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Published : 23 Dec 2025, 01:13 AM
The interim government has yet to finalise when the Secondary School Certificate (SSC) and equivalent examinations will begin next year.
Education board officials said on Monday that the authorities may consider holding the exams in April or May, after the national election, the referendum and the holy month of Ramadan.
SSC and equivalent exams, including both written and practical components, require about 40 days to complete.
Officials said there were concerns about whether uninterrupted exams could be conducted during April and May, which coincide with the nor’wester storms and cyclone season.
Prof Khandaker Ehsanul Kabir, president of the Inter-Education Board Coordination Committee and chairman of the Dhaka education board, told bdnews24.com that all preparations were being kept ready so the exams could be held whenever the government decided.
He said holding the election in February and the arrival of Ramadan soon after made it difficult to determine a suitable window for a public examination.
“When a public exam like the SSC will be held is entirely up to the government. That is why it is not possible to say right now when the exams may begin,” he added.
The SSC exams traditionally began in February. As recently as 2020, the exams were held in that month.
The academic calendar, however, was disrupted by the COVID-19 pandemic, and the exams could not be held in February for the next three years.
In 2024, SSC exams were once again held in February, starting on Feb 15.
The schedule shifted the following year, with the 2025 exams beginning on Apr 10 due the July Uprising and Ramadan.
Prof SM Kamal Uddin Haider, controller of examination at the Dhaka Secondary and Higher Secondary Education Board, said: “If the SSC exams do not begin in February, it cannot be called a delay because no date has been fixed yet.”
“This year the exams were held in April. Next year they may begin in either April or May, though both months carry risks of cyclones and floods," added Haider, also the convenor of the Inter-Education Board Examination Controller Committee.
“Ultimately, the decision rests with the government. We are keeping our preparations ready, and once the decision comes, we will proceed with the formalities."
Last year, theoretical SSC exams were scheduled from Apr 10 to May 13, followed by practical exams from May 15 to 22. Some exams on May 14 and 15 were postponed due to Cyclone Mocha.
The written exams eventually ended on May 28, while practical exams were held from May 29 to Jun 4. The Higher Secondary Certificate (HSC) and equivalent exams began on Jun 26.
Asked about the possible schedule for next year’s HSC exams, Prof Haider said discussions on that would follow only after the SSC timetable was finalised.
For 2026, regular SSC candidates will sit exams under a shortened syllabus, while irregular and improvement candidates will follow the full syllabus.
Students who will appear as regular candidates next year studied under the now-scrapped new curriculum in grade 9.
After the curriculum was scrapped in September last year, they continued in grade 10 under the 2012 curriculum. As a result, their exams will be held on a shortened syllabus.
The interim government scrapped that curriculum on Sept 1, 2024, reinstating stream divisions from the current academic year.
SSC form fill-up will begin on Dec 31. Forms can be submitted without late fees until Jan 10, with fees payable until Jan 11.
Candidates may submit forms online with a late fee from Jan 12 to Jan 17, while late fees can be paid until Jan 18.
The maximum SSC examination fee has been set at Tk 2,435 per candidate for science students, including the fourth subject.
For business studies and humanities students, the fee, including the fourth subject, has been fixed at Tk 2,315.
