HSC admissions on SSC results, no exam

For the upcoming academic year, admission to Class XI (Higher Secondary level) will continue to be based on the results of the SSC and equivalent examinations.

As before, applications will be accepted through a centralised online system, and admissions will be processed based on merit and the applicants' order of preference.

As in previous years, the authorities will conduct the admission process centrally through an online system, considering applicants' academic merit and order of institutional preference.

Following the change in government, discussions emerged over the possibility of introducing entrance examinations for Class XI admissions.

The issue gained further attention after the Ministry of Education decided to replace the lottery system with admission tests for primary and secondary educational institutions under its jurisdiction.

However, the Dhaka Education Board has ultimately decided to retain the existing admission system.

Two senior officials of the Dhaka Education Board confirmed the matter to Prothom Alo.

When asked about the issue, the Chairman of the Dhaka Education Board, Professor Syed Akhtaruzzaman, told Prothom Alo, "We will announce this year's admission process a day or two before the publication of the SSC and equivalent examination results."

He did not wish to provide further details on the matter at this stage.

The authorities will publish the results of the 2026 SSC and equivalent examinations on 10 August. They had initially scheduled the results for publication on 20 July but postponed the date because the education boards had not completed the necessary preparations.

For the past several years, authorities have admitted students to Class XI solely on the basis of SSC and equivalent examination results.

Applicants seeking admission must submit an online application by paying the prescribed fee and selecting a minimum of five and a maximum of 10 colleges or equivalent educational institutions in order of preference.

The authorities then nominate each applicant to a single institution after considering the student's examination results, quota eligibility (where applicable), and order of preference.

This centralised admission process applies only to colleges and madrasas. Institutions operating under the Bangladesh Technical Education Board conduct their admissions through a separate process.

With the exception of a few institutions, including Notre Dame College in Dhaka, almost all colleges and madrasas across the country admit students to Class XI through this system.

The Dhaka Education Board manages the centralised online admission process with technical support from the Bangladesh University of Engineering and Technology (BUET).

A Dhaka Education Board official told Prothom Alo, "Under the current decision, we will follow the existing admission procedure for Class XI this year as well."

The official added, "However, we are reviewing and discussing several quota-related issues. The government needs to make a policy decision on those matters. Therefore, the Ministry of Education will take the final decision regarding the quota system. Nevertheless, it is almost certain that admissions will continue to be based on SSC and equivalent examination results, because introducing an entrance examination could create various complications. It would also be difficult to implement a new system within such a short period."

Sources at the Dhaka Education Board said that the authorities had initially planned to publish the SSC and equivalent examination results on 20 July and had therefore made a preliminary decision to begin accepting online applications for Class XI admissions from 30 July.

However, because the publication of the examination results has been postponed, the start of the Class XI admission process will also be delayed.

The authorities will now prepare a revised timetable and finalise the admission schedule accordingly.

Under the original plan, they intended to begin accepting applications 10 days after publishing the examination results. They will now determine a new schedule after taking public holidays and other relevant factors into consideration.

According to sources at the Dhaka Education Board, colleges and madrasas across the country have more than 2.6 million (26 lakh) seats available for admission to Class XI.

By contrast, more than 1.857 million (18.57 lakh) students registered for this year's SSC and equivalent examinations. However, on the first day of the examinations alone, 25,408 candidates were absent across the country's 11 education boards.

Additional candidates also remained absent from subsequent examinations despite having completed the registration process.

These figures indicate that a significant number of Class XI seats are likely to remain vacant this year as well.

Colleges and madrasas have experienced vacant seats in previous years, but last year the number increased further because the pass rate was the lowest in recent years.

The number of vacant seats this year will depend on the SSC and equivalent examination results. A higher pass rate will reduce the number of vacant seats, while a lower pass rate will result in more seats remaining unfilled.