The Higher Secondary Certificate (HSC) and equivalent examinations for 2026 began across Bangladesh on Thursday, 2 July. A total of 1,270,583 students are taking part in this year’s examinations under the country’s 11 education boards.
According to the Ministry of Education, 621,969 male students and 648,614 female students are sitting for the examinations. Female candidates outnumber male candidates by 26,645, continuing a trend seen in recent years.
The information was shared by Abdul Khaleque, Secretary of the Secondary and Higher Education Division, during a press conference held on Wednesday at the Ministry of Education in the Secretariat.
He said students from 9,439 educational institutions are appearing at 2,697 examination centres across the country. He also confirmed that the HSC examinations under the country’s nine general education boards will be conducted using a single, uniform question paper this year.
Education and Primary and Mass Education Minister Dr. A N M Ehsanul Haque Milon and the Prime Minister’s Education Adviser Dr. Mahdi Amin also attended the press conference.
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The education boards have issued several instructions to help ensure the examinations are conducted smoothly. Candidates must arrive at their examination centres and take their seats at least 30 minutes before the examination begins.
The multiple-choice (MCQ) section will be held first, followed immediately by the creative or written section without any break. For subjects carrying 30 marks in the MCQ section, students will receive 30 minutes to complete it, followed by two hours and 30 minutes for the 70-mark written examination.
For subjects that include practical examinations, the 25-mark MCQ section will last 25 minutes, followed by a two-hour and 35-minute written examination worth 50 marks.
The education boards also announced detailed schedules for distributing answer scripts, OMR sheets and question papers for both morning and afternoon examinations. Students have been instructed to follow the timings printed on the question paper.
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Candidates must correctly complete all required information on the OMR sheet, including their roll number, registration number, and subject code. Writing in the margins or folding answer scripts is not permitted.
Students may only sit for the subjects listed on their registration card and admit card. They must also pass the theoretical, MCQ, and practical sections separately where applicable.
The boards have allowed candidates to use non-programmable analogue wristwatches and board-approved non-programmable scientific calculators. Programmable calculators are prohibited. Mobile phones are also banned inside examination centres for candidates, while only the officer-in-charge of a centre is permitted to use one.
The HSC and equivalent examinations are one of Bangladesh’s largest public examinations. Education authorities are expected to monitor the examination process closely throughout the examination period to ensure it is conducted in an orderly manner.
