PHNOM PENH, Aug. 10 (Xinhua) -- A total of 151,238 Cambodian candidates, including 84,735 female students, began the Grade 12 national exam on Monday.

The high-stakes test is a mandatory prerequisite for entry into university.

According to the Ministry of Education, Youth and Sport, 244 examination centers containing 6,104 rooms opened across the country on Monday morning.

Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Education, Youth and Sport Hang Chuon Naron urged all candidates to strictly adhere to examination rules.

"Candidates are strictly prohibited from bringing any documents or electronic devices into the testing centers or rooms," he said during a visit to an exam center at the Preah Sisowath High School in Phnom Penh.

"Anyone found cheating will automatically fail," he added.

The minister said that the ministry is collaborating closely with the Anti-Corruption Unit to prevent bribery.

The official exam results will be released on Sept. 2.

In last year's examination, 122,473 out of 144,848 candidates passed, representing an 84.5 percent success rate.