The assistant superintendent of the examination centres will be deputed for every 10 rooms to monitor the footage and report any incident of unfair means practices. The recording will be kept safely for a certain period after the declaration of the board results. We can also demand CCTV recordings from schools prior to the declaration of the results if we get any complaints. Following complaints, schools that fail to provide CCTV footage upon request will be deemed involved in unfair practices and action will be taken against them. Schools have to ensure the proper functioning of CCTVs,” Bhardwaj added.
Evaluation Process for Answer Sheets
Teachers have been instructed to evaluate 20 to 25 answer books in an eight-hour period to ensure error-free evaluation.
“Earlier students were asking for verification of marks, then photocopy of their answer books, and then re-evaluation. This time, students can directly ask for photocopies, and they will go through their answer books and find out the mistakes. Based on those mistakes, they will request CBSE for marks verification or re-evaluation or both,” Bhardwaj explained.
With strict monitoring, enhanced security measures, and revised evaluation procedures, CBSE aims to ensure that the 2025 board exams are conducted smoothly and fairly for all students.
