Bangladesh Plans to Hold 2023 SSC Exams on Full Syllabus

The Secondary School Certificate and equivalent examinations will revert to the usual format in 2023, with students being assessed on the full syllabus, according to education officials.

This year's public exams began on Thursday, seven months behind schedule due to delays caused by the coronavirus pandemic and floods.

In light of the disruptions to learning, the tests are based on an abridged curriculum and the exam duration has also been reduced to two hours.

However, the Ministry of Education plans to return to the pre-pandemic schedule as a slowdown in the spread of COVID-19 has allowed for classes to be conducted normally.

"The exam schedule will be brought forward next year. Prior to the pandemic, the SSC exams used to start in January. Even if we can't do that, there are plans to start the exams in March," Abu Bakr Siddique, secretary of the Directorate of Secondary and Higher Education, told reporters while visiting an exam centre in Dhaka on Thursday.

Tapan Kumar Sarkar, president of the Inter-Education Board Coordination Sub-Committee, said the Higher Secondary Certificate and equivalent exams may also be delayed by a month next year.

The exams, however, will be held on the full syllabus in 2023, he added, urging students to prepare accordingly.

Over two million students sat for the Bangla first paper exam at 3,790 centres across the country on the opening day of the SSC exams this year._Agencies