CISCE Board Exam 2020: Class 10, 12 students can change centre for pending exams; allowed to take exams later with compartmental tests

New Delhi: The Council for the Indian School Certificate Examinations (CISCE) has allowed students to appear for the pending board exams from the city they are in at present and has also given an option to candidates to take up the exam later during compartmental tests, according to officials. The exams, which were postponed in view of a nationwide lockdown imposed to contain the spread of COVID-19, have been scheduled from 1 to 14 July. However, many students have moved to different locations after the lockdown came into effect on 25 March. “We have received requests from schools and parents for a change in the candidate’s exam centre. To ensure that students who are not present in the district where their school is located, the candidates have been allowed to appear for the remaining examinations from an exam centre located in a CISCE affiliated school in the location they are in,” said Gerry Arathoon, chief executive and secretary, CISCE. Students who are unable to appear for the remaining exams due to COVID-19 will be permitted to take the exams at the time of conduct if compartmental exams, he added. The students have been asked to make request for change in the exam centre by 7 June with their respective schools. The Council has also asked schools to ensure social distancing is followed and directed candidates to carry hand sanitisers and wear face masks. Unlike the CBSE, which will conduct the pending exams in only 29 subjects crucial for promotion and admission to higher educational institutions, the CISCE will hold all pending exams. The pending Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) exams are scheduled from 1 to 15 July. Universities and schools across the country have been closed since 16 March when the Centre announced a countrywide classroom shutdown as part of a slew of measures to contain the COVID-19 outbreak. Later, the government announced a nationwide lockdown which began on 25 March. The lockdown was initially imposed for a 21-day period till 14 April. However, it has been extended thrice. The current phase of the lockdown will last till 31 May. The schedule for the board exams has been decided in order to ensure that they are completed before competitive examinations. While engineering entrance exam JEE-Mains is scheduled to be held from 18 to 23 July, medical entrance exam NEET is scheduled for 26 July.