Govt jobs: Viva marks to rise, what is rationale, where are risks

The government is set to change the marks distribution between written and viva voce examinations for direct recruitment to posts in Grades 11 to 20.

Under the proposed changes, the written test would carry 100 marks and the viva 50 for Grades 11-12; 60 and 40, respectively, for Grades 13-16; and 25 marks each for the written and viva tests for Grades 17-20.

Public administration experts fear that raising viva marks could widen the scope for irregularities and corruption in recruitment. In particular, if candidates’ written scores are close, higher viva marks could create an opportunity to favour preferred candidates.

However, the government says the changes are aimed at selecting genuinely qualified candidates by curbing malpractice in recruitment exams and bringing consistency to the hiring processes of different ministries, divisions and departments.

For this, initiative has been taken to formulate the ‘Examination Marks Distribution (Special Provisions) Rules, 2026 for Direct Recruitment to Grades 11-20 in Ministries or Divisions and Their Departments, Directorates, Offices and Agencies’.

Government sources said a draft has already been prepared and is now nearing finalisation.

Under the proposal, Grades 11–12 recruitment exams would carry 150 marks—100 for the written test and 50 for the viva. The written test will have 25 marks each for Bangla, English, Mathematics and relevant technical subjects or general knowledge, with pass mark of 35 per cent and 40 per cent in the written test and viva, respectively.

For Grades 13–16, the total would be 100 marks—60 for the written test and 40 for the viva. The written test would allocate 15 marks each to Bangla, English, Mathematics and relevant technical subjects or general knowledge. Pass mark would be 40 per cent in both the written test and viva to pass.

For Grades 17–20, the total would be 50 marks, with 25 each for the written test and viva. The written test would allocate five marks each to Bangla, English, Mathematics and relevant technical subjects or general knowledge. The pass mark would be 40 per cent in both tests.

The draft rules state that candidates who pass the written test must also pass a practical test if one is required for the post.

Under the current ‘Common Posts’ Recruitment Rules for various posts under ministries or divisions and their attached departments, directorates and offices, posts such as Senior Assistant carry 70 marks for the written test and 30 for the viva.

However, the rules differ for ministries and divisions. Under the Bangladesh Secretariat (Non-Cadre Gazetted Officers and Non-Gazetted Employees) Recruitment Rules, direct recruitment to posts such as Personal Officer, Stenographer-cum-Computer Operator and Office Assistant carries 100 marks for the written test and 10 for the viva.

The proposed rules would bring major changes to the written and viva marks structure based on grade.

The proposed rules would not apply to recruitment for posts in the armed forces, police, Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB), Bangladesh Ansar and Village Defence Force, Battalion Ansar, Bangladesh Coast Guard, Rapid Action Battalion (RAB) or any other force, or posts under the Bangladesh Public Service Commission (PSC).

The government says the marks distribution is being changed because malpractice in recruitment examinations has increased recently, creating a risk of unqualified candidates being hired instead of genuinely qualified ones.

According to a government summary on the matter, candidates in recruitment exams for various ministries, divisions and their departments, directorates, offices and agencies have resorted to various forms of malpractice, including sending ‘proxy’ candidates in their place and using artificial intelligence and electronic devices to secure jobs. This risks unqualified candidates being hired instead of qualified ones and disrupts the fair recruitment process.

The summary further states that a uniform marks distribution for written and viva examinations is necessary for direct recruitment to Grades 11–20 to ensure the selection of candidates based on merit, qualifications and competitive examinations in government jobs, and to bring consistency to recruitment examinations.

To harmonise recruitment procedures across ministries, divisions, departments, offices and agencies, a committee comprising representatives from the Cabinet Division, Prime Minister’s Office, Ministry of Public Administration, Finance Division, and Legislative and Parliamentary Affairs Division was formed to review existing recruitment rules and make recommendations. The committee submitted its report on 4 August.

Following the committee’s report, the Legislative and Parliamentary Affairs Division was asked for verbal guidance on the legal steps ahead and provided a draft of the proposed special rules. Based on the committee’s recommendations and the division’s advice, a meeting of the subcommittee on reviewing recruitment rules was held on August 30. After reviewing members’ views and relevant rules, a draft gazette notification and schedule were prepared. Based on the meeting’s observations and review, the Ministry of Public Administration recommended sending the proposed notification and schedule to the Cabinet Division for presentation to the Secretaries' Committee on Administrative Development.

A Ministry of Public Administration source said the ministry has sent the summary to the Cabinet Division, which is now handling the next steps.

Prime Minister’s Information and Broadcasting Adviser Zahed Ur Rahman said at the Secretariat on Tuesday that the changes were not intended to serve any particular purpose or create discrimination, but to ensure an efficient and qualified administrative workforce. He also linked the decision to increase viva marks to improving the quality of recruitment.

Overall, the key question facing the government is how consistent the decision to increase viva marks is with its initiative to prevent malpractice in written examinations and select genuinely qualified candidates. Experts fear that higher viva marks could make ensuring transparency in recruitment more challenging.

Former secretary and former rector of the Bangladesh Public Administration Training Centre (BPATC) AKM Abdul Awal Mazumder has objected to the government’s initiative. He regularly shares his views on government jobs, administration and various other issues on Facebook under the title “Kholamela Katha (Frankly Speaking).”

In a 7 September post titled “Hoyto Aronnorodon! (Perhaps a cry in the wilderness!)”, Abdul Awal Mazumder said, “It is not justified to increase viva marks for third- and fourth-class employees beyond 20. This will bring disrepute to the government, fuel corruption, hinder good governance and harm the state.”