Students appearing for a class XII board exam in Manipur were given question papers with answers printed on the back side, after which the test was cancelled.

Hundreds of students were provided the question papers and blank answer sheets during the 'Engineering Drawing' exam organised by the Council of Higher Secondary Education, Manipur (CHSEM), yesterday.

After some examinees pointed out the error, invigilators collected the question papers and the exam was cancelled.

CHSEM controller Sagolsem Kiran said they were surprised that answers of the questions were also printed on the question papers and it did not look like a printing mistake.

An inquiry into the incident has been ordered, he said adding, that re-examination of the subject would be conducted on March 25.

Arambam Thoithoi, secretary general of the Democratic Students' Alliance Manipur (DESAM), criticised the "carelessness" of the CHSEM authorities.

The students body demanded that full marks be given to those appearing in the exam instead of re-conducting the test.

"The incident has disturbed us. Now we have to prepare again for the same paper. We should not be made to suffer because of their mistake," a student said.