The Secondary School Certificate (SSC) and equivalent examinations for 2026 will begin on April 21 across Bangladesh. The exams will start with Bangla 1st Paper. A total of 1,857,344 candidates are set to take part this year, according to data released on Sunday.
The figures were provided by the Inter-Education Board. Of the total candidates, 1,418,398 are under nine general education boards. The Madrasa Education Board has 304,286 candidates, while the Technical Education Board has 134,660 candidates.
Among all candidates, 930,305 are male and 927,039 are female. The data shows a near equal participation between male and female students this year.
The Dhaka Education Board has the highest number of candidates. A total of 366,650 students will sit for the exams under this board. Of them, 169,939 are male and 196,711 are female. The board has 510 exam centres and 3,441 participating institutions.
In contrast, the Sylhet Education Board has the lowest number of candidates. There are 89,421 candidates under this board. Among them, 35,530 are male and 53,891 are female. The board has 225 centres and 973 institutions.
The Rajshahi Education Board will have 177,709 candidates. Of these, 93,174 are male and 84,535 are female. The board has 274 centres and 2,279 institutions.
The Comilla Education Board will host 146,817 candidates. Among them, 58,877 are male and 87,970 are female. There are 277 centres and 1,822 institutions under this board.
The Jessore Education Board has 135,089 candidates this year. Male students number 66,928, while female students are 68,161. The board has 299 centres and 2,572 institutions.
The Chattogram Education Board will see 130,668 candidates. Of them, 56,325 are male and 74,343 are female. This board has 218 centres and 1,218 institutions.
The Barishal Education Board has 81,831 candidates. Among them, 37,944 are male and 43,887 are female. There are 216 centres and 1,515 institutions.
The Dinajpur Education Board will have 181,854 candidates. Of these, 92,692 are male and 89,162 are female. The board operates 283 centres and 2,810 institutions.
The Mymensingh Education Board will host 108,359 candidates. Male students number 55,926, while female students are 52,433. The board has 188 centres and 1,338 institutions.
Across the nine general education boards, there are 2,490 centres and 18,479 institutions. Female candidates outnumber males in these boards, with 751,398 female and 667,305 male students.
The Madrasa Education Board has 742 centres and 9,125 institutions. Male candidates total 161,491, while female candidates are 142,795.
The Technical Education Board has 653 centres and 3,062 institutions. It has a higher number of male candidates, with 101,509 males and 33,151 females.
In total, the SSC and equivalent exams will be held in 3,885 centres across 30,666 institutions nationwide.
The large number of candidates highlights the scale of the public examination system in Bangladesh. Authorities are expected to ensure smooth and secure exam management across all centres.
The examinations will continue as scheduled in the coming weeks, following the national routine.
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