Lucknow: A sense of relief and cautious optimism prevailed among aspirants as they stepped out of examination centres across Lucknow after appearing for the Uttar Pradesh Home Guards enrolment test 2025.Most candidates described the paper as straightforward, with a strong emphasis on general knowledge and current affairs.Outside centres in Indira Nagar and adjoining areas, candidates said the question paper was largely predictable and manageable.“The paper was not very tricky. If you had basic awareness and followed current affairs, it was easy,” said Virendra Verma, who had travelled from Hardoi.Several aspirants noted that the exam focused more on practical knowledge than complex reasoning.“Questions were direct. There was nothing out of the syllabus or unexpected. About 75-80% of the paper was easy to attempt. There were 100 questions in total with one-mark each and it was an easy paper,” said Ashutosh Mishra from Sitapur.Vinod Singh, 21, said there were questions about festivals, govt schemes and recent happenings. It felt like regular preparation paid off.Some candidates, however, said a few sections required careful reading.“A couple of questions were slightly confusing, but overall the level was moderate,” said Vaishali Bisht, 23, adding that time management was not an issue.As candidates gathered outside, many engaged in discussions, comparing answers and estimating scores. “Most of us attempted over 85 questions. Now it depends on accuracy,” said another aspirant.District magistrate Vishak G said the examination was conducted at 55 centres in the district.“A total of 22,272 candidates were scheduled in each shift. Attendance stood at 74.28% in the first shift and 75.25% in the second shift,” he said.
