The first exam under the new structure will take place in 2018.
Accordingly, the number of subjects will be reduced, said NIE director general Prof. Gunapala Nanayakkara.
There will be a considerable change in the mathematics and English papers.
Also, students will have to sit for a general knowledge paper before the O/L exam.
Prof. Nanayakkara said the changes were intended to increase the number of students passing the exam.
It is good for them to pass the exam and have a better mental condition, rather than ending their schooling after the O/L exam, he added.
