The high number of applications — about 3,50,000 applications for 9,353 vacancies in the state — forced the commission to reschedule the December exam for January 20, 2008.

Candidates can log on to the commission’s website www.westbengalssc.com to get a duplicate admit card after January 12. In such cases, the candidate will have to carry photo identity proof to the examination centre.

“Candidates from remote corners of the state apply for the exam. We have only five centres to cater to all students,” said Ranajit Basu, Chairman of the School Service Commission.

He added that now the students will be spared anxiety before the exam owing to earlier postal delays.

The commission will also continue its earlier practice of issuing duplicate admit cards from the four regional centres in the state (east, west, north, south) from January 15 to18 and from January 16 to 18 in the southeastern regional centre.