SSC and Equivalent Exams Starting Today; Over 18.5 Lakh Students will Sit

The Secondary School Certificate (SSC), Dakhil and SSC (Vocational) examinations begin across Bangladesh today Tuesday, April 21.

A total of 18,57,344 candidates are appearing for the exams under nine general education boards, the Madrasa board, and the Technical education board.

The examinations will kick off at 10:00 AM with the Bangla First Paper. To avoid traffic congestion and ensure a smooth start authorities have instructed candidates to enter their respective centers by 8:00 AM.

The theoretical exams are scheduled to conclude on May 20, followed by practical examinations from June 7 to June 14. This year, the exams are being conducted at 3,885 centers nationwide.

Education Minister ANM Ehsanul Haque Milon shared the final statistics during a press briefing at the Secretariat on Monday. Total Candidates: 1,857,344 which Male Students: 930,305 and Female Students: 927,039.

Notably, the number of examinees has decreased compared to 2025, which saw over 19.36 lakh candidates. Reports also indicate that approximately 4.5 lakh students who registered two years ago are not participating in this year’s finals.

This marks the first major public examination under the current government. The Minister urged students to remain calm and confident encouraging them to enter the halls "with a smile."

Exams will begin with Multiple Choice Questions (MCQ) followed immediately by the Creative/Compositional section.

There will be no break between the two parts of the test. Information and Communication Technology (ICT) follow a modified format as per the board guidelines.