Diploma exam ready to judge students’ mettle

With the high school exam all set to take place on December 5-6, Minister of Education, Youth and Sport Hang Chuon Naron called on all high school exam candidates to stringently abide by the exam regulations and rules laid out by the ministry.

He also reminded them to have at least two adequate meals, enough water to avoid dehydration and to get some rest in preparation for the exam.

In a two-plus-minute video released on December 4, Chuon Naron called on students to try to reduce the tension they are feeling while in preparation for the exam, suggesting that this might be accomplished by reviewing their lessons thoroughly.

He also reminded them to travel carefully when on their way to the exam site and to obey the traffic laws. Furthermore, he instructed them to check the list of exam candidates for their names at least one day before the exam and to arrive at the testing centre at least 30 minutes to an hour prior to the scheduled start.

The education ministry said that any candidates who have been in close contact with people who are knownto be positive for Covid-19, have a fever of over 37.5 degree Celsius or experience symptoms such as coughing, sore throat or breathing difficulties must arrive at the exam centre before the other candidates in order to be tested for the virus and then take their test in a separate quarantine area.

Moeung Veasna, director of the Department of General Education and Technical Education Bureau of Examination, said that what the candidates have to do on exam day is wear masks, and socially distance while standing in lines by at least 1.5m at the exam centres.

“In the exam rooms, the candidates have to sit at tables and remain silent. When the testing process is underway, the candidates must not rise or turn left, right, step forward or walk away from their seats without the permission of invigilators and the candidates must not mark the exam papers with any sign,” he added.

The Ministry of Education emphasised that the candidates must not hide any kind of electronic gadgets at the centres or in the rooms. Any candidate found to have violated these regulations and rules will fail the exam automatically.

There are 128,134 candidates registered to sit the exams in 221 testing centres overseen by 27,753 invigilators. The result of the exams will be announced on December 27 for Phnom Penh and Kandal province and then on December 28 for the other provinces via the education ministry’s Facebook page.