The results of this year's Secondary School Certificate (SSC) and equivalent exams come as sobering reading. The combined pass rate fell to 62.25 percent, down 6.2 percentage points from last year, and the number of students securing GPA 5 has now dropped for the fourth year in a row. These figures will understandably worry parents, teachers and policymakers alike. Education Minister ANM Ehsanul Hoque Milon, however, defended the results, saying marks were given based on students’ actual performance, an argument that will resonate with those who have long felt that Bangladesh's public exams are graded too generously. However, understanding this year's results properly means looking beyond the numbers.