O/L begins on December 12

Dharma Sri Abeyratne

The Ordinary Level Examination 2009 will commence on December 12 at around 4,000 Examination centres throughout the country, Examinations Commissioner General Anura Edirisinghe said.

The examination will continue until December 23 and will not be held on December 13 and 20 (Sundays).

More than 545,000 applicants have qualified to sit the examination this year. Out of these applicants 340,000 are school candidates while the balance 205,000 are private applicants.

Out of 340,000 school applicants, around 300,000 will sit the examination first time while the rest 40,000 are repeaters.

Over 25,000 candidates from Kilinochchi and Mullaitivu will also sit the O/L Examination, Edirisinghe said.

"The Examinations Department along with the Education Ministry has taken steps to conduct extra classes, seminars and educational sessions for candidates in welfare villages in Vavuniya.

Before commencing the examination, these candidates who are in welfare villages will be resettled in their native places. In such circumstances, the Examinations Department has planned to establish more examination centres for candidates who are likely to be resettled," Edirisinghe said.

School candidates who sit the examination for the first time can produce either their postal identity card or the National Identity Card while external candidates have to produce only their National Identity Cards.

Candidates are also not permitted to bring or use calculators or correcting fluid at the examination, the Commissioner added.

"All candidates are bound to obey the examination rules or else the Examinations Department will take tough action against candidates who violate the rules", the Commissioner said.