Board issues marking guideline over ‘erroneous questions’ in HSC Chemistry second paper

The Dhaka Board of Intermediate and Secondary Education has issued a detailed marking guideline for the Higher Secondary Certificate (HSC) Chemistry Second Paper examination following complaints of multiple errors in the question paper.

Board officials said on Sunday (July 26) that the rubric provides model answers and clear mark distribution for each question to ensure fair and uniform evaluation. Under the guideline, candidates will receive partial marks for partially correct responses, while irrelevant or incorrect answers will not be awarded marks.

According to the board, examiners have been instructed to award marks if students correctly complete half-reactions, write appropriate chemical formulas or accurately explain specific concepts. For the creative section, the highest four-mark questions will be assessed based on both mathematical analysis and logical explanation.

Concerns over the question paper surfaced shortly after the examination held on July 22, with teachers and examinees alleging that several errors created confusion and placed students under unnecessary pressure. Educationists argued that those capable of solving the questions accurately were among the most affected.

A review of the paper, along with opinions from subject experts, identified several inconsistencies. In Question 1, the stimulus mentioned four reaction products but failed to specify which product weighed 2.5 grams, making it impossible to calculate the oxidising agent's mass.

In Question 5, the stimulus referred to "Container-1," while subsequent sub-questions identified it as "Container A," creating ambiguity for candidates.

Question 6 also drew criticism after asking students to determine the amount of a parent compound required to produce 250 millilitres of gas without specifying the gas temperature or pressure. Teachers further noted that the data provided in the same question produced a compressibility factor (Z) of 4.0 for carbon dioxide—an outcome they described as inconsistent with the known behaviour of real gases and liquefaction theory.

Another disputed item appeared in Question 8, where the Van der Waals equation was described as a modified form of the "ideal gas adjustment equation." Subject specialists argued that the description was conceptually inaccurate, although they acknowledged that similar wording appears in some textbooks.

Errors were also reported in the multiple-choice section. Teachers claimed that Question 10 of the Jamuna (Set-Gha) paper contained no correct answer, as the textbook-supported option was absent from the listed choices.

The controversy follows a similar incident involving the HSC Physics First Paper examination, where the Ministry of Education later announced full marks for two flawed questions after significant criticism from teachers and students.