HSC exams to begin on July 2

The Higher Secondary Certificate (HSC) and equivalent examinations for this year will begin on July 2. The theoretical exams will continue until August 8, and practical exams must be completed by August 15.

The Inter-Education Board Examination Control Committee published the examination schedule on Wednesday. The schedule was signed by the committee's convener and Dhaka Education Board Examination Controller Professor S M Kamal Uddin Haider.

According to the published schedule, exams will be held in two shifts daily—from 10:00 am to 1:00 pm and from 2:00 pm to 5:00 pm. Examinees must enter the examination centre at least 30 minutes before the exam begins. The first 30 minutes will be allocated for multiple choice questions (MCQ), followed by two and a half hours for the written exam.

Several instructions have been issued for examinees. These include collecting admit cards from their respective institution heads seven days before the exam begins, correctly filling out the OMR form of the answer sheet with roll numbers, registration numbers and subject codes, and not folding the answer sheet or writing inside the margins under any circumstances.

Additionally, examinees must pass each part—theory, MCQ and practical (where applicable)—separately. Only analogue watches with hands may be used during the exam, and approved non-programmable scientific calculators are permitted. Mobile phone use is prohibited for anyone except the centre's in-charge officer.

Earlier, Education and Primary and Mass Education Minister A N M Ehsanul Haque Milon announced that this year's HSC and equivalent examinations would be held with uniform question papers across all education boards.

Although there was an initial plan to start the exams in June, the decision was later made to postpone them to July 2 following discussions with relevant stakeholders.