Government mulls holding SSC, HSC exams by end-2021 considering Covid situationhe Education Ministry plans to hold the Secondary School Certificate (SSC) and Higher Secondary Certificates (HSC) examinations in November and December this year if the overall Covid situation in the country improves.

The tests will be held on three elective subjects of each group and with a reduced syllabus in line with health protocols, Education Minister Dipu Moni said at a virtual media call on Thursday.

“We expect to hold the SSC exams in the second week of November and HSC exams in the first week of December,” she said.

If the pandemic situation does not improve by then, the ministry would go for results of subject mapping of previous public exams or the scores of assignments or combining both, said Dipu Moni.

“Forms [for registration] of the exams will be available after Eid-ul-Azha,” she added.

In response to a query on plans to hold SSC and HSC exams, Dipu Moni said the situation was expected to improve by the end of 2021 with the government already resuming the mass inoculation drive.

“Moreover, we saw infections dipping around November and December last year. We hope it will fall again around that time this year,” she added.

On the matter of Junior School Certificate (JSC) and Junior Dakhil Certificate (JDC) exams for eighth-graders , the minister said a decision on that will be taken later.

How will the exams be held?

Dipu Moni said: “Initially, we had plans to take SSC and equivalent exams at the end of 60 days of academic class and HSC and equivalent exams at the end of 84 days, based on the short syllabus provided earlier.”

However, the plans have been changed to take tests on only three elective subjects for each group – science, arts and commerce – of students.

The length of the tests will be one and a half hours instead of the regular three hours where students will have to answer three to four questions out of 10.

Even if the tests were taken on 50 marks,  it would be converted to 100 marks, Dipu Moni explained.

Meanwhile, mandatory subjects of SSC and HSC examinations, such as Bengali, English, General Math, ICT and Religion will not be assessed this year as they were evaluated in past JSC, JDC and equivalent examinations. No exam will be taken on the fourth or optional elective subject.

Assignments on reduced syllabus

To finish the reduced syllabus, SSC examinees would have to complete 24 assignments and HSC examinees 30, the education minister said.

SSC and equivalent examinees will be given assignments from July 18. A total of 24 assignments will be allocated twice per week on the three elective subjects

On the other hand, HSC and equivalent examinees will start receiving assignments from July 26. A total of 30 assignments will be given in 15 weeks. Each of the three elective subjects [six papers] will have a total of 30 assignments.

No assignment will be given on compulsory subjects.

"If any student completes the assignments properly, they will be able to answer the questions accurately," Dipu Moni said.

She also warned that if teachers on boards evaluate assignments with more or less markings intentionally, action would be taken against them as per rules.

However, if there is an unintentional mistake, that assessment will not be accepted and will be re-evaluated later.