State Education Board Cancels HS First Year Exams Amid Panchayat Election Duty

The Assam State School Education Board, Division-II, has announced the cancellation of the remaining Higher Secondary (HS) First Year Examinations for 2025 on Friday, citing logistical challenges due to the upcoming Panchayat Elections and recent concerns over exam security following a paper leak scandal.

The decision, taken during a board meeting on April 4, comes after teachers were assigned election duties, making it difficult to conduct exams before May 20. However, this move also follows the March 20 cancellation of the HS 1st Year Mathematics exam after reports of a leaked question paper surfaced. In response, the Board had already suspended the affiliations of ten private schools across Assam, including three from Barak Valley—Edith Douglas HS School, Presidency Sr. Sec. School (Cachar), and Hailakandi Science Sr. Sec. School (Hailakandi).

To ensure academic continuity, students who appeared for exams in March will be eligible for the HS Final Examination in 2026. Additionally, institutions and students seeking to assess their performance may collect question papers from their respective lead colleges for practice. However, schools under investigation for breaching exam protocols will not be permitted access to these papers.

Regarding mark sheets, schools will be authorised to download them from the board’s website, with marks for cancelled subjects being assigned based on previous unit tests, half-yearly exams, or averages from completed subjects. The deadline for uploading marks has been set for June 15, 2025.

The notification has been circulated to the Assam Education Department and relevant school authorities. However, students and parents remain concerned about the impact of these cancellations and the ongoing exam-related controversies.