Ninth teacher recruitment exam may be held in December, with assessment in three stages

The Ninth Teacher Recruitment Examination of the Non-Government Teachers' Registration and Certification Authority (NTRCA) may be held next December. The NTRCA plans to organise the exam after the ongoing viva voce for the recruitment of heads and assistant heads of educational institutions comes to an end.

Sources at the NTRCA said the ninth teacher recruitment examination may be held in December, and the syllabus for the new recruitment examination may also change. However, the exam method, marks distribution and syllabus will be finalised only after the rules are amended.

Under the proposed exam method, candidates may have to sit for the examination in three stages. In the first stage, a 100-mark multiple-choice (MCQ) test will be held. The test will last one hour. Candidates will get one mark for each correct answer and 0.25 marks will be deducted for each wrong answer. The pass mark is 40 percent.

The proposed syllabus for the preliminary examination covers four subjects. Bangla, English, mathematics and general knowledge may each carry 25 marks, making a total of 100 marks.

Candidates who pass the preliminary examination will be able to sit for a 100-mark written examination. The written examination will last three hours. Candidates who pass it will have to appear for a 20-mark viva voce.

The method of the ninth teacher recruitment examination may also change. Alongside the conventional preliminary and viva voce examinations, a written examination may be added. However, a final decision on this will be taken after the rules are amended.

This year's examination brings a major change to the recruitment process. For the first time, candidates will be directly recruited through the registration examination, instead of the examination merely verifying their eligibility. That is why, instead of continuing the earlier sequence as the 19th teacher registration examination, it will be treated as the ninth teacher recruitment examination.

Sources at the NTRCA said the viva voce for the recruitment of heads and assistant heads of educational institutions is currently under way. It is scheduled to end on 9 December. After that, the ninth teacher recruitment examination may be organised. However, a final decision on the examination will be taken only after approval from the Ministry of Education.

The circular for the most recent 18th teacher registration examination was published on 4 November 2023. About four months later, the preliminary examination was held in March 2024. After a long gap, a new teacher recruitment examination is now being organised.