The Secondary Education Examination (SEE) is one of the most important examinations in the academic life of students in Nepal. SEE is taken by grade 10 students (ages 15–18) and is usually conducted in the last month of the year according to the Nepali calendar (usually February or March in the English calendar).

The National Examination Board (NEB), which runs the exam, has offices in all seven provinces of Nepal. A majority of students choose to study in Nepal for several reasons, including affordability, familiarity with the culture and languages, and the ability to contribute to national development.

A total of 514,017 students participated in the SEE this year. The exams were held from 20 March to 1 April.

Compulsory subjects include English, Nepali, Science, Social Studies and Mathematics: in addition to this, students can select a few extra subjects as per their convenience.

People also term it ‘Iron Gate’ as it is only after passing SEE that students are capable of pursuing higher education, where they can enroll in two or more courses in various fields such as Science, Education, Humanities, Law and so on.

This year’s results, published at the end of June, showed a significant improvement, with 61.81% of students passing their exams, compared with 47.86% in 2024. Last year, Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli publicly criticised and blamed teachers for the poor performance in the SEE examinations, which attracted major backlash.

Similarly, Sabina Shrestha shared that the Accountancy exam was hard for her. But she did better on the other subjects. She is slightly anxious about her results.

Dison Mahat, on the other hand, expressed that he did better than he expected on all subjects.

Simon Sagar Limbu and Rita Tamang are also nervous about their results and hoping for better marks and college.

Sashi Dahal, who teaches English, said that she hopes her students do well on exams. She helped me with an English exam and also put a tika on her forehead for better luck.

Dinesh Singh, a science teacher, said that after SEE, it is important to take our time and choose a path that matches our interests and strengths. “Embrace this new phase with confidence and curiosity. Stay positive and focus on your goals – your journey has just begun. This exam aims to help you make informed decisions about your future and change the path needed,” he told me.

Kriti took part in this year’s SEE exam. Of her experience, she says: “Earlier, I was slightly worried, but satisfied with my outcome. Now, I am very happy that I passed the exam with good grades. My parents are also pleased that I passed the examination. Now I am going to study in college. I plan to work hard and read carefully.”