PSC accelerates BCS process with ‘one year’ goal

The Public Service Commission (PSC) published the results of the 47th BCS preliminary examination in just nine days. Most recently, the results of the 50th BCS preliminary exam, held in 2026, were also published within 11 days. Results had never been published so quickly in BCS history.

Alongside this, the BCS application fee has been reduced to Tk 200, while the marks allocated for the viva voce examination have been cut to 100. These decisions by the PSC have been widely praised. However, despite the administrative momentum, unresolved complexities remain, including permanent reforms and non-cadre recruitment issues.

At a recent event held at a hotel in the capital, the PSC presented an overview of reforms implemented over the past 18 months. The commission’s current initiatives to restore public confidence and its future plans were discussed there in detail.

A review of statistics from recent BCS examinations shows that the PSC has consistently been breaking its own records in publishing results. The results of the 40th BCS preliminary exam, held on 3 May 2019, took 84 days to be published (25 July 2019). Similarly, the results of the 43rd BCS exam, held on 29 October 2021, were published after 102 days (8 February 2022).

The current commission has overcome that past sluggishness and brought greater impetus to the process. Under the commission led by Md Sohrab Hossain, it took 27 days to publish the 44th BCS preliminary results.

In contrast, the current commission led by Mobashwer Monem published the 47th BCS preliminary results in only nine days. Continuing that trend, the results of the 50th BCS preliminary exam, involving 290,951 candidates, were published on the 11th day.

PSC sources said this transformation is being driven by the commission’s “One BCS, One Year” roadmap. The goal is to complete the entire process—from publication of the BCS circular to the final results—within one year.

PSC member Professor Dr Chowdhury Sayma Ferdous told Prothom Alo, “It would be incomplete to simply say that results are being published quickly. The current commission has introduced a groundbreaking change in evaluating written examination scripts.

Previously, it took more than a year to evaluate written answer sheets. Now, through the introduction of the ‘circular evaluation system,’ that time has been reduced to only three months. To eliminate disparities in marking, experts determine a comprehensive standard answer for each question using scientific methods.

Written scripts are then evaluated according to that standard. This has never happened before in PSC history. We believe this has eliminated marking disparities in written exams and ensured proper evaluation of merit.”

Over the past year, the current commission has recommended a total of 8,728 candidates for various cadre positions from the 44th to the 49th BCS examinations.

Another major reform introduced by the new commission is the reduction of the BCS application fee from Tk 700 to Tk 200. This has brought significant financial relief for general and underprivileged job seekers.

At the same time, the decision to reduce viva voce marks from 200 to 100 has also been praised. According to PSC officials, this will reduce psychological pressure on candidates and place greater importance on written examination performance during evaluation. They also believe it will reduce the scope for discrimination in viva boards.

PSC sources further said that alongside reducing viva marks, a competency-based interview system is being introduced. As a result, candidates with leadership qualities are expected to join the civil administration in the future.

To prevent fraud in every stage of BCS recruitment, the PSC is now emphasising digital technology. With technical assistance from Bangladesh University of Engineering and Technology, an integrated software system is being developed.

A key aspect of this reform is the introduction of a “Unique ID” system for job applicants. Once implemented, candidates will no longer need to re-enter all their information with every application.

Additionally, according to PSC officials, the introduction of hidden barcodes on question papers and a lottery system for selecting viva boards has greatly increased transparency in the recruitment process.

At the same time, questions have arisen about whether the existing syllabus remains compatible with changing job demands, administrative realities, and technological developments.

As a result, the PSC has taken initiatives to update the old syllabus. Relevant officials said that 50 per cent of the syllabus revision work, jointly undertaken by the PSC and the United Nations Development Programme, has already been completed.

Despite the increased pace of PSC operations, delays and complications in non-cadre recruitment remain unresolved. Candidates who passed the 43rd and 44th BCS non-cadre processes are still protesting after failing to receive expected appointments.

One successful candidate from the 43rd BCS, who requested anonymity, said in frustration, “The commission is publishing results quickly, but why is there such slow progress in our non-cadre appointments? More than 468,000 positions remain vacant in government offices, so why are we still wandering from place to place?”

Addressing the issue at a discussion meeting on 13 April, State Minister for Public Administration Abdul Bari said that all ministries had been instructed to fill vacant government posts and that the government was seriously considering maximising recruitment from the non-cadre pool.

Although the Constitution defines the PSC as an independent institution, PSC Chairman Professor Mobashwer Monem commented that in reality its independence remains extremely limited.

He told Prothom Alo, “Since 2011, the PSC has functioned like a department under the Ministry of Public Administration. The PSC does not have the freedom to formulate its own regulations as like as Election Commission.”

He clearly stated that if the PSC were granted full administrative and financial independence, it would be possible to maintain the continuity of the “one BCS, one year” roadmap.

Responding to this during the discussion event, the Prime Minister’s adviser on public administration, Ismail Jabiullah, said that the current government would never use the PSC for political purposes and that releasing budget allocations in a single installment was under active consideration.

PSC sources also said that the commission’s newly introduced initiatives now require institutionalisation. In other words, unless benefits and incentives for PSC officials and employees involved in implementing these reforms are increased, sustaining these initiatives in the future may become difficult.

Political considerations during police verification at the final stage of BCS recruitment remain a major sore point. The case of a candidate from Puthia in Rajshahi—who ranked first in the foreign affairs cadre in the 44th BCS but was ultimately denied appointment—was highlighted as an example.

On this issue, adviser on public administration Ismail Jabiullah said at the PSC discussion event that the government would work to expedite the police verification process.

Regarding the PSC’s overall activities, Professor Ridwanul Haque of the Institute of Business Administration (IBA) at University of Dhaka told Prothom Alo that the PSC must be guaranteed not just nominal but full administrative and financial independence in order to preserve its constitutional autonomy.

Alongside ensuring transparency in recruitment, he also emphasised the inclusion of modern scientific methods such as psychometric tests and DOB testing to evaluate candidates’ qualifications.

Overall, the momentum the PSC has created over the past 18 months in publishing BCS examination results is now a major challenge to sustain. If the “One BCS, One Year” target can be achieved and genuine merit, integrity, and morality can be properly evaluated, only then will public confidence in the PSC be restored.