BHAKTAPUR: The Office of the Controller of Examinations, Higher Secondary Education Board (HSEB) on Sunday said that grade XII and XI exams in the remaining seven districts would be held from June 29 to July 9.

HSEB had earlier decided to conduct the board exams of grade XII and XI in two phases due to the devastating earthquake of April 25 and its powerful aftershock on May 12.

It had decided to conduct exams in 68 districts in the first phase, while exams in seven districts — Nuwakot, Sindhupalchowk, Kavre, Gorkha, Dhading, Ramechhap and Dolakha, the worst-hit districts, would be held in the second phase.

Santosh Kumar Aryal, acting controller, OCE, said the office had announced the exam routine of the second phase today after assurance of safety for examinees from the District Examination Coordination Committee in seven districts.

Currently, OCE has been conducting board exams of grades XII and XI in 68 districts.

Grade XII exams had begun from May 3. They concluded today while the exam of grade XI in 68 districts will be held from June 16 to 27.

Aryal said that a total of 19,196 examinees in grade XII and 21,558 examinees in grade XI will be appearing in the board exam in the second phase.

HSEB had also decided to give second chance to students who could not appear in the exams in the first phase by allowing them to sit for exams in the second phase.

Aryal said, “We have received applications from around 10 such students till date, but the actual number of examinees who missed the first phase exam could be higher.”

The OCE is currently identifying such students through school principals.

The HSEB had decided to give second chance to examinees who were physically hurt and mentally traumatised due to the earthquake and were being treated in the hospital.

Aryal said that all kinds of preparations for the exam in the second phase had been completed, except determining exam centres, which would be done in a few days.