The Secondary School Certificate (SSC) and equivalent examinations for the academic year 2023 will begin on April 30.

Professor Tapan Kumar Sarkar, chairman of Dhaka Secondary and Higher Secondary Education Board and convener of Inter-education Board Coordination Committee, told reporters on Monday.

Prior to the pandemic, SSC exams started on February 1 and HSC on April 1 every year following the government’s academic calendar.

However, last year’s exams began on September 15, seven months after the usual schedule due to the coronavirus pandemic and floods.    Usually, SSC candidates have classes on 316 days and HSC examinees 330 days a year. The pandemic shutdown forced the government to cut the number of annual school days to 150 for SSC and 180 for HSC in 2022.

Therefore, Education Minister Dr Dipu Moni had previously said that the SSC exams this year will be held in April, two months later than the usual time.

The government now hopes that the exams will return to their regular form in 2024.

“Classes continue in full swing from January. So there will no longer be shortened syllabus. From 2024, the exam will be conducted as per the full syllabus,” Tapan said.