The Class X students in Odisha will appear for the annual High School Certification (HSC) examinations at their respective schools this year, said School and Mass Education Minister Samir Ranjan Dash on Friday.

The Minister said that the decision was taken in the wake of the Covid-19 pandemic across the state and also to ease the congestion of the parents and their wards in such a situation.

The actual figure about the examination centres will be known only after the process of filling-up of forms is over, he added.

The Board of Secondary Education (BSE) is scheduled to conduct the exam between May 3 and 15.

The students appearing for the HSC examination this year will answer 80 marks questions in each paper instead of 100 marks. The rest 20 marks will be evaluated on the basis of the percentage secured by an examinee. This year, around 6.5 lakh students are likely to appear for the exam.