The second day of the Secondary School Certificate annual examinations (grade 9 and grade 10) under the Board of Secondary Education Karachi began on Saturday with a sense of urgency and discipline across the city.
Early in the morning, thousands of students made their way to their respective examination centres, preparing to sit for their papers under the strict arrangements made for the purpose.
For ninth-grade students, the computer studies paper was scheduled for the morning shift. The examination, set to last three hours, began at 9:30am and continued until 12:30pm.
Outside the centres, a mix of nervous anticipation and quiet determination could be seen on the faces of students, many revising their respective notes until the very last moment.
In total, more than 385,000 students were appearing in the morning and afternoon shifts across 521 examination centres that have been established throughout the city.
To ensure smooth conduct, the board had implemented a well-organised system for the distribution of question papers. Board officers transported sealed papers to 25 designated hub centres spread across 18 towns of the city. From there, centre control officers delivered them securely to their respective examination venues.
Moreover, strict monitoring remained in place during the examinations. Board officers stayed present at each centre, overseeing the process to ensure transparency and fairness. As soon as the examinations concluded, answer sheets were carefully collected, sealed under supervision and dispatched back to the board office without delay.
To maintain the integrity of the examinations, the board had enforced several precautionary measures. Photocopy machines near the examination centres were ordered to remain closed during the examination hours to prevent any chances of paper leaks.
Students were also strictly warned against bringing mobile phones. Any violation of this rule would result in immediate confiscation. With such tight security arrangements and coordinated efforts, the board aimed to conduct the examinations in a fair and orderly manner, ensuring that every student was given an equal opportunity to perform.
The Karachi administration has also taken measures for security, discipline and transparency during the matriculation examinations. Deputy commissioners and assistant commissioners visited examination centres to review the process and arrangements.
District East Deputy Commissioner Nasrullah Abbasi, District West Deputy Commissioner Zulfikar Memon, District Keamari Deputy Commissioner Amir Fazal Owaisi and various assistant commissioners informed the Karachi commissioner about their respective visits, saying that they reviewed the examination arrangements, security, transparency and anti-cheating measures.
