Class one admission age raised, exam marks for classes 2–9 fixed

The admission policy for the 2027 academic year at private schools, schools and colleges (secondary, junior secondary and attached primary levels) has been published.

Under the new policy, the minimum age for admission to class one has been raised from five to six years.

The Secondary and Higher Education Division of the Ministry of Education issued the ‘Admission Policy for Private Schools, Schools and Colleges–2027’ on Tuesday, 10 November. The policy specifies the revised age requirement.

Under the previous admission policy, issued on 13 October, 2026, the minimum age for admission to class one had been fixed at five years, in line with the 2025 admission policy. The new policy raises the age limit by one year.

According to the new policy, under the National Education Policy 2010, a child must be at least six but under seven years old as of 1 January of the relevant academic year to be admitted to class one. This means children born between 1 January and 31 December, 2020, will be eligible for admission in 2027.

Applicants must submit an attested copy of their online birth registration certificate along with the admission application to establish their age.

Children with special needs may be granted an additional age allowance of up to five years.

Admission to class one must be conducted through a lottery. Alongside the list of selected students, schools must prepare a waiting list containing an equal number of applicants. If a selected student fails to complete admission within the stipulated deadline, students will be admitted from the waiting list in sequence.

For vacant seats in classes 2–9, students must be selected on the basis of merit through written admission tests. Admission to class 9 will be based on the results of the class 8 or equivalent examination.

For classes 2 and 3, the admission test will carry a total of 50 marks, with 15 marks for Bangla, 15 for English and 20 for Mathematics. The examination will last one hour.

For classes 4–9, the test will carry a total of 100 marks, comprising 30 marks for Bangla, 30 for English and 40 for Mathematics. The examination will last two hours.

Heads of institutions will publish and circulate admission notices specifying the number of vacant seats at their respective institutions. The Directorate of Secondary and Higher Education will also arrange wider publicity by publishing notices in national and local newspapers and on its website.

Schools may charge a maximum of Tk 110 for online class 1 admission application forms and Tk 250 for application forms for classes 2–9.

Admission fees, including session charges, must be determined in accordance with the instructions of the Ministry of Education.

For the secondary school admission policy, click here.