The Higher Secondary Certificate (HSC) and equivalent exams for the academic session 2021-2022 are starting across Bangladesh next Sunday, and some 1.2 million students are expected to take the tests.
A total of 1,203,407 candidates are participating in this exam, and among them, there are 622,796 male students and 580,611 female students,
The eligible candidates are from 9,181 educational institutions across Bangladesh. This year, some 2,649 examination centers were prepared for the upcoming tests.
A total of 985,713 candidates are supposed to participate in the HSC exams under nine general education boards out of 11.
Some 94,764 are eligible to take the Alim exams under the Madrasa Education Board, while 122,931 are eligible for vocational exams under the Bangladesh Technical Education Board this year.
Meanwhile, 1 lakh 6 thousand 34 students are participating from Chittagong Education Board this time. These students of 287 colleges will participate in the examination in 115 centers of Chittagong. This year also the number of students and colleges in Chittagong have increased. Colleges increased by 8, and candidates increased by 3 thousand 566. Last year 1 lakh 2 thousand 468 students of 279 colleges appeared for the examination.
According to Chittagong Education Board sources, 48 thousand 332 male students and 57 thousand 698 female students are among the candidates. Compared to last year, the number of examinees has increased in both science and business education departments. Decreased in humanitarian department. This year, 23 thousand 532 people in the science department, 36 thousand 225 people in the business education department and 46 thousand 273 people in the humanities department are participating in the examination. Last year 20 thousand 745 people from science department, 46 thousand 746 people from humanities and 34 thousand 970 people from business education department sat for the exam.
The Board of Secondary and Higher Secondary Education has announced a set of rules to be followed by the candidates during the examination
The rules are:
1. Candidates must enter the examination halls 30 minutes before the start of an exam
2. The MCQ questions will have to be answered first followed by essay questions
3. Candidates will get 20 minutes to answer the MCQ questions and 1 hour and 40 minutes for the essay questions
4. The exam will continue without any break till the time mentioned in the question paper. There will be no break between the MCQ and essay questionsFor exams scheduled at 11am, the blank answer sheets and OMR sheets will be distributed by 10:30am. The MCQ questions will be distributed by 11am and collected by 11:20am after which the essay questions will be handed out. For exams scheduled at 2pm, the blank answer sheets and OMR sheets will be distributed by 1:30pm. The MCQ questions will be distributed by 2pm and collected by 2:20pm after which the essay questions will be given out.
5. The exam must be taken according to the time mentioned in the question paper
6. Candidates must collect their admit cards from their respective heads of the schools
7. Candidates must carefully fill the OMR sheet provided for their roll no, registration no, subject code etc. The answer sheet should not be folded under any circumstances.
8. The candidate must pass the theoretical, multiple choice and practical exams separately
9. Every candidate must sit for the exams mentioned in the registration cards and admit cards. They cannot take the tests for any other subjects.
10. No candidate shall sit for the tests within their own schools and colleges
11. The candidates may use a regular non-programming scientific calculator during the exams. They are not allowed to use programming calculators.
12. None other than the centre in-charge will be allowed to use mobile phones. Candidates cannot bring mobile phones to the halls.

Besides, restrictions have been imposed in the Chittagong metropolitan area during the HSC examination in Chittagong city. The ban will remain in place in 27 centers of the city tomorrow from June 30 to August 11. No person shall carry any kind of weapon, knife, stick, explosive or any similar material within 200 yards of the examination center from 9 am on the day of examination till one hour after the end of the examination. No loud speaker or any similar device shall be used in the examination center area and procession shall not be allowed in the examination center area.