West Bengal Teacher Recruitment Test - WBSSC SLST Test: Over 5.6 Lakh Candidates Appear, Many from Other States

More than 5.6 lakh candidates appeared for the second state-level selection test (SLST) conducted by the West Bengal School Service Commission (WBSSC), with nearly 45,000 aspirants coming from outside Bengal, state education minister Bratya Basu said on Sunday.

The exams, held on September 7 and 14, were for the recruitment of assistant teachers in classes 9–10 and 11–12. According to WBSSC, 93% of registered candidates for the 11–12 category turned up, including more than 13,500 from other states.

Minister Basu said the exams were held “successfully, fearlessly, and transparently” under the guidance of Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee. He added that provisional answer keys will be uploaded online, and candidates will be allowed to give feedback on any errors. “Opposition parties are free to approach the court if they wish, but before creating hurdles, remember that most outstation candidates are from Bihar and UP,” Basu remarked.

SSC chairperson Siddhartha Majumdar confirmed that the provisional answer key for classes 9–10 will be released on September 16, with a five-day window for feedback. The key for classes 11–12 will follow soon. The merit list will be published with marks, and interviews are set to begin in November.

Candidates from Bihar and Uttar Pradesh said they came to Bengal due to a lack of job opportunities in their home states. “This is my first time writing an exam in Bengal. My goal is to secure a government job,” said Ankit Pande from UP, who took the chemistry paper. Another candidate, Rahul Chaudhary from Saharanpur, added, “The situation is the same everywhere. I just want a stable job, no matter where it comes from.”

Local candidates, however, expressed concern about tougher competition. “I’m nervous because my own teacher is also appearing for the same exam, and there are so many outsiders,” said Jashmin Khatun, a maths aspirant. Others, like Sultana Parveen—who lost her job after the Supreme Court cancelled 2016 appointments—said sitting again after ten years was a difficult challenge.

The exam also saw moments of protest. Some teachers wore black clothes inside centres to show dissent. In one case, a married woman candidate was barred from writing the test after being asked to remove her iron bangle, a traditional marital symbol. SSC officials later clarified there was no written rule enforcing such restrictions.