The number of students appearing for this year’s examination is 11.95 per cent more than the last year’s figure, which stood at 4,01,950.

Officials at the West Bengal Council of Higher Secondary Education (WBCHSE) claimed that the jump was because of the lower number of students dropping out of the school during the 10 + 2.

Usually, the increase in the students appearing for the Higher Secondary examination varies from 4-8 per cent each year.

The council attributed the increase to a host of measures taken by it to reduce stress among the students.

“With the council trying various means for reliving the stress of the students, the number of examinees have increased more than ever before,” said Debasish Sarkar, Secretary, WBCHSE.

The council introduced indirect grading system last year and also abolished the system of two papers per subject. Instead the students now have to appear for only one paper for each subject that will include questions from both Class XI and Class XII syllabi.

“This increased figure is in spite of fact that the council has done away with the vocational and external examinations,” Sarkar added.

During the Higher Secondary examinations, the students will also get an extra 15 minutes.

But unlike the Madhyamik examination, they will be given answer scripts and question papers at the same time enabling the examinees to use the time judiciously for reading the question papers.

Of the 4,27, 094 students, who will be appearing for the Higher Secondary examinations this year, about 42.44 per cent (1,81,289) students are girls and the rest— 2,45,805— are boys.

The council will simultaneously conduct the class XI examinations from March 11 to April 9 when another 4,19,135 students will appear for the papers.