Over 1.26m to sit HSC Exams from tomorrow

The Higher Secondary Certificate (HSC) and equivalent examinations will begin tomorrow (2 July) across Bangladesh, with education authorities putting in place extensive measures to ensure the tests are conducted in a fair, orderly and malpractice-free environment.

The Boards of Intermediate and Secondary Education have issued detailed guidelines covering centre management, question paper security, candidate entry, invigilation and digital surveillance.

Professor Dr Khan Moinuddin Al Mahmud Sohel, Director General of the Directorate of Secondary and Higher Education (DSHE), expressed confidence that the examinations would be held smoothly across the country by following the prescribed guidelines.

“We are fully optimistic the HSC and equivalent examinations will be conducted smoothly across the country by adhering to the guidelines issued by the education boards,” he told The New Nation.

He said a well-managed examination process would help ensure that deserving students succeed on merit and contribute to building a merit-based Bangladesh in the future.

Under the guidelines, one invigilator will be assigned for every 20 examinees in each examination room, while no room may have fewer than two invigilators.

Two candidates may be seated on a 5-by-6-foot bench, while a 4-foot bench will accommodate one candidate.

Candidates will be allowed to enter examination centres from 8:30am and must take their seats at least 30 minutes before the examination begins.

Those arriving late may be allowed to enter in exceptional circumstances after their details are recorded in a register.

The education boards have also introduced strict security measures for handling question papers.

Three days before the examination, sealed question papers kept in treasury or police station lockers must be verified in the presence of the relevant officials.

On the day of the examination, question papers will be transported to centres under the supervision of a designated Tag Officer with police escort. The packets may only be opened after the designated question set code is communicated via mobile phone.

The authorities warned that departmental action would be taken if any examination is conducted using a question set other than the authorised one.

The boards have instructed all examination centres to keep CCTV cameras operational throughout the examination period.

Centre authorities have been directed to submit details including camera identification numbers, passwords, device brands, serial numbers and DVR/NVR connection information.

Examinations will be monitored through a continuous internet connection, and immediate action will be taken if CCTV systems are found to be non-functional or if any security lapses are detected.

Only the officer-in-charge of the examination centre will be permitted to carry a mobile phone or electronic device inside the premises. Examinees are prohibited from bringing any electronic device other than an analogue wristwatch.

The guidelines also prohibit the presence of unauthorised persons at examination centres.

Authorities have been instructed to inspect restrooms, ensure police supervision during the transportation of question papers and answer scripts, and store answer scripts of candidates with special needs separately.

On the opening day, candidates under the country’s nine general education boards will sit the Bangla First Paper examination.

Under the Bangladesh Madrasah Education Board, Alim candidates will take the Quran Majid examination, while the Bangladesh Technical Education Board will conduct the HSC (BMT) Bangla Second Paper examination. Examinations under all boards will run from 10:00am to 1:00pm.

A total of 1,267,486 candidates, including both regular and irregular students, will sit this year’s HSC and equivalent examinations under 11 education boards at 2,697 centres nationwide.

The Dhaka Education Board has the largest number of candidates, with 300,393 examinees at 310 centres.

The Rajshahi Board has 140,830 candidates across 208 centres, the Dinajpur Board 113,479 candidates at 212 centres, and the Jashore Board 117,210 candidates at 240 centres.

The Chattogram Board has 99,688 candidates at 114 centres, Cumilla 94,802 at 193 centres, Sylhet 71,711 at 96 centres, Mymensingh 73,037 at 111 centres, and Barishal 58,664 candidates across 142 centres.

Meanwhile, 92,905 candidates will sit Alim examinations at 461 centres under the Bangladesh Madrasah Education Board, while the Bangladesh Technical Education Board has registered 107,964 candidates across 610 centres.

The decision to begin this year’s examinations on 2 July was finalised at a meeting of the Secondary and Higher Education Division of the Ministry of Education, chaired by Education Minister ANM Ehsanul Hoque Milon.

The meeting was attended virtually by representatives of teachers, guardians and education board chairpersons.

The examinations had originally been scheduled to commence on 7 June under an earlier decision of the Inter-Education Board Coordination Committee.

To facilitate coordination and emergency communication during the examination period, the Dhaka Education Board has opened a special control room. The control room can be reached on telephone number 02-223369815.

Additional contact numbers are 01550411203, 01714994073 and 01756103152. Queries may also be sent by email to controller@dhakaeducationboard.gov.bd.