Assam: Class 9 English Annual Exam 2025 Cancelled After Paper Leak in Barpeta

GUWAHATI- The Class 9 English annual examination in Assam’s Barpeta district, scheduled for March 20, has been cancelled following a question paper leak on social media. Officials confirmed the cancellation to ensure fairness in the examination process.

This incident has raised concerns about the integrity of the examination process managed by the Secondary Education Board of Assam (SEBA) and highlighted vulnerabilities in the system that need urgent attention.

The Class 9 English annual exam was scheduled to take place on Thursday, March 20, 2025, across various schools in Assam’s Barpeta district. However, on the evening of Wednesday, March 19, 2025, authorities received information that the question paper had been leaked and was circulating on social media platforms.

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Following this revelation, the Barpeta Inspector of Schools, Ratul Kumar Das, issued an official order to all school heads in the district, announcing the postponement of the exam due to “unavoidable circumstances.”

An official from the district-level internal examination committee confirmed that they became aware of the leak on Wednesday evening. Preliminary investigations suggest that the question paper went viral on social media, prompting swift action from the authorities. The official stated, “We suspect that the paper went viral on social media. We are verifying all claims. We cannot take any risk and cancelled the examination.”

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The cancellation has caused uncertainty among Class 9 students in Barpeta district, who were prepared to appear for the exam. The delay may affect their study schedules and increase anxiety as they await new exam dates.

The incident has put SEBA and the district examination committee under scrutiny, raising questions about security measures for question papers and the robustness of the examination system.

Parents and school administrations are concerned about the recurring issue of paper leaks in Assam, as this is not an isolated event in the region’s educational history.

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This is not the first instance of a paper leak in Assam’s examination system. In February 2024, the English question paper for the High School Leaving Certificate (HSLC) Exam in Cachar district was leaked within half an hour of the exam’s commencement, allegedly originating from an examination center at Banskandi Nena Mia H.S. Such incidents indicate a pattern of security lapses that continue to challenge the credibility of the state’s educational assessments.

As of March 20, 2025, the investigation into the Class 9 English paper leak is ongoing. SEBA has assured stakeholders that new examination dates will be announced soon. Students have been advised to monitor official announcements for updates. Meanwhile, efforts are underway to verify the authenticity of the leaked content and trace its origin to prevent future occurrences.

The Assam Class 9 Annual Exam 2025 paper leak in Barpeta district underscores the need for robust safeguards in the examination process. While the immediate cancellation of the exam was a necessary step to uphold fairness, it reflects deeper systemic issues that require comprehensive reforms.

As SEBA works to reschedule the exam and investigate the breach, the focus must shift toward restoring trust in the educational system and ensuring a secure environment for students to demonstrate their abilities.