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West Bengal Unveils Semester System for Higher Secondary Exams
30 Oct
Summary
- First semester-based HS exams in West Bengal
- 6,60,000 students took exams using OMR sheets
- New format includes MCQs and short answer questions
On October 31, 2025, the West Bengal Council of Higher Secondary Education (WBCHSE) announced the results for the state's first-ever Higher Secondary (HS) third-semester examinations. This marks a significant transition, as these exams were the first to be held under the newly introduced semester system.
Chiranjib Bhattacharya, the President of WBCHSE, confirmed that an estimated 6,60,000 candidates, with 56.03% being girls, took the exams using OMR (Optical Mark Recognition) sheets. This was a departure from the previous annual system that had been in place since 1978.
The new semester-based format divides the Class 12 curriculum into four parts, with the third and fourth semesters determining a candidate's final ranking and grade. The question papers for semesters one and three now include multiple-choice questions (MCQs) to promote thinking and reasoning skills, while semesters two and four feature short answer questions (SAQs) and development quotient (DQ) questions to retain writing abilities.
Bhattacharya stated that the next semester exams are scheduled for February, and the overall results from the two-semester evaluation will determine a candidate's final performance.
