Kerala Higher Education Minister R Bindu said it has been decided in-principle that the class XII examination marks will not be considered while preparing the rank list in the Kerala engineering entrance examination this year.

Only the score of the entrance examination will be considered. The minister said that the file is with the Chief Minister for the final decision.

In the previous years, the rank list was prepared by giving equal weightage to the score of the entrance examination and the class XII marks. 

As various boards, including the CBSE and ISC, have cancelled the class XII exam, the Commissioner for Entrance Examinations had recommended that the list should be prepared only on the basis of the entrance exam. The entrance exam will be held on July 24.

Plus-two practical exams from June 28, VHSE from June 21

The second-year higher secondary practical exams will start on June 28, and VHSE and NSQF practical exams on June 21. Training will be given in schools from Thursday till June 25. 

The exam duration and number of questions have been reduced. Fifteen students will appear for the exam at a time. Students, teachers and lab staff have been instructed to wear double masks and gloves. Though the education department had on Wednesday morning directed the schools to conduct practical exams from June 22, Minister V Sivankutty intervened in the last minute and postponed the exams by a week.