Department of Examinations, Sri Lanka invites application for the General Certificate of Education (Advanced Level) Examination – August 2017.

Applications of private candidates, for General Certificate of Education (Advanced Level) Examination – August 2017 will be received from 23.01.2017 to 15.02.2017. Candidates are advised to read this notice carefully and follow the instructions given herein before filling up the application forms and to make sure to select exactly the correct Town Number and Subject Numbers. Candidates are allowed to offer a maximum of three main subjects.

The applications of private candidates should be prepared in compliance with the specimen form given herein.

• Only those who have obtained the school-leaving certificate can apply as private candidates. It is completely prohibited for any one to sit this examination as a private candidate, while still being in school. If such a sitting is discovered, the examination results will be invalidated and they will be debarred from sitting any future examinations.
• Private Candidates sitting G.C.E. (A/L) Examination should have fulfilled the requirements of having completed the competency development projects, practical tests and subject related projects under the programme recommended for Private Candidates as an alternative to the School Based Assessment (SBA) Programme as stated in the Circular No. 2005/03 dated 27.01.2005 of the Secretary to the Ministry of Education that is in effect from the year 2005.
• Those who have never taken this examination as a school candidate and taking it for the first time as a Private Candidate and is less than 21 years of age as at 01.01.2017 and the candidates who have previously sat this examination and, now sitting as a private candidate offering subjects which are different to the ones taken on the previous occasion should register themselves at the relevant Provincial Department of Education under the programme explained in the above Para.
• Note: An applicant who has applied for the above examination on a previous occasion as a school candidate but has not sat for any of the subjects applied for and now sitting the examination for the first time as a private candidate shall “even if he/she is less than 21 years of age,” be exempted from the requirement of having registered at the Provincial Department of Education. These applicants should attach a photocopy of the admission card they received previously.
• Private candidates belonging to any one of the categories mentioned in above should carefully write, in the relevant cage of the application form, the number issued to them when registering for the programme introduced as an alternative to the School Based Assessment (SBA) Programme.
• As mentioned in above, all the projects and practical tests should be completed and one copy of the certificate issued to you by the principal of your nominated school should be sent to the Department of Examinations, no later than the commencement of the examination and the other copy should be sent to the relevant Provincial Department of Education.
• Candidates who have completed projects and practical tests in the year 2016 or in a year prior to that and sat the examination either as a school candidate or as a private candidate or applied for the examination but not appeared for, should state that Index No. and the year of Examination under No. 05 of the application.
• Apart from the three main subjects and the Common General Test, candidates may apply for the subject, “General English” too. However, the grade obtained for this subject will not be considered for University Entrance. The grade obtained will be entered in the G.C.E. (A/L) Certificate.
• A pass in this Common General Test is a must for entering a University in Sri Lanka.
• All applicants who sit for the written test of subjects Nos. 28,52,53, 54,55,56,57, 58, 65 and 66 will be called for a practical test.
• The application form should be prepared on a white sheet of paper (28 cm x 21 cm in size) in accordance with the specimen application form DP/AL/2017/5 given in this Notice. Cages 01 to 13 should be on one side (page 1) while the cages 14 to 16 are on the reverse (page 2). Applications should be sent by registered post to be received by “The Commissioner General of Examinations, P.O. Box 1503, Colombo” on or before 15.02.2017. Applications posted after the closing date and those which are not prepared in accordance with the specimen application form will be rejected.
• Further please note that, even if the receipt of the payment of due examination fees has been obtained prior to the closing date, application forms posted after the closing date will not be accepted.
• An applicant is expected to send only one application. In an instance where an applicant has forwarded more than one application, all his / her applications will be rejected and legal action will be taken against him/her. If any student is found to have sent more than one application, even after the release of the results of the examination, his/her results will be invalidated and relevant legal measures will be taken.

• Only one application should be enclosed in one envelope and the top left-hand corner of the envelope should bear the wordings “G.C.E. (A/L) Examination August 2017 – Town No. and Town……………..”. Enter the selected Town No. and the Town on the dotted line clearly.
• When using application forms prepared by outsiders, carefully check whether the subject numbers, town numbers and all the other details are in compliance with those given in this notice. The Department will hold no responsibility for any misprints in respect of the structure of the application form, subject lists, town numbers etc. It is the responsibility of the candidates to prepare their applications in compliance with the specimen given in this notification, which is the official notification of the Department of Examinations.
• Since the data will be processed by computer, extra care should be taken when writing the Subject Numbers and the Town No., in the application form. Thus check for correctness of all information including Subject Numbers and Town No. entered, before it is posted. Better if another party rechecks the application before it is posted.
• Examination centre, subjects applied or medium applied will not be changed under any circumstances. Thus complete your application properly.
• For any inquiry relating to the information given in your application, you should visit the School Examinations Organization Branch of this Department, immediately after the receipt of your admission card. Remember to bring the admission card when you visit.
• Candidates should prove their identity at the time they sit each paper at the examination centre. National Identity Card issued by the Department of Registration of Persons or a valid passport should be produced as the proof of identity.
• As soon as the applications for the examination are forwarded, the candidates who do not have National Identity Cards, should apply for them through Grama Niladhari to the Commissioner General of Registration of Persons.
• Candidates applying for the examination for the first time and for the second time through State Schools, Non-Fee Levying / Fee Levying Government Approved Private Schools and Approved Pirivenas are not required to pay the due examination fees. Others will have to pay the stipulated fees. Applications for which the stipulated fees have not been paid will be rejected.
• If there are applicants with special needs who apply for this examination, forward an application, prepared as per the instructions, published in the notice under the heading “Providing relief to students with special needs” in this newspaper.

Note : No examination fee paid will be refunded partly or in full, nor will it be transferred for any other examination.

Only those who have not sat any of the papers of this examination will be considered as candidates who have not appeared for this examination. The number of attempts that affect their entitlement to enter the University will not therefore be affected. Hence, such candidates are not required to submit a Medical Certificate to that effect. However, they are advised to retain the Admission Card safely which is the only proof of evidence of not having sat the examination.

For more details see below image Application form and tentative G.C.E (A/L) Examination Time table