HSC, equivalent exams begin amid fear of question leaks

Higher Secondary Certificate and equivalent examinations began across the country on Monday with the authorities making a number of new arrangements for preventing question leaks, which include closure of coaching centres and fixing the sets of questions 25 minutes before the starting of an exam.

The examinations started in a peaceful atmosphere at 10:00am in 2,541 centres.

Addressing a press briefing in the capital Monday morning, education minister Nururl Islam Nahid said that the government had taken proper steps to prevent question leaks.

‘If the ministry gets evidence that question of any examination has been leaked, further steps will be taken,’ Nahid said.

Students will also have to take seats 30 minutes before the scheduled start of an exam while the use of cell phone within 200 metres of the exam centre is banned.

No person will know how many sets of questions are prepared.

This year, around 13.11 lakh examinees will take the HSC and its equivalent tests from 8,943 educational institutions.

Of them, 10.92 lakh will take HSC exams under eight general education boards, 1 lakh will appear for Alim exams under madrassah education board and 1.17 lakh will sit for HSC vocational exams under technical education board.

General stream students will take Bangla first paper, while madrassah students will take Quran Majid and technical students will sit for Bangla exam on the first day.

The number of examinees this year has increased by 1.27 lakh from previous year’s 11.84 lakh students.

Theoretical exams will continue till May 13, while practical exams will be held between May 14 and 23. Exams of 56 papers on 28 subjects will be held under creative question method this year.

News Courtesy: www.newagebd.net