Plans for SSC and HSC exams in December: What educationists and others say

The Ministry of Education is planning to complete the SSC and HSC examinations by December. Preparations are underway to take a series of reform initiatives, including assessing the feasibility of completing these two public exams by 31 December every year.

Education experts and individuals involved in the education sector say that if public exams like SSC and HSC are conducted within December, widely known as the country’s “exam season,” in a planned manner, it would be good for both the education system and students. However, it must be ensured that the two years of study for SSC candidates (grades 9–10) and HSC candidates (grades 11–12) are not disrupted in any way. In other words, learning gaps must definitely be avoided.

SSC and HSC and equivalent examinations are the most important public exams in the country. Every year, a large number of students across the country participate in these two exams. In last year’s SSC examination alone, 1,479,310 candidates took part under the 9 general education boards. The pass rate was 68.04 per cent, which was 83.77 per cent the previous year. Last year, 125,018 students achieved GPA 5; after re-evaluation, this number increased slightly.

Currently, a student is eligible to take the SSC exam in the year following the completion of their Grade 10 classes at the secondary level. A similar system applies to HSC. For many years, SSC exams were held in early February and HSC exams in early April. However, since the COVID outbreak, this schedule has not been maintained and has instead been pushed further back. For instance, the 2026 SSC exams are starting on 21 April, while the HSC exams will begin in June.

The plan to conduct SSC and HSC exams within December was discussed at a discussion meeting held yesterday (Wednesday) at the Ministry of Education to ensure the proper organisation of the 2026 HSC and equivalent examinations. At the meeting, it was decided that the 2026 HSC examination would be held with a uniform question paper across all education boards in the country. In addition, a decision was made to form a high-level committee to assess the necessity and feasibility of reducing the number of subjects in these two exams in the future.

Currently, the academic year at the primary and secondary levels in the country begins in January and ends in December. In this context, a former chairman of the Dhaka Secondary and Higher Secondary Education Board was consulted regarding the plan to hold SSC and HSC exams within December.

On condition of anonymity, the former chairman told Prothom Alo that if the duration of the two-year course can be properly adjusted, there would be no problem. In fact, December is considered the exam season in Bangladesh, as annual examinations in schools across the country are also held during this time. Therefore, if the timing can be aligned, SSC and HSC exams can also be held in December and may yield good results. However, it must be ensured that the syllabus is completed within the prescribed timeframe, grades 9–10 for SSC and grades 11–12 for HSC, so that there is no learning gap.

The committee led by Professor Monzoor Ahmed has recommended limiting public examinations at the secondary level to core competency-based subjects such as Bangla, English, Mathematics, Social Studies and Science instead of all subjects. Questions in these subjects would be skill-based and application-oriented.

Additionally, the committee has advised reviewing secondary-level subjects and prioritising the development of foundational skills in language (Bangla and English), mathematics, science, and information technology. It also recommended that instead of dividing students into streams such as science, humanities, and business studies in Grade 9, all students should be taught under a unified curriculum up to Grade 10, with specialisation beginning in Grade 11. Furthermore, it suggested making education universal up to Grade 12.

The Ministry of Education under the new government has decided to form a high-level committee to assess the necessity and feasibility of reducing the number of subjects in SSC and HSC examinations in the future.