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The Higher Secondary Certificate (HSC) and equivalent examinations under nine education boards begin today (Thursday) amid tight security.
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This year, 1,251,111 students from general, technical and madrasa education streams are expected to take part in the exams at 2,797 centres across the country. The number of candidates has decreased by 81,882 compared to last year.
The Ministry of Education has ordered all coaching centres across the country to remain closed until August 15 to ensure a proper exam environment.
Several instructions have been issued for the exams:
Students must enter the exam halls at least 30 minutes before the exam starts. If a student arrives late for any valid reason, the cause of delay, along with the student’s name, roll number, and entry time, must be recorded and reported to the respective education board on the same day.
The question paper code will be sent to authorised officials via SMS 25 minutes before the exam begins.
No one except the centre-in-charge can carry mobile phones or electronic devices inside the exam centre. The centre-in-charge may carry a mobile phone, but it must be a non-camera device. The Inter-Education Board has also issued the following instructions:
Students must be present at the centre at least 30 minutes before the exam begins.
Information on the OMR sheet must be filled out correctly. Answer scripts must not be folded.
Mobile phones are not allowed inside the exam centres.
The multiple-choice and creative sections will be held one after another without a break.
Students must pass both theory and practical parts separately.
Students can only sit for the subjects listed on their admit cards and cannot take exams at their own institutions.
Attendance sheets must be signed.
Law enforcement agencies, intelligence services, and local administrations have been asked to stay alert during the exams. Monitoring of social media platforms will also be increased to prevent irregularities.
According to bdnews24.com, the Higher Secondary Certificate (HSC) and equivalent examinations in 2026 will be on the full syllabus, with all subjects assessed on “full marks within full duration”.
On Wednesday, Rabiul Kabir Chowdhury, a member of the National Curriculum and Textbook Board (NCTB), serving as the acting chairman, said a directive on the matter has been issued.
“Since there is no extraordinary situation now, the exams will return to the regular format. However, as college principals and parents kept asking for clarification, we formally issued the notice.”
The directive, sent to the Inter-Education Board Coordination Committee on Jun 23, mentioned that students who enrolled in 11th grade in the 2024-25 academic year, starting in the second week of August 2024, will sit for the HSC, Alim and equivalent exams in May-June 2026.