Failed HSC examinees to get chance to retake exams within 1-2 months: Education Minister

Students who failed the Higher Secondary Certificate (HSC) and equivalent examinations will get an opportunity to retake the exams within the next one to two months, Education Minister Dr ANM Ehsanul Haque Milon said on Saturday.

Students who failed in one or more subjects would be allowed to sit for examinations only in the subjects they had failed.

The information was disclosed at a programme organised by the Ministry of Education at the Secretariat to inaugurate the publication of this year's HSC and equivalent examination results. Education Minister ANM Ehsanul Haque Milon and Prime Minister's Adviser Mahdi Amin announced the decision at the programme.

A total of 422,905 candidates failed in one or two subjects this year.

Under the existing system, students who fail in one or more subjects in public examinations such as the SSC and HSC have to wait until the following year to retake the examinations. They can either sit for examinations only in the subjects they failed or retake all subjects if they wish.

However, detailed instructions on the examination date, application process and other related procedures will be announced by the concerned authorities within a month.

This year, the overall pass rate in the HSC and equivalent examinations stood at 52.12%, meaning nearly half of the examinees failed.

Of the 1,240,798 candidates who appeared in the examinations under 11 education boards, 646,685 passed while 594,113 failed.

An analysis of the results shows that this year's pass rate is the lowest since 2004, when 47.74% of examinees passed.

The HSC and equivalent examinations began on July 2 this year. However, flooding disrupted the schedule, forcing the postponement of written examinations in several subjects under the Chattogram Education Board.

The postponed examinations were held later, with the board's written examinations concluding on September 9.