Many of the examinees in Delhi reached their centres way before 10.30 a.m. - when the exam started - to beat traffic congestions on account of US President George W. Bush's visit.

The examination began with the social science paper, which was said to have caused the maximum anxiety to students because of a vast course that includes history, geography, political science and economics.

Arshi Arora, a student of Apeejay School, Saket, complained: "The social science paper is too vast. Especially the history section is too difficult to cope with. There are too many things to remember."

An estimated 646,387 students, including 268,939 girls, are taking the Class 10 examination that for the first time features an extra 15 minutes of "cool off" time to help them relax.

"I prayed to god before coming for the examination and hope the paper will be easy," said Kunal Tomar, a Class 10 student from a south Delhi school.

"Unlike Class 12 students, me and my friends are a little bit more anxious as it is our first board examination," he said while turning the pages of a history notebook.

If students were anxious, so were their parents - some of whom had even taken the day off from work to drop their children and waited outside examination centres, pacing up and down.

The board has redesigned three papers in Class 10 - mathematics, social science and science, and five subjects in Class 12 - physics, chemistry, mathematics, biology and accountancy and business management, to help students complete the examination in two-and-a-half hours.

Keeping in view security arrangements for President Bush's visit to Rajghat and ensuing traffic congestions, CBSE had issued a directive to exam officials to allow students to take their examination even if they reached their exam centres late.

"No student should be barred from taking the examination for reaching late and we have communicated that to all centre superintendents. So far we have not received any report of inconvenience from students or schools," said a CBSE official.

Delhi Police had also appealed to all students to start early and reach their centres at least an hour before the examination started. As a result, some students in Delhi landed up almost two hours earlier.

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