Amidst tight security and extensive arrangements, the West Bengal School Service Commission (WBSSC) successfully conducted the School Level Selection Test (SLST) for assistant teachers for classes 9 and 10 on September 7, 2025. A significant 91% of the 3.19 lakh registered candidates appeared for the examination across 636 centers in West Bengal. The exam is being held to fill 35,726 teaching posts in state-run secondary and higher secondary schools. Of these, 23,212 posts are for classes 9 and 10, and 12,514 are for classes 11 and 12.

The SLST 2025 is the first teacher recruitment exam since the Supreme Court nullified the appointments of approximately 26,000 teachers and non-teaching staff in April 2025, due to irregularities in the 2016 recruitment process. The court's decision followed a prolonged period of political turmoil in West Bengal related to the teacher recruitment scam.

WBSSC Chairman Siddhartha Majumdar expressed his gratitude to the state administration for their support in ensuring the smooth conduct of the examination. He noted the total number of outstation candidates was more than 31,000.

Stringent measures were implemented to maintain the integrity of the examination. Each question paper incorporated unique identification security features to deter unfair practices. A barcode scanner was used to verify admit cards at the entrance of the centers. Candidates were required to arrive two hours before the commencement of the exam for thorough checks, and electronic devices, including mobile phones, were strictly prohibited inside the examination halls. Even venue supervisors and SSC officials were barred from carrying mobile phones into the exam halls.

The recruitment process has gathered pace after the Supreme Court suspended a Calcutta High Court ruling that had earlier stalled the implementation of West Bengal's revised OBC list. The WBSSC has assured that the recruitment process will strictly adhere to Supreme Court guidelines, aiming to restore stability to the state's education sector.

Another 2.46 lakh candidates are scheduled to appear for the recruitment test for assistant teachers for classes 11 and 12 at 478 centers on September 14, 2025. The WBSSC had announced 35,726 vacancies for Assistant Teacher posts across both secondary and senior secondary levels. The admit card for the WBSSC Assistant Teacher examination has already been released.

State Education Minister Bratya Basu conveyed his best wishes to the candidates. Kunal Ghosh, a spokesperson for the Trinamool Congress, remarked that job seekers from other states were participating in the West Bengal SSC exams due to repeated postponements and limited opportunities in their home states.