Scholarship exams return to Madrasas after 16-year hiatus

After 16 years, scholarship examinations for fifth-grade students are set to resume in all Ebtedayi madrasas across Bangladesh.

The Madrasa Education Board has scheduled the exams to be held from December 21 to 28 this year.

An official order signed by Professor Dr. Kamrul Ahsan, examination controller of the Madrasa Education Board, confirmed the development on Wednesday (August 6).

According to the order, a maximum of 40 percent of fifth-grade students from each madrasa will be eligible to participate in the scholarship exams. The tests will cover five subjects: Quran Majeed and Aqeed-Fiqh, Arabic (First and Second Papers), Bengali, English, Mathematics, and Science. Each subject will carry 100 marks, totaling 500 marks.

The tentative exam dates are December 21, 22, 23, 24, and 28. The Madrasa Education Board will publish the detailed syllabus and mark distribution soon.

Students who pass the exam will receive monthly stipends and gain priority in admission to secondary schools.

The scholarship examination was discontinued in 2009 following the introduction of the Primary Education Completion (PEC) Examination. The reintroduction aligns with the government's recent decision to reinstate scholarship exams in all government primary schools nationwide.