The countdown has begun. From 18 February, more than 50 lakh teenagers across Uttar Pradesh will file into examination halls for the UP Board high school and intermediate examinations — armed with pens, admit cards and, for many, a fair bit of nerves — at more than 8,000 examination centres set up across the state to ensure the mammoth exercise runs smoothly.This year, as in the past two years, students sitting the high school papers will encounter a familiar but still formidable feature: the OMR sheet.A careful fill, no second chancesUnder the system introduced in 2023, candidates must answer 20 objective questions out of a 70-mark paper by darkening circles on an Optical Mark Recognition (OMR) sheet. The remaining 50 marks will be earned the traditional way — through long and short answers written in their answer books.The Board has tried to smooth the process. Candidates’ roll numbers and subjects will be pre-printed on the OMR sheets, reducing the risk of clerical errors in the heat of the moment. Still, officials are urging caution.Students must mark the question paper series carefully and fill the corresponding circles using a blue or black ballpoint pen. Any attempt to cut, erase or use correction fluid on the OMR sheet will lead to cancellation. In such cases, an “orange” OMR sheet will be issued — but here’s the catch: candidates will then have to fill in all details, including roll number and subject, themselves.Room invigilators will shoulder the responsibility of matching details on the OMR sheets. Students are advised to read instructions printed on the reverse before making a single mark.To prevent tampering, the Board has also introduced a counter-foil arrangement. Each OMR sheet is printed in two parts: the main sheet and a lower counter foil. At the end of the exam, invigilators will separate and seal them in different envelopes. It’s a quiet but firm reminder that the system is tightening up.Admit card forgotten? You may still sitIn a move that will reassure the absent-minded and the anxious alike, the Board has allowed candidates who forget their admit cards to appear — but only provisionally.If a student turns up without the document due to haste or oversight, the centre administrator may permit them to sit the exam on the condition that they produce the admit card or a duplicate at the next paper. Failure to do so will bar them from further exams.There is also a 30-minute grace window for latecomers, provided they offer a valid reason. Errors in name, gender or identification details on admit cards will not automatically disqualify candidates; cross-verification with other documents will suffice.Disabled candidates will receive 20 minutes of extra time, and if a centre is located in a multi-storey building, arrangements will be made for them to sit on the ground floor.Meanwhile, teachers in government and aided schools have been assigned 20 compulsory duty shifts to ensure smooth conduct.Practical hiccups and second chancesNot everything has gone to plan. During the intermediate practical examinations, 4,372 students were unable to sit their tests. Of these, 1,355 were absent in the first phase, 379 could not be examined due to the absence of four examiners, and 1,754 missed the second phase.The Board has announced that these students will be given another opportunity after the written examinations conclude on 12 March. Those who miss practicals due to illness or other genuine difficulties will have two chances in total.Lessons from the top: Write smart, not just hardAhead of the examinations, the Secondary Education Department hosted a YouTube guidance session featuring Additional Chief Secretary Partha Sarathi Sen Sharma and Secondary Education Council Secretary Bhagwati Singh. Students, parents and invigilators tuned in with questions.The advice was practical and pointed. Many students, Sharma observed, “know everything” but struggle to express it effectively in writing.His prescription? Take mock tests. Solve the questions you know best first. Use headings. Highlight key points. Draw graphs and diagrams where relevant. Remember that examiners are pressed for time — clarity helps.Above all, manage your time. Leave five minutes at the end to revise. It could mean the difference between a good answer and a great one.Battling the silent pressureBeyond logistics and rules lies a more human story — one of mounting psychological pressure.Students from across the state have been ringing the psychology department’s toll-free helpline, 1800-180-5311, seeking advice. Some confess that mobile phones and social media are derailing their revision. Others describe trembling hands, racing hearts and blank minds as exams approach.According to PN Singh, director of the department, parents are being urged to provide a supportive environment and reduce undue pressure.The advice to students is steady and reassuring: create a timetable and stick to it. Keep phones away while studying. Replace negative thoughts — “I will fail” — with positive affirmations. Practise yoga or meditation. Set small, achievable goals. Avoid comparisons.For those weighed down by parental expectations — the daunting 95 per cent and above — the message is clear: give your best, not someone else’s. Marks do not define ability.And for those fearing they have not prepared enough? Focus on what can still be done. Solve previous years’ papers. Memorise actively by writing. Think of the exam not as a final judgement, but as one milestone among many.As the February chill lingers, so does a palpable tension in homes across Uttar Pradesh. Yet amid OMR sheets, sealed envelopes and strict invigilation, there is also a note of empathy.Exams, after all, are as much about resilience as they are about results.
