KARACHI, March 14: The first-ever mock test being organised by the Board of Secondary Education Karachi (BSEK) on March 25 is mandatory for all the Class IX students of Science group preparing to appear in the coming Secondary School Certificate (Part-I) annual examinations scheduled to commence on April 18, the board's chairman, Syed Anzar Hussain Zaidi, said.

Giving the details of the test at a press conference on Monday, he said that over 138,000 candidates would appear in the test for which 170 centres — 98 for boys and 72 for girls — had been set up at prominent government and private schools in all the 18 towns of the city.

He said that the test would be of Class IX English (Compulsory) and it would be held between 9am and noon.

Speaking about the measures taken by the BSEK for conducting the forthcoming SSC annual examinations in an effective and transparent manner, he said that it was on the directives of Sindh Governor Dr Ishratul Ibad that the number of examination centres had been reduced from 431 to just 170, the number of vigilance officers had almost been doubled, besides there would be now two centre superintendent — one internal and one external — instead of the past practice of having only one centre superintendent.

He said that the decision to drastically reduce the number of examination centres was aimed at posting a sufficient number of security personnel and to conduct the exams in a transparent manner to eradicate the menace of cheating.

He said that admit cards of the mock test and the annual examination would be the same and the process of issuing the cards to the representatives of each school would begin on March 18.

Highlighting the importance of the mock test, Mr Zaidi said that by taking part in the test not only the Class IX students would become acquainted with the board's examination system and the pattern of their papers but the board itself would come to know about the shortcomings so that they could be overcome before the commencement of the annual examination.

In this regard, he said the BSEK has arranged a training session on March 19 for the centre superintendents.

The BSEK secretary, Hoor Mazhar, and acting controller of examinations Abdul Rehman were also present.