The 2026 G.C.E. Advanced Level examination begins on Monday (10) and will run until September 5, the Department of Examinations said, with 372,310 candidates sitting at 2,532 centres across the island.
Commissioner General of Examinations Indika Kumari Liyanage said the entry is made up of 264,496 school candidates and 107,814 private candidates, and that centres, supervisory staff and other logistical arrangements were in place ahead of the start.
Admission cards and identification
Admission cards for school candidates have been sent to their principals, while those for private candidates were mailed to their home addresses. Candidates must have their signature on the card certified before entering the examination hall.
A card that is lost or damaged can be re-downloaded from the Department of Examinations website, though the replacement must also be certified.
For identity checks, candidates may use only a National Identity Card, a valid driving licence or a valid passport, and must carry it every day. Where the NIC has been lost, two photographs of the size used for a Postal Identity Card may serve as temporary identification — certified by the principal for school candidates and by the relevant Grama Niladhari for private candidates.
Rules inside the hall
Candidates have been told to arrive at least an hour before the scheduled start and to follow the timetable closely. Mobile phones, smart watches, Bluetooth devices and notes are prohibited inside examination halls.
Liyanage warned against malpractice, noting that the results of a number of candidates had been suspended in previous years over examination fraud.
Weather contingencies in place
The Disaster Management Centre said the Department of Meteorology and the Department of Examinations have jointly prepared a set of guidelines covering what should be done if a disaster affects candidates while the examination is under way, according to Hiru News.
The examination opens during an unsettled spell. The Examinations Department set out contingency arrangements for candidates affected by adverse weather earlier this month, and a Red-level marine advisory for the Matara–Pottuvil coast runs until 7.00 a.m. on Monday, the morning the examination opens.
Schools were closed for the August holidays partly to free buildings for use as examination centres.
Grade 5 results within a month
The Grade 5 scholarship examination was held on Sunday at 2,723 centres, with 294,089 candidates sitting. Liyanage said plans are in place to release those results within a month, NewsFirst reported.
Sources: Ada Derana, Hiru News, NewsFirst.
