53,490 students to appear for exams in Oman today

Muscat: Beginning today, some 53,490 students will appear for the General Education Diploma (GED) exams, for the 2015-2016 academic year, the Ministry of Education has announced.
The exams will on January 10, in several governorates of the Sultanate. The first exam will be for the students of Islamic Education. Dr. Zuwaina bint Saleh Al Maskari, general director and supervisor of the exams, said 362 examination centres had been chosen which are quite safe.
The ministry has established committees that will monitor the maintenance of the centres.
Al Maskari added that all students must abide by the rules and regulations as published in a ministerial decision in 2015, especially regarding cheating and other malpractices.
The ministry will punish those who cheat or offer help to do so, be it the candidates or those who supervise the exams.
During the previous academic year of 2014-2015, the Ministry had penalised those who did not abide by the rules, by cancelling the grades of the subjects in which the candidates were found to have breached the rules.
Al Maskari said that candidates can only bring those tools that are allowed in the exams, i.e. pens, rulers and erasers, in addition to any tools needed for the respective courses.
Candidates may not take any of the following into the examination centre — any electronic devices, such as phones, pagers, cameras, personal computers and data storage devices; newspapers and magazines; study books and diaries; anything related to the exam; handbags; sharp instruments and all sorts of weapons.
Civil ID cards
Candidates must take with them their civil ID cards or whatever proves their identity. Those who fail to do so will not be granted access to the exam.
As for the possibility of reviewing the exam documents for students who would like to do so after the publication of the results, Al Maskari confirmed that after the publication of the results, it would be possible for students to hand in their applications to review the papers.
“Students can apply for a review of three courses only, applications will be accepted during the first week after the publication of the results, the student does not have the right to have access to his exam papers, the Ministry has formed committees to review the correction of the requested exam papers,” Al Maskari pointed out.
The Ministry will also notify the student of the result after the committees have finished their work.
While addressing the students, Al Maskari said they had to take into consideration their studies first and foremost and not stay up late, especially during the night before the exam. She stressed that candidates must arrive at the examination centres on time.