Public Examinations Act, No. 25 of 1968
Certified on June 16, 1968, this Act is the principal legislation for the conduct of public examinations in Sri Lanka. It established the legal framework for the Department of Examinations and the Commissioner of Examinations (now Commissioner-General), defined examination offences, and prescribed punishments. The Act covers General Education Examinations (O/L, A/L), Technical Education Examinations, and any other Government or Government-sponsored examinations.
Revised statutes: srilankalaw.lk (partial — sections behind paywall). Amendment: No. 15 of 1976 (reference). Department website: doenets.lk.
Act Structure
The Act can be grouped into four functional areas:
| Area | Sections | Key Provisions |
|---|---|---|
| Administration | 2, 3, 20, 21, 22 | Commissioner's powers, delegation, Advisory Committees, Oath of Secrecy, regulations |
| Examination Scope | 2 | General Education, Technical Education, Government & Government-sponsored examinations |
| Offences | 5, 6, 7, 12 | Impersonation, secret documents, divulging information, general dishonesty |
| Penalties | 17 | Fines and imprisonment for examination offences |
Statutory Bodies
The Act establishes three bodies — one operational department and two advisory committees — with provision for the Minister to constitute additional advisory committees for specific examinations.
Unlike many Sri Lankan acts that specify committee composition directly, the Public Examinations Act delegates this to ministerial regulations under Section 22(2)(e), which prescribes the "constitution, powers, duties and functions" of the advisory committees. The Education Ordinance's parallel School Examinations Advisory Council (Commissioner as non-voting Chairman, prescribed members appointed by Minister) provides useful precedent for the likely structure.
Key Provisions
Secret Documents (Section 6)
Every question paper is legally classified as a "Secret Document" from the moment it is set until 30 minutes after the examination begins. Divulging the contents of a secret document is a severe criminal offence.
This is one of the strictest information security provisions in Sri Lankan legislation — treating examination papers with the same legal gravity as classified government documents.
Impersonation (Section 5)
Specifically criminalises:
- Sitting for an examination on behalf of another person
- Entering another candidate's index number on an answer script
- Any form of identity fraud in the examination process
Powers of the Commissioner (Section 20)
The Commissioner-General holds "absolute discretion" to:
- Impose rules and restrictions on candidates
- Exercise disciplinary control over examiners and invigilators
- Cancel or impound certificates if rules are violated
- Debar a candidate for life from sitting any public examination for significant malpractice
Oath of Secrecy (Section 21)
All staff involved in examination processes — from paper setters to invigilators — are required to take a formal Oath of Secrecy.
Other Offences
| Section | Offence | Scope |
|---|---|---|
| 7 | Divulging information or making fraudulent alterations to mark registers | Staff and external actors |
| 12 | General dishonesty at examinations (cheating, crib notes, etc.) | Candidates |
| 17 | Punishments — fines and imprisonment | All offences under the Act |
Amendment History
The Act has been amended only once in nearly 60 years — a remarkable record of legislative stability.
Amendment No. 15 of 1976
Type: Administrative / Decentralisation
Amended Section 2 to extend the Commissioner's delegation powers beyond Departmental staff to include Regional Directors of Education and Chief Education Officers. This enabled decentralised management of examination centres across the island, reflecting the growing scale of public examinations (O/L and A/L candidate numbers were increasing rapidly in the 1970s).
Amendment Timeline
Cross-References
Penal Code
Certain offences under the Public Examinations Act are also triable under the Penal Code, particularly those relating to:
- Forgery of examination certificates or documents
- Criminal breach of trust by examination officials
- Cheating and impersonation
National Audit Act, No. 19 of 2018
The Department of Examinations falls under the financial and performance audit requirements of this Act, introducing enhanced accountability for examination administration.
Entity Relationships & Governance
Governance Hierarchy (1952 Design)
Current Replacement Structure (Post-1989)
Data Confidence
Research Gaps
The following areas require further investigation:
- Full text access: Several key sections (5, 6, 7, 12, 17, 20, 21) are behind a paywall on srilankalaw.lk — full section-by-section analysis pending
- Section 22 Regulations: The ministerial regulations under Section 22(2)(e) that define the "constitution, powers, duties and functions" of the advisory committees have not been located — these would reveal exact committee composition, meeting rules, and quorum requirements
- Advisory Committees operational status: Whether the Schools Examinations Advisory Committee and Technical Examinations Advisory Committee are currently convened and active is unverified
- Advisory Committee membership: Current members appointed by the Minister are unknown
- Additional advisory committees: Whether the Minister has constituted any additional advisory committees for specific examinations under Section 3 is unknown
- 1976 Amendment full text: Only a reference entry found — detailed section-by-section changes not confirmed
- Additional amendments: Whether there are any other amendments between 1976 and present not yet identified
- Commissioner-General title change: When and by what instrument the title changed from "Commissioner of Examinations" to "Commissioner-General of Examinations"
- Enforcement statistics: Number of prosecutions, debars, and certificate cancellations under the Act
- Digital examinations: Whether the Act's provisions (particularly on "secret documents") have been updated or interpreted to cover computer-based examinations