HSC retake exams for students failing one or two subjects to begin on December 2

Students who failed in one or two subjects in this year's Higher Secondary Certificate (HSC) and equivalent examinations will be able to sit for retake exams on December 2 and 3, Education Minister Dr ANM Ehsanul Haque Milon has announced.

The results of the examinations will be published on December 23.

The minister disclosed the dates on Thursday morning (November 5) during a visit to Shamsul Haque Khan School and College in Matuail, Dhaka.

This year's average pass rate across all 11 education boards stood at 52.12%, the lowest in the past two decades. The pass rate was 58.83% last year, marking a decline of 6.71 percentage points in a year.

A total of 1,240,798 candidates took part in this year's examinations, of whom 646,685 passed. Among the successful candidates, 356,528 were female, representing a pass rate of 56.31% among female students. A total of 290,157 male candidates passed, with a pass rate of 47.75%.

A total of 40,084 students achieved a GPA-5, including 20,363 boys and 19,721 girls. Last year, 69,097 students secured the highest grade, meaning the number fell by 29,013 this year.

The number of educational institutions with no successful candidates also increased. A total of 293 institutions recorded a zero pass rate this year, compared with 202 last year, an increase of 91.

This year's HSC and equivalent examinations began on July 2. Written examinations were scheduled to conclude by August 8, while practical examinations were due to be completed by August 15. However, several examinations under the Chattogram Education Board could not be held as scheduled due to natural disasters. Following the postponement, the board's written examinations were completed on September 9.