Good news for 422,905 students who failed one or two subjects: re-exam within a month

A special opportunity has been announced for students who failed in one or two subjects in this year's HSC and equivalent examinations. Within the next month, they will get the chance to sit re-examinations only in the subjects they failed.

Education Minister A N M Ehsanul Haque Milan and the prime minister's adviser Mahdi Amin announced the decision at an event organised for the publication of the results on Saturday (31 October). At the results press conference, the education minister said the opportunity to sit the exam again would be given within the next one to two months.

In this year's HSC exams, a total of 422,905 students failed in one or two subjects. Of them, 298,040 candidates failed in one subject and 124,865 failed in two subjects. The new opportunity opens a path for them to be saved from losing a whole year.

Professor Syed Akhtaruzzaman, chairman of the Inter-Education Board Coordination Committee and the Dhaka Education Board, said details on the re-examination date, the form-fill-up schedule and the fee for candidates who failed in one or two subjects would be announced by 3 November. A full policy or notification from the government on the matter would be issued within a day or two.

A Dhaka board source said preliminary discussions are under way on whether the exam can be held on 2 December. There is also consideration of publishing the results of this exam within December, so that successful students can also get the opportunity to be admitted to higher education in time.

Professor Akhtaruzzaman said the exams and results of those who failed in a maximum of two subjects would both be completed within December, so that they do not lose a year. However, those who failed in more than two subjects will have to wait for the next year.

Students will have to register by paying a specified amount of money for the re-examination. But no decision has yet been taken on how much this registration fee will be. Professor Akhtaruzzaman said the fee for those who sit one subject will be one amount, and the fee for those who sit two subjects will be a little higher — but the amounts have not yet been decided.

Under the existing rules, if a student failed in one or more subjects in the HSC exams, they had to wait a full year and take part in the following year's exams. Breaking that rule, this special initiative has been taken to reduce candidates' suffering. Students who failed will also be able to apply for re-evaluation.