Staff Correspondent:

This year’s Higher Secondary School Certificate (HSC) and equivalent examinations will begin on November 6.

Board of Intermediate and Secondary Education, Dhaka published the examinations routine on Monday.

According to the routine, duration of each examination will be two hours. Examinees will get 20 minutes for multiple choice questions while 1 hour 40 minutes for creative or essay questions.

The exams are usually held in February and April but like in recent previous years, the government had to defer this year’s SSC, HSC and equivalent examinations too, impacted by the Covid-19 pandemic.

The SSC and HSC exams were held months behind schedule in November and December 2021 last year, due to the pandemic, following the resumption of in-person classes. Last year the syllabus was shortened and students were tested on three elective subjects only.

Before that, with the start of the pandemic, all educational institutions were shut down in 2020, there were no HSC exams, and students were promoted automatically.

In 2021, schools and colleges were again closed from 21 January to 6 February for a second time, and later the closures were extended till 21 February this year.

High schools and colleges reopened on 22 February and primary schools resumed in-person classes from 2 March this year.

Guidelines for candidates

The authorities have issued several guidelines for the candidates attending the exams.

It urged the examinees to arrive at respective centres 30 minutes before the exam, to put their roll and registration numbers carefully, and not to fold answer sheets. Students would be allowed to use only general and scientific calculators but no calculating devices having other programmes.

Bringing mobile phones is strictly prohibited for the examinees. Only respective officials of the exam centres can use cell phones.