382,000 fail English and ICT alone in HSC as pass rate falls to lowest since 2004

The largest number of students in this year's HSC and equivalent examinations stumbled in English and Information and Communication Technology (ICT). A total of 382,021 students failed in these two subjects.

According to the results published on Saturday (31 October), a total of 594,113 students sat the examinations and failed.

The highest failures were in English. Some 243,528 students failed in this subject, which is 41 percent of all failures. In ICT, 138,493 students failed.

This year, 1,240,798 candidates sat the examinations across 11 education boards. Of them, 646,685 passed. The average pass rate stands at 52.12 percent.

This year's pass rate is the lowest since 2004. In 2004, the HSC pass rate was 47.86 percent. Since then, the pass rate has never fallen this low.

Results have been worsening for two consecutive years. In 2024, the pass rate was 77.78 percent. Last time it dropped to 58.83 percent. This year it has fallen by nearly another seven points — by calculation, 6.71 points compared with last year.

Some 40,084 students obtained GPA-5, down from 69,097 last time. In other words, the number of top-grade achievers has fallen by 29,013.

Female students are ahead of male students in pass rate. Among female students, 356,528 passed, a rate of 56.31 percent. Among male students, 290,157 passed, a rate of 47.75 percent.

Male students, however, are ahead in GPA-5 achievement. Of the 40,084 GPA-5 achievers, 20,363 are male students and 19,721 are female students.

The detailed results were presented at a press conference held in the meeting room of the Ministry of Education at the Secretariat. Education Minister Dr A N M Ehsanul Haque Milon inaugurated the result publication programme. Present at the press conference were education adviser Mahdi Amin, Senior Secretary of the Secondary and Higher Education Division Abdul Khaleque, Secretary of the Technical and Madrasah Education Division Md Daud Miah, and chairmen and senior officials of the various education boards.

The government is keeping a new opportunity for those who failed. Some 422,905 students failed in one or two subjects, which is about 71 percent of all failures. Without waiting a year, they will be able to sit again within a month in only the subjects they failed. Education Minister A N M Ehsanul Haque Milon and the Prime Minister's education affairs adviser Mahdi Amin announced this at the result publication ceremony.

There were 1,270,583 candidates this year. Of them, 29,785 did not sit the examinations. This year's HSC and equivalent written examinations began on 2 July. Although the written examinations were scheduled to end on 8 August, several examinations of the Chattogram education board could not be held on schedule because of natural disasters; the postponed examinations were later held, and that board's written examinations ended on 9 September.