This year’s Higher Secondary School Certificate and equivalent examinations will begin on August 17 under 11 education boards across Bangladesh.

A total of 13,59,342 students – 6,88,887 boys and 6,70,455 girls – are expected to sit for the exams at 2,658 centres, from 9169 educational institutes across the country, said education minister Dipu Moni while addressing a press conference at International Mother language Institute in Dhaka.

She said that all coaching centres across the country will remain closed from August 14 to September 26.

Dipu Moni, however, said that the HSC and equivalent exams would be held in all subjects under the revised syllabus.

However, the exam in ICT subject will be held with 75 marks instead of full marks this year.

Data shows that 11,08, 594 students are expected to sit for HSC exams under nine general education boards, 98,031 students sit for the Alim examination under the Madrasah Education Board and 1,52,717 students will sit for HSC examination under Technical Education Board.

Dipu Moni also said that they gave instructions to the exam centre officials to take special measures due to dengue.

About deferring exam date, she said that there was no scope to defer the date at this moment.

No outsiders will be allowed to enter the examination halls. Only examinees, invigilators, monitoring teams from the ministry and boards, district and upazila officials, and law enforcers can enter the exam halls.

All examinees have been requested to enter their respective examination halls 30 minutes before the starting time.

Bringing in mobile phones is strictly prohibited for the examinees. Only respective officials of the examination centres can use cell phones.

Students would be allowed to use only general and scientific calculators but no calculating devices having other applications.