Minister of Education, Youth and Sport Hang Chuon Naron has instructed all academic staff members, teachers and students to strictly abide by ministry regulations for checking-in students and ensuring they are in the correct rooms and at their assigned tables ahead of the high school diploma scheduled for December 27-28.

Chuon Naron sent out a video message on December 26 wishing all of the candidates this year good health and good luck on their exams.

“I would like to call on the candidates to strictly abide by the regulations issued by the ministry. I would also advise them to eat a healthy and filling meal earlier in the day and be sure to be well-rested by getting enough sleep the night before the test, because these factors can be as important to your success as being well-prepared by having studied hard for the exam.

“And don’t forget to practice the three dos and three don’ts guideline to prevent Covid-19 transmission,” he said.

Ministry spokesman Ros Soveacha said on December 26 that the procedures for the exam and the conditions at each testing site had been reviewed by staff members there and that everything went smoothly with the exam expected to proceed as planned.

He said candidates need to check one day beforehand whether their name was registered and to find out their room and table numbers. They also had their temperatures taken and received a sticker indicating that they did not have a fever at that time.

“Please abide by the principles of obedience to the law, pursuit of justice, personal honesty and academic integrity while taking the exam. Follow all health safety measures, especially by practicing the three dos and three don’ts so we can keep everyone safe.

“And please exercise increased caution when travelling on the roads by obeying road traffic laws,” he said.

Chuon Naron said the proctors’ roles were to work with the exam committees across the country to gather information, answer questions and resolve any technical problems that may arise, as well as disseminate information about the exam process in a timely manner through the ministry’s official website and social media.

The Anti-Corruption Unit said its working group assigned personnel to observe the printing of the exams and their preparation for transport to the testing centres in the capital and provinces on December 24.

“After printing the exams and prior to transporting them from the National Institute of Education, the envelopes containing the exams remained sealed and undamaged while their identification numbers were verified and logged. The boxes containing the exams were then loaded up and driven to their final destinations,” it said.

The education ministry noted that this year’s exams will be administered at 204 testing centres throughout the country with a total of 4,616 examination rooms between them. A total of 114,182 candidates will take the exam, which will be administered to them by 31,432 exam proctors.