O/L Exam 2026 Sri Lanka: Timetable, Dates, Subjects & What Students Need to Know

The official timetable for the Sri Lanka G.C.E. Ordinary Level Examination 2026 has now been released.

The written examination will begin on Tuesday, 8 December 2026 and finish on Thursday, 17 December 2026.

For students and parents, this is the point where preparation becomes much easier to organise: Mathematics is on 14 December, Science on 16 December, English on 11 December, and the main first-language papers are on 9 December.

But there are also a few important details that are easy to miss.

Calculators are not allowed for any subject.

Mobile phones and other electronic devices must not be brought into the examination hall.

Some subjects have morning and afternoon papers on the same day.

And students taking aesthetic subjects should also pay attention to separate practical-examination arrangements.

Here is a complete practical guide to the O/L Exam 2026 in Sri Lanka, based primarily on the official Department of Examinations timetable.

Last updated: 15 October 2026

O/L Exam 2026 Sri Lanka: Quick Information

Detail	Information
Examination	G.C.E. Ordinary Level Examination 2026
Starting date	8 December 2026
Final written exam date	17 December 2026
First written subject	Religion
Sinhala / Tamil	9 December
History	10 December
English	11 December
Mathematics	14 December
Science	16 December
Examination authority	Department of Examinations, Sri Lanka
Official timetable issued	6 October 2026
Calculators	Not allowed
Mobile phones / electronic devices	Not allowed in examination hall
Correcting fluid	Not allowed
Official examination hotline	1911

Students should always compare this guide with the final timetable and admission card issued by the Department of Examinations.

The official Department of Examinations examination calendar contains the O/L 2026 timetable in English, Sinhala and Tamil.

Department of Examinations – Official Exam Calendar

O/L 2026 Full Timetable

Here is the official written-examination timetable in an easier-to-read format.

Tuesday, 8 December 2026 – Religion

Morning: 8:30 AM – 11:40 AM

Depending on the candidate’s subject:

11 – Buddhism
12 – Saivanery
14 – Catholicism
15 – Christianity
16 – Islam

Papers I and II

There is no afternoon paper listed for these subjects.

Wednesday, 9 December 2026 – Sinhala / Tamil Language & Literature

Students sit their first-language papers on this day.

Morning: 8:30 AM – 11:40 AM

21 – Sinhala Language & Literature
22 – Tamil Language & Literature

Papers I and II

Afternoon: 1:00 PM – 3:00 PM

Sinhala Language & Literature – Paper III
Tamil Language & Literature – Paper III

This is therefore a two-session examination day for Sinhala and Tamil candidates.

Students should plan food, transport and rest between the morning and afternoon sessions rather than treating the morning paper as the end of the day.

Thursday, 10 December 2026 – History

Morning: 8:30 AM – 11:40 AM

33 – History Paper II

Afternoon: 1:00 PM – 2:00 PM

33 – History Paper I

Notice the order:

Paper II is in the morning. Paper I is in the afternoon.

Don’t assume Paper I automatically comes first simply because of its name.

Friday, 11 December 2026 – English Language

English is entirely in the morning.

Paper I

8:30 AM – 9:30 AM

Paper II

9:45 AM – 11:45 AM

There is a short break between the two papers.

Students should therefore prepare for both English papers before arriving rather than expecting to return later for Paper II.

Saturday, 12 December 2026 – Aesthetic & Literary Subjects

The timetable is more complicated on this day because different subjects have different paper arrangements.

Music and Dancing

8:30 AM – 11:40 AM

Papers I and II for:

40 – Music (Oriental)
41 – Music (Western)
42 – Carnatic Music
44 – Dancing (Indigenous)
45 – Bharatha Dancing

Art

Paper I: 8:30 AM – 9:30 AM

Paper III: 9:45 AM – 11:45 AM

Paper II: 1:15 PM – 3:15 PM

Art students therefore have both morning and afternoon sessions.

Literary Appreciation and Drama

1:00 PM – 4:10 PM

Papers I and II for:

46 – Appreciation of English Literary Texts
47 – Appreciation of Sinhala Literary Texts
48 – Appreciation of Tamil Literary Texts
49 – Appreciation of Arabic Literary Texts
50 – Drama & Theatre (Sinhala)
51 – Drama & Theatre (Tamil)
52 – Drama & Theatre (English)

Students taking aesthetic subjects should also check any separate practical-test arrangements issued for their subject.

The Department of Examinations’ current administrative system already includes a separate O/L 2026 Practical Aesthetic Subjects Centre Allocation process, so don’t assume the written paper shown above is necessarily the only assessment relevant to your aesthetic subject.

Follow the official admission-card and practical-test notices issued by the Department.

Sunday, 13 December 2026

There are no written O/L papers listed for Sunday, 13 December.

For many students, this creates a useful study day before Mathematics.

Use it carefully.

Trying to learn the entire Mathematics syllabus in one day isn’t realistic.

A better use of the day is:

Review formulas and methods.
Correct mistakes from recent past papers.
Practise areas where you repeatedly lose marks.
Prepare stationery and documents for Monday.
Sleep properly.

Monday, 14 December 2026 – Mathematics

Mathematics has separate morning and afternoon papers.

Paper I

8:30 AM – 10:30 AM

Paper II

1:00 PM – 4:10 PM

Students therefore have a fairly long examination day.

And there is one particularly important official rule:

Calculators are not allowed.

That rule applies to the entire O/L examination, including Mathematics.

Don’t bring a calculator into the examination hall assuming you’ll simply leave it unused.

Tuesday, 15 December 2026 – Optional / Technology Group Subjects

The following subjects are scheduled for:

8:30 AM – 11:40 AM

Papers I and II:

80 – Information & Communication Technology
81 – Agriculture & Food Technology
82 – Aquatic Bioresources Technology
84 – Arts & Crafts
85 – Home Economics
86 – Health & Physical Education
87 – Communication & Media Studies
88 – Design & Construction Technology
89 – Design & Mechanical Technology
90 – Design, Electrical & Electronic Technology
92 – Electronic Writing & Shorthand (Sinhala)
93 – Electronic Writing & Shorthand (Tamil)
94 – Electronic Writing & Shorthand (English)

There is no afternoon written session listed for this group in the official timetable.

Wednesday, 16 December 2026 – Science

Like History, Science has Paper II before Paper I.

Morning: 8:30 AM – 11:40 AM

34 – Science Paper II

Afternoon: 1:00 PM – 2:00 PM

34 – Science Paper I

Again:

Paper II → morning

Paper I → afternoon

Students should pay particular attention to this when creating their personal timetable.

Thursday, 17 December 2026 – Final Day

The final day contains several optional subjects.

Morning: 8:30 AM – 11:40 AM

Subjects listed in the official timetable include:

60 – Business & Accounting Studies
61 – Geography
62 – Civic Education
63 – Entrepreneurship Studies
64 – Second Language (Sinhala)
65 – Second Language (Tamil)
66 – Pali
67 – Sanskrit
68 – French
69 – German
70 – Hindi
71 – Japanese
72 – Arabic
73 – Korean
74 – Chinese
75 – Russian

For candidates whose final subject falls in this group, 17 December is the final written examination day.

O/L 2026 Timetable at a Glance

Date	Main Subjects
8 Dec	Religion
9 Dec	Sinhala / Tamil Language & Literature
10 Dec	History
11 Dec	English
12 Dec	Aesthetic / Literature / Drama
13 Dec	No written examination
14 Dec	Mathematics
15 Dec	ICT / Technology / Other optional subjects
16 Dec	Science
17 Dec	Business, Geography, Civic, Languages & other optional subjects

This is much easier to remember than repeatedly checking a large timetable image.

However, students should still keep the official PDF because the exact paper times matter.

Download the Official O/L 2026 Timetable

The safest source is the Department of Examinations Sri Lanka.

The Department currently provides the timetable in:

English
Sinhala
Tamil

Use:

Department of Examinations – Exam Calendar

You can also download the official English timetable PDF directly from the Department of Examinations.

Official O/L 2026 English Timetable – PDF

Avoid depending entirely on a timetable image forwarded through WhatsApp, Facebook or TikTok.

If somebody accidentally changes a date or time while recreating the graphic, you could miss an examination.

For something this important, keep the official Department version.

Important: O/L 2026 Is NOT the Same as O/L 2025 (2026)

This is probably the most confusing part of searching for the examination online.

Sri Lanka actually had another O/L examination earlier in 2026.

That examination was officially called:

G.C.E. O/L Examination 2025 (2026)

and was held from:

17 February to 26 February 2026.

The examination discussed in this article is:

G.C.E. O/L Examination 2026

and will be held from:

8 December to 17 December 2026.

Why are there two O/L examinations in the same calendar year?

Sri Lanka’s school examination calendar had been delayed over several years, particularly following the pandemic and other disruptions.

The Ministry of Education’s 2026 plans specifically aimed to bring the examination calendar back towards its normal schedule.

So when searching Google, Facebook or YouTube, check the title carefully.

If a timetable says:

17–26 February 2026

that’s the 2025 (2026) examination.

The current O/L 2026 timetable is:

8–17 December 2026.

Which Subjects Do O/L Students Sit?

The national timetable lists all subjects offered through the examination system.

That doesn’t mean every student sits every subject appearing on the timetable.

For most school candidates, the familiar core areas include subjects such as:

Religion
Sinhala or Tamil Language & Literature
English
Mathematics
History
Science

Students then sit the optional subjects they previously selected.

The timetable contains several groups of electives covering areas such as:

Business
Geography
ICT
Agriculture
Health
Media
Languages
Art
Music
Dancing
Drama
Technology

Your own admission card is therefore extremely important.

Don’t create your final examination schedule by looking only at what your friends are sitting.

Use the subjects and medium shown on your admission card.

When Will O/L 2026 Admission Cards Be Issued?

As of 15 October 2026, the Department of Examinations’ public news page does not yet show a specific O/L 2026 admission-card notice for the December written examination.

That isn’t unusual with almost two months still remaining before the first paper.

When admission cards become available, students should immediately check:

Full name
Index number
NIC details where applicable
Examination centre
Medium
Subjects
Subject codes

School candidates should follow instructions provided through their school.

Private candidates should watch the official Department of Examinations website for the relevant admission-card notice and download facility.

Do not wait until the night before the examination to notice that something is incorrect.

O/L 2026 Applications Are Already Closed

Applications for the December 2026 examination were accepted during July.

The application deadline was 23 July 2026.

School candidates applied through their schools, while private candidates submitted applications individually through the Department’s online system.

Therefore, somebody who did not submit an application during the application period shouldn’t assume they can simply register when admission cards are released.

Application and admission-card processes are separate.

What Should You Bring to the Examination?

The final instructions printed on your admission card should always take priority.

A sensible examination-day preparation includes:

Admission card
Required identity document where applicable
Blue or black pens
Pencils
Eraser
Ruler
Other permitted stationery required for the subject

Prepare these the previous night.

Don’t waste your examination morning looking for a pen or admission card.

What Is NOT Allowed?

The official O/L 2026 timetable contains a clear warning.

Calculators

Calculators aren’t allowed for any subject.

That includes Mathematics and Science.

Correcting Fluid

Correcting fluid such as Tipp-Ex is also prohibited.

Mobile Phones

Mobile phones aren’t allowed inside the examination hall.

Other Electronic Devices

The Department goes further than simply saying:

“Don’t use your phone.”

The official timetable says it is a punishable offence even to bring an electronic device, including a mobile phone, into the examination hall.

Don’t rely on:

“I’ll keep it switched off in my pocket.”

Leave prohibited electronic equipment outside the examination hall according to the examination instructions.

What Time Should You Reach the Examination Centre?

The timetable gives the paper starting time, not the time you should arrive at the gate.

Most morning sessions begin at:

8:30 AM

while afternoon papers generally begin around:

1:00 PM, although Art Paper II starts at 1:15 PM.

Don’t plan to arrive at 8:29 AM for an 8:30 paper.

Allow enough time for:

Traffic
Finding the centre
Finding the examination hall
Checking your seat
Following invigilator instructions

If your centre is unfamiliar, check its location before examination week.

If possible, know the route beforehand.

Should You Depend on Tuition Classes During the Final Weeks?

At this stage, attending more classes isn’t automatically equal to better preparation.

Students often reach the final weeks with:

Several unfinished revision classes
Large piles of notes
Recorded videos
Model papers
Tuition papers
Past papers

The problem then becomes trying to complete everything rather than improving actual examination performance.

The final two months should increasingly focus on:

Past papers

timed practice

marking schemes

identifying weak areas

correcting repeated mistakes

rather than constantly collecting new notes.

Where Can You Get Official O/L Past Papers?

The Ministry of Education’s e-Thaksalawa contains past O/L papers and, for many subjects and years, marking schemes or answers.

It includes papers for subjects such as:

Mathematics
Science
English
History
ICT
Business & Accounting Studies
Geography
Health
Languages
Aesthetic subjects

Use the official Ministry platform:

e-Thaksalawa – O/L Past Papers

Recent material includes papers from 2024 (2025) as well as older years.

How Should You Use Past Papers?

Don’t simply read the questions.

Treat at least some past papers as real examinations.

For example, the 2026 Mathematics Paper I is:

8:30 AM – 10:30 AM

That’s two hours.

Choose a past Mathematics Paper I and give yourself exactly the permitted time.

No:

Phone
Google
Textbook
Calculator
Asking somebody for help

Then mark the paper.

Create a list:

Didn’t know the lesson

Knew it but forgot

Calculation mistake

Didn’t understand the question

Ran out of time

Those are different problems and require different solutions.

If you repeatedly lose marks because you run out of time, learning another chapter may not solve the problem.

You need examination practice.

Build Your Own Personal O/L Timetable

The national timetable contains many subjects you don’t study.

Create a simplified timetable containing only your subjects.

For example:

Date	My Subject	Session
8 Dec	Buddhism	Morning
9 Dec	Sinhala	Morning + Afternoon
10 Dec	History	Morning + Afternoon
11 Dec	English	Morning
12 Dec		—
14 Dec	Mathematics	Morning + Afternoon
15 Dec	ICT	Morning
16 Dec	Science	Morning + Afternoon
17 Dec	Business	Morning

This is only an example.

Use your actual subjects.

Put the finished timetable:

On your study table
On your phone
On the refrigerator
With a parent if useful

Include the paper time, not only the date.

Pay Attention to Afternoon Papers

One of the biggest timetable mistakes would be forgetting an afternoon session.

The subjects with important morning + afternoon arrangements include:

Sinhala / Tamil – 9 December

Morning + afternoon.

History – 10 December

Paper II morning, Paper I afternoon.

Art – 12 December

Morning and afternoon.

Mathematics – 14 December

Paper I morning, Paper II afternoon.

Science – 16 December

Paper II morning, Paper I afternoon.

Don’t leave the examination centre after the morning session believing you’ve finished for the day.

What About Aesthetic Practical Examinations?

Students taking subjects such as Music, Dancing or Drama should pay additional attention to practical-examination notices.

The Department’s current 2026 examination administration system includes a separate process for O/L 2026 Practical Aesthetic Subjects Centre Allocation.

That means candidates should not assume the December written paper represents their entire aesthetic assessment.

Check:

Department of Examinations

and follow instructions provided by your school or the Department regarding practical admission cards, centres and dates.

Don’t rely on the practical dates from O/L 2025 (2026) held earlier this year.

Those were for a different examination.

What Do You Need at O/L to Continue to A/L?

The Ministry of Education’s published education information states that students generally qualify to follow the G.C.E. A/L course by passing six subjects, including:

First Language
Mathematics

with at least three Credit passes among the required results.

However, admission to a particular A/L stream or a particular school can involve additional subject-specific requirements.

For example, simply satisfying the general qualification doesn’t mean every student automatically qualifies for every A/L subject combination at every school.

Check with your school when choosing:

Physical Science
Biological Science
Commerce
Arts
Technology
Other available pathways

Don’t choose an A/L stream purely because your friends selected it.

The next two years can have a major impact on your higher-education and career options.

What Happens After O/L?

A/L isn’t the only possible future path.

Depending on your goals, students can eventually explore:

G.C.E. Advanced Level
Technical and vocational education
NVQ programmes
Professional qualifications
Foundation programmes
Skills-based education
Apprenticeships
Employment combined with further study

Peak Lanka discusses some of these longer-term choices in:

Is a University Degree Still Worth It in Sri Lanka in 2026?

and:

Sri Lanka වල Degree එකක් නැතුව Build කරන්න පුළුවන් හොඳ Careers

Students considering non-state higher education later can also compare options in:

Private Universities and Higher Education Institutes in Sri Lanka

The important thing at the moment, however, is not to panic about your entire career before sitting O/L.

Focus on the examination directly in front of you.

How Much Time Is Left Until O/L 2026?

The written examination starts on 8 December 2026.

From mid-October, students still have several weeks available.

That is enough time to make a meaningful improvement.

But only if the remaining time is used properly.

A student currently scoring 45 marks doesn’t need to think:

“There’s no way I can improve now.”

Instead, identify where the other 55 marks are disappearing.

Maybe:

Five marks are lost through careless errors.
Ten marks come from one weak lesson.
Ten marks are lost because papers aren’t completed.
Another ten could come from repeatedly tested areas.
Another five disappear through poor question selection.

Improving examination performance isn’t always the same as learning the entire syllabus from the beginning.

A Practical Final-Two-Month Strategy

October: Identify the Problems

Complete papers or structured question sets.

Identify weak chapters.

Finish genuinely important syllabus gaps.

Don’t spend the whole month making beautiful study schedules without studying.

November: Past Papers and Timed Work

Increase full-paper practice.

Use marking schemes.

Track repeated mistakes.

Practise writing answers within time limits.

Final Week: Revision, Not Panic

Don’t attempt to rebuild your entire knowledge in seven days.

Review:

Weak points
Formulas
Definitions
Diagrams
Frequently forgotten facts
Your mistake book

Sleep properly.

A tired student who studied until 3:00 AM can perform worse than a student who revised slightly less but arrives able to think clearly.

O/L 2026 Exam-Day Checklist

Before leaving home:

Admission card
Required identification
Pens
Pencils
Eraser
Ruler
Subject-specific permitted stationery
Correct examination centre confirmed
Correct paper time confirmed
Transport planned
Mobile phone / electronic devices not taken into the hall
Calculator not taken into the hall
Correcting fluid not taken into the hall

For afternoon-paper days, also plan:

Lunch / food
Water as appropriate
Where you’ll remain between sessions
Return transport after the final paper

O/L Exam 2026 Sri Lanka FAQ

When is the O/L Exam 2026 in Sri Lanka?

The written examination begins on Tuesday, 8 December 2026 and ends on Thursday, 17 December 2026.

Has the official O/L 2026 timetable been released?

Yes.

The Department of Examinations issued the official timetable in October 2026.

Where can I download the official timetable?

Use the Department of Examinations official Exam Calendar page, where English, Sinhala and Tamil versions are available.

When is O/L Mathematics 2026?

Monday, 14 December 2026.

Paper I: 8:30 AM – 10:30 AM

Paper II: 1:00 PM – 4:10 PM

When is O/L Science 2026?

Wednesday, 16 December 2026.

Paper II: 8:30 AM – 11:40 AM

Paper I: 1:00 PM – 2:00 PM

When is O/L English 2026?

Friday, 11 December 2026.

Paper I: 8:30 AM – 9:30 AM

Paper II: 9:45 AM – 11:45 AM

When is O/L History 2026?

Thursday, 10 December 2026.

Paper II: 8:30 AM – 11:40 AM

Paper I: 1:00 PM – 2:00 PM

When is Sinhala / Tamil?

Wednesday, 9 December 2026.

Papers I and II are in the morning.

Paper III is from 1:00 PM to 3:00 PM.

When is ICT?

Tuesday, 15 December 2026, from 8:30 AM to 11:40 AM.

When is Business & Accounting Studies?

Thursday, 17 December 2026, from 8:30 AM to 11:40 AM.

Is there an O/L exam on Sunday, 13 December?

No written paper is listed for 13 December in the official timetable.

Can I use a calculator for O/L Mathematics?

No.

The Department of Examinations states that calculators aren’t allowed for any subject in this examination.

Can I take my mobile phone into the examination hall if it is switched off?

No.

The official timetable specifically warns against bringing electronic devices, including mobile phones, into the examination hall.

Is Tipp-Ex / correcting fluid allowed?

No.

Correcting fluid is prohibited.

Is this the same O/L exam that was held in February 2026?

No.

The February examination was G.C.E. O/L 2025 (2026).

The current G.C.E. O/L 2026 examination is being held in December.

Are O/L 2026 applications still open?

No.

The application period closed in July 2026.

When will O/L 2026 admission cards be available?

A specific public admission-card notice for the December examination had not yet been published when this article was checked on 15 October 2026.

Students should monitor the Department of Examinations and their schools.

When will O/L 2026 results be released?

No official O/L 2026 results-release date has been announced yet.

Don’t trust social-media posts claiming a specific results date before the Department of Examinations confirms it.

When results are eventually released, use the official Department of Examinations results system.

Where can I find O/L past papers?

The Ministry of Education’s e-Thaksalawa platform provides past papers for many O/L subjects.

Do aesthetic subjects have practical exams?

Relevant aesthetic subjects can involve separate practical assessments.

Candidates should follow the Department of Examinations’ practical-test instructions and their individual admission information.

Official O/L 2026 Links

Use official sources first:

Department of Examinations Sri Lanka

https://www.doenets.lk/

Official Exam Calendar / O/L Timetable

https://www.doenets.lk/examcalendar/

Official O/L 2026 English Timetable PDF

https://doenets.lk/images/resources/EXCA/OL%20timetable%20English%20-%202026_1791431651960.pdf

Ministry of Education e-Thaksalawa Past Papers

https://e-thaksalawa.moe.gov.lk/lcms/course/view.php?id=872

Department of Examinations Hotline

1911

If an unofficial education website, Facebook page or WhatsApp message conflicts with the Department of Examinations, use the Department’s information.

Final Reminder

The O/L examination matters.

But it isn’t a judgement on the value or future of a 16-year-old student.

A student with nine A passes still needs to make good decisions after O/L.

A student who doesn’t get the results they hoped for still has many ways to continue education, learn valuable skills and build a successful career.

For now, don’t spend December worrying about what your results might look like.

Concentrate on the paper you’re preparing for.

The official timetable is available.

There is still preparation time left.

Use past papers properly, correct your weaknesses, sleep properly, follow the examination rules and arrive at the centre with enough time.

The G.C.E. O/L Examination 2026 begins on 8 December and ends on 17 December.

Good luck to everyone sitting the examination.

For students and parents: which subject currently feels the most difficult — Mathematics, Science, English, History or something else?