Kerala board exams at Gulf centres postponed due to volatile situation in region

The Kerala state school board examinations scheduled to begin this week at various centres in the Gulf region have been indefinitely postponed. 

This decision comes in response to the increasingly volatile situation in the Middle East, which has created significant uncertainty for families living in the Gulf.

General Education Minister V Sivankutty stated that, due to the ongoing conflict, there are considerable challenges in administering the examinations. 

The Secondary School Leaving Certificate (Class X) exam, originally set for March 5, and the Higher Secondary examinations scheduled for March 5, 6, and 7, will be rescheduled.

For the SSLC exam, 633 students at seven centres in the Gulf region, 417,497 students at 3031 centres in Kerala, and 386 students in nine centres in Lakshadweep.

He said new dates for these exams will be communicated to students, parents and guardians later to ensure that all parties are informed promptly.

"Officials have acknowledged concerns from students in the Gulf region and Kerala about safely reaching examination centres to take their exams,” he told reporters on Monday.

"To address these worries, the Department of General Education is committed to supporting affected students. Students who may be unable to participate in the examinations are encouraged to apply to the Director of General Education for consideration."

The minister said applications can be submitted via the applicant's primary school teacher or principal. 

The general education department will review each application based on its merits, prioritising the well-being of the children.Distribution of answer sheets for SSLC, Vocational Higher Secondary, and Higher Secondary exams to schools in 41 district education offices is complete this week.

The SSLC question papers have arrived at the 41 district education offices, and sorting is complete. The papers are now secured in the bank and the treasury safe lockers.

The chief superintendent and deputy chief superintendent for the SSLC exam have been appointed, with about 26,000 teachers set to oversee invigilation statewide.

The minister said applications have been received for about 950 chief examiners and 9,000 examiners to evaluate answer sheets at 72 camps. 

Appointment orders will be issued in the second week of March, with evaluations scheduled from April 7 to April 28, 2026.

The SSLC examination results are expected by the third week of May. Online applications for Plus One (Class XI) admissions for the 2026-2027 academic year will open the day after the results are announced, ensuring all qualifying students have access to further studies.

The Plus One classes will start, and admissions will be facilitated primarily through three allotments in the main phase. Last year, classes commenced on June 18.

"Following the main phase, new applications will be invited to fill remaining vacancies through supplementary allotments, ensuring timely admissions,” Sivankutty said.

The First Year Higher Secondary and Vocational Higher Secondary Examinations will commence on March 5, followed by the Second Year examinations on March 6. 

Currently, 411,025 students are taking first-year exams, 341,222 are sitting for the first-year improvement exam, and 452,437 are taking the second-year exam.

A total of 1,984 examination centres have been designated for the first and second-year Higher Secondary examinations, including seven in the Gulf region.The minister stated that about 29,000 teachers are needed as invigilators for the exams.

There will be 89 evaluation camps for the Higher Secondary Examination, with the evaluation starting on April 6 and results expected by May 22.For Vocational Higher Secondary, there are 26,829 first-year and 26,826 second-year regular students. 

A total of 389 examination centres and 8 evaluation camps have been set up, requiring 3,700 teachers for exam duties. Evaluation camps will start on April 6, after the theory exams.