SSC and Equivalent Exams Begin Nationwide

The Secondary School Certificate (SSC) and equivalent examinations for 2026 began across the country on Tuesday, with more than 1.85 million students taking part.

According to official data, a total of 1,857,344 candidates are appearing in the exams under 11 education boards. Of them, 930,305 are male students and 927,039 are female.

Students from 30,666 educational institutions are sitting for the exams at 3,885 centres nationwide. The number of candidates has decreased by about 71,626 compared to last year. The highest number of examinees is under the Dhaka Board, while the lowest is under the Sylhet Board.

Among general education boards, the highest number of candidates—627,451—are from the humanities group. The science group has 569,763 candidates, while 221,184 students are appearing from the business studies group. Female participation slightly exceeds that of males in most streams.

Under the Madrasa Education Board, 304,286 students are taking part in the Dakhil examination, while 134,660 candidates are appearing under the Technical Education Board.

Authorities have announced a zero-tolerance policy to ensure a fair examination environment. All centres are under CCTV surveillance, and intelligence monitoring has been strengthened to prevent question leaks. Section 144 has been imposed within 200 yards of exam centres to restrict unauthorised entry.

The use of mobile phones and electronic devices is strictly prohibited inside examination halls.

The exams began with the Bangla first paper and will continue until May 20. Practical examinations are scheduled to be held from June 7 to June 14.