PHNOM PENH: The Ministry of Education, Youth and Sports said that on the morning of the first day of the High School Diploma Exam, there were nearly 2,000 absences and 30 health problems, including two cases that required hospital care and two involved in minor traffic accidents.

This morning students took exams for Biology in Science and Earth and Ecology in Social Science. The Ministry said there were 1,951 absent candidates, equivalent to 1.42% of the total. There were 30 health problems, of which 2 were hospitalized and 2 were minor accidents.

The Ministry said that all candidates with health problems resumed their exams as usual under the care of doctors after their symptoms improved. The Ministry encouraged all candidates to take good care of their health and to rest and eat enough to achieve good exam results.

The Ministry said that on the first day of exams, each examination center ran smoothly, calmly and in good order, in accordance with the Ministry's operating guidelines. The country’s Anti-Corruption Unit was also on the scene to prevent cheating.

This year 137,412 candidates are registered for the exam, which will be held in 227 examination centers across the country. Announcements for the exam are expected to be released on November 28 for Phnom Penh and Kandal and November 29 for other provinces. The results will be posted at designated centers in addition to the Ministry’s Facebook page.