Patna: (ABN) The Bihar School Examination Board's annual Secondary (Matric) exam 2026 will commence on February 17, 2026, in two shifts at 1,699 centers across the state. A total of 1,512,687 candidates will appear for the exam, including 785,722 girls and 726,961 boys. This year, the number of girls exceeds that of boys. Bihar Board Chairman Anand Kishor has directed all district magistrates, superintendents of police, and district education officers to conduct the exam in a clean, peaceful, and cheating-free environment. Orders have been issued to strictly enforce the government's 'zero tolerance' policy and take stern action against those who disrupt the exam.
The Board Chairman, Anand Kishor, clarified that candidates will be allowed to enter the exam center an hour before the exam begins. The main gate will be closed half an hour before the exam starts, and candidates arriving after that will not be allowed to enter. Late arrival or forced or illegal entry will be considered an attempt to disrupt the cheating-free exam. In such cases, the candidate will be expelled for two years, and an FIR will be lodged. If an exam is taken after forced entry, the center superintendent and other identified personnel will be suspended and face legal action.
There will be a two-stage check; candidates are advised not to bring certain items. Each candidate will undergo a two-stage frisking. The use of all electronic devices, including mobile phones, Bluetooth, pagers, electronic watches, smartwatches, and magnetic watches, will be strictly prohibited in the exam hall. CCTV cameras and videographers will be installed at each center.
Before the exam begins, continuous announcements will be made on the microphone, and candidates will be asked to enter the exam hall directly to avoid crowds at the gate. What arrangements are there for disabled candidates? Bihar Board Chairman Anand Kishor stated that arrangements have been made for writers for disabled candidates, who will also be given an additional 20 minutes per hour. The Board has appealed to all candidates to arrive at the exam center on time and cooperate in making the exam a success by following the rules.
Anand Kishor informed that the committee has set up a control room for the exchange of information and resolution of issues during the exam, which will operate from 6 am to 6 pm on February 16. The control room numbers 0612-2232257 and 0612-2232227 will be released on February 25. District officials and nodal officers will remain connected to the committee's social media groups to take immediate action on any information.
