What changes at each grade
The senior section is one continuous run toward the O/L exam, but each grade has its own job. Grade 9 finishes the junior syllabus and prepares students to choose; Grade 10 is where optional subjects begin; Grade 11 is exam year.
Foundation year
Final year of the junior secondary syllabus. Students complete core subjects in full and are introduced to the optional subject baskets ahead of choosing.
All subjects compulsorySubject choice year
Students continue 6 core subjects and choose 3 optional subjects — one from each basket — which they will carry through to the O/L examination.
Baskets selected hereExamination year
The chosen 9 subjects are completed and revised in full. The year closes with the G.C.E. Ordinary Level examination, sat in December.
G.C.E. O/L satSix core subjects, plus one from each basket
Every Grade 10 student sits nine subjects at the O/L examination in total: six that are compulsory for everyone, and three optional subjects — chosen one at a time from three separate baskets. This is the same national basket structure used across Sri Lankan government schools.
Basket subjects are offered depending on class capacity, teacher availability, and demand each year, so the exact combination on offer can shift slightly from batch to batch. Class teachers guide students through preference forms early in Grade 9, and choices are finalised before the start of Grade 10.