Amaravati, March 16 (NationPress) More than 600,000 students are taking part in the Secondary School Certificate (SSC) (Class 10) public examinations that kicked off across Andhra Pradesh on Monday.

The examination venues buzzed with excitement as students, many accompanied by their guardians, arrived well ahead of schedule.

The exams began at 9:30 a.m. across 3,415 centres, with extensive preparations made by the Board of Secondary Education.

Officials reported that a total of 640,916 students registered for the exams, including 328,652 boys and 312,264 girls. Among them are 18,842 private candidates.

The examination takes place from 9:30 a.m. to 12:45 p.m., lasting three hours and 15 minutes. Students were permitted entry starting at 9 a.m. after undergoing thorough security checks.

The exams commenced with the First Language paper on Monday, followed by the Second Language on March 18, English on March 21, Mathematics on March 23, Physical Science on March 25, Biological Science on March 28, and Social Studies on March 30.

The Physical Science and Biological Science papers will be administered from 9:30 a.m. to 11:30 a.m., each lasting two hours, as both papers are valued at 50 marks each.

According to the schedule provided by the Board, the exams will cover seven papers totaling 600 marks.

Officials confirmed that all examination centres are equipped with CCTV cameras, sufficient seating, drinking water, and medical assistance to ensure a smooth examination process.

Strict oversight is in place to curb any potential malpractice.

Examinations Director K.V. Srinivasula Reddy stated that 38,958 invigilators have been designated for the language papers.

The Board has also set up 156 flying squads to monitor exam centres for any irregularities.

Candidates were provided with complimentary transportation on APSRTC buses to facilitate their journey to the examination sites.

Additionally, the government reported that over 238,000 candidates downloaded their hall tickets via the 'Mana Mitra' WhatsApp Governance system. This innovative platform recorded 316,000 hits for hall tickets.

Officials noted that this feature has been highly advantageous for students, as hall tickets were accessible immediately upon sending a simple 'Hi'.

For the first time, students were able to retrieve their hall tickets through the Mana Mitra WhatsApp Governance number 9552300009.

Moreover, 65,477 students accessed their hall tickets through the Education Department’s LEAP app, while the highest figure—753,834 students—obtained theirs through the official online portal.