The Secondary School Certificate (SSC) and equivalent examinations commenced on Thursday, with nearly 1.93 million students registered to participate.
The SSC, Dakhil, and vocational exams began simultaneously at 10 a.m., starting with the Bangla First Paper for SSC and vocational students, while Dakhil candidates sat for their Quran Majid and Tajvid exam. The tests will conclude at 1 p.m.
For the first time since the COVID-19 pandemic, the exams are being conducted using the full syllabus, with complete marks and standard exam durations.
From 9 a.m. onwards, examinees were seen arriving at their respective centres, despite being instructed to be present 30 minutes before the exam’s start. Education Advisor Chowdhury Rafiqul Abrar is expected to visit the Motijheel Government Boys High School and Motijheel Government Girls High School exam centres at 10:30 a.m.
Mahamudur Rahman, a parent of an SSC examinee at the Badda High School centre, told bdnews24.com: “My daughter studies at Merul Badda Siraj Mia Memorial High School. We reached the centre before 9:30 a.m. Since today’s exam is Bangla First Paper, we aren’t too worried.”
“Even though the exams are covering the full syllabus, there was no issue with preparation as students had sufficient time,” he added.
Among the registered candidates, approximately 1.4 million students are taking part under the nine general education boards, while 294,726 are appearing for the Dakhil exams under the Madrasa Board. Additionally, 143,313 students are sitting for SSC and Dakhil Vocational exams under the Technical Education Board.
The SSC written exams will conclude on May 13, with practical assessments scheduled from May 15 to May 22.
For Dakhil students, written exams will also end on May 13, followed by practical tests from May 14 to May 18.
Meanwhile, vocational SSC and Dakhil students will take the Bangla Second Paper on the first day, finishing their written assessments with the English Second Paper on May 13. Their practical exams will be conducted from May 13 to May 22, followed by on-the-job training from May 23 to July 1.
The Inter-Education Board Coordination Committee has warned that anyone caught engaging in unfair practices, leaking exam questions, or spreading related rumors will face legal consequences.
Violators will be prosecuted under the Public Examinations (Crime) Act 1980, Information and Communication Technology Act 2006, and SSC and Equivalent Exams Policy 2025. The committee has urged public cooperation to ensure a fair and transparent examination process.
This year, 701,538 male and 788,604 female students from 18,084 schools are taking the SSC exams under nine general education boards at 2,291 exam centres.
For the Dakhil exams under the Bangladesh Madrasah Education Board, 150,893 male and 143,833 female students from 9,063 madrasas are sitting for their exams at 725 centres.
Under the Bangladesh Technical Education Board, 108,385 male and 34,928 female students are participating in the SSC and Dakhil Vocational exams.
To maintain strict security, only students and authorized exam personnel will be allowed inside the exam centres before, during, and after the tests.
Additionally, authorities have imposed restrictions under Section 144 of the Code of Criminal Procedure for three hours around exam centres. As a result, no unauthorised individuals will be permitted within 200 yards of the examination sites.
The Ministry of Education has mandated the closure of all coaching centres from April 10 to May 13, covering the entire 34-day exam period.
Furthermore, a ministry circular stated that only the centre secretary is permitted to use a mobile phone within exam centres. However, it must be a basic feature phone without a camera or internet connectivity. Any unauthorized use of mobile phones, smartwatches, pens with digital capabilities, or other electronic devices will result in disciplinary action.
Candidates are also restricted from using “programmable” calculators during the exams, although they may use “non-programmable” scientific calculators.
In addition, all photocopying shops around the exam centres must remain closed during examination hours.
The Education Ministry has directed exam centres to send completed answer sheets to the nearest post office immediately after each exam concludes to ensure timely processing.
