HSC, Equivalent Exams Begin with Common Question Papers

The Higher Secondary Certificate (HSC) and equivalent examinations began across Bangladesh today, marking the first time that all education boards are conducting the tests using a unified set of question papers.

The examinations got underway with the Bangla First Paper at 10:00am.

Authorities have tightened security measures to prevent question paper leaks, while education experts have pointed to ensuring uniform standards in answer script evaluation as one of the major challenges under the new system.

A total of 1,270,583 students are appearing for this year's examinations, up by 19,472 from last year. Among them, 1,069,714 candidates are registered under the country's nine general education boards, while 200,869 are taking the examinations under the Madrasah and Technical Education Boards.

The examinations are being held at 2,997 centres across the country. Officials have designated 145 centres as high-risk, including 40 in Dhaka, where additional security measures have been put in place.

To facilitate the smooth conduct of the examinations, authorities have issued 35 directives covering the transportation of question papers, preservation of answer scripts, the use of approved calculators, and security protocols, including inspections of washrooms at examination centres.

Prof Syed Akhtaruzzaman, chairman of the Dhaka Education Board and president of the Inter-Board Coordination Committee, said all necessary preparations had been completed to ensure fair and malpractice-free examinations. He also asserted that there was no possibility of any question paper leak.

He said that if any question paper leak were detected, the examination scheduled for that day would be postponed nationwide and a fresh examination would be arranged later.

Education Minister Dr ANM Ehsanul Hoque Milon warned that strict action would be taken not only against candidates found guilty of cheating but also against the heads of educational institutions where any form of malpractice is uncovered.

Educationists welcomed the introduction of a common question paper for all education boards, describing it as an important step towards ensuring greater consistency in the examination system.

At the same time, they noted that completely eliminating the risk of question paper leaks and ensuring uniform standards in the marking of answer scripts across all boards would remain key challenges.

The written examinations will continue until August 8, while practical examinations are scheduled to conclude by August 15.