KARACHI - The Board of Secondary Education Karachi (BSEK) on Sunday announced that it had finalised the arrangements to conduct the annual matriculation examinations from March 28.

In compliance with directives of the Steering Committee of the Sindh Education Department, the BSEK has set up for the first time in its history five hub centres to ensure timely provision of admit cards and date sheets.

Addressing a press conference at the board office, BSEK Chairman Prof Dr Saeeduddin said that in the first phase the general group (regular and private) examinations would begin on March 28 and continue until April 14. In the second phase, he said, science group (regular and private) examinations would be conducted from April 15 to May 3. The decision was taken in view of teachers’ business in the population census in Sindh, he said.

The BSEK chairman said that 353,466 male and female students of ninth and tenth classes would take examination of general and science groups, five percent more compared to the last year. The chairman said that 45,186 candidates of ninth and 10th classes would appear in general group examination. For them, 82 examination centres have been set up, 49 for girls alone.

He said that 308,280 candidates would appear in science group examination, in which the number of ninth class students was 150,801 and tenth class students 157,479. For the science group, 318 examination centres have been set up -- 173 for boys and 145 for girls.