The Madhyamik Examination 2026 kicks off across West Bengal this Monday, with nearly 9.7 lakh students ready to head into 2,682 centers. This year’s cohort shows a significant gender gap, with 5,44,606 female candidates compared to 4,26,733 males, along with one transgender candidate.
The board has set a strict schedule for the exams, which run until February 12. Doors open at 10:00 am, but the real action starts at 10:45 am with 15 minutes dedicated solely to reading the question paper. Writing begins at 11:00 am sharp and wraps up by 2:00 pm. WBBSE President Ramanuj Ganguly noted that students have been briefed well in advance about specific rules, such as ensuring the question paper serial number is correctly noted on their answer booklets.
Security is tighter than ever this year. To prevent leaks and cheating, all electronic gadgets — from smartphones to smartwatches and even earbuds — are strictly banned. Even school staff are restricted, with only a few designated officials allowed to carry phones for official purpose. In districts like Malda and the Dinajpurs, metal detectors are being deployed, and CCTV footage from every center will be archived for at least a month.
The board is also taking a "you break it, you pay for it" approach to school property. Any vandalism at a center will result in the school being charged for damages, and the involved students won't get their results until the bill is settled.
Inside the hall, it’s back to basics: only admit cards, registration certificates, pens, and transparent clipboards are allowed. You won't see water bottles or non-transparent pencil cases on the desks. There’s also a lockdown period for the first hour and 15 minutes, during which no one can leave. If a student needs to finish and head out early after that window, they have to hand over both their script and the question paper, which they can only reclaim once the final bell rings.
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