Uccha Madhyamik Pariksha, also known as Higher Secondary Examination (HS), is a public examination conducted by the West Bengal Council of Higher Secondary Education (WBCHSE). It is the final school-level exam in West Bengal, held at the end of Grade 12. Students from various streams, including Science, Commerce, and Humanities, participate in this exam. The result of this examination plays a critical role in determining admission to higher education institutions.
The exam is conducted by West Bengal Council of Higher Secondary Education. It was established under the West Bengal Council of Higher Secondary Education Act, 1975, to manage and regulate higher secondary education in West Bengal. First HS examination was held in 1978. By 2023, around 8.5 lakh students took the exam.
The Uccha Madhyamik Pariksha follows a structured format with theory and practical examinations, depending on the subject. The theory portion typically carries more weight, with practicals applicable to subjects like Chemistry, Biology, and Physics. Semester system was introduced to the students in class XI from the session 2024-25 and in XII from the session 2025-26.
The new semester system introduced by the West Bengal Council of Higher Secondary Education (WBCHSE) for Uccha Madhyamik Pariksha (Class 11 and 12) divides the curriculum into four semesters to ease the academic burden and align with the state's education reforms.