Admission schedule: Medical colleges, univs mull relief for HSC retakers

Universities and medical admission bodies may revise their schedules to allow students who failed one or two subjects in this year’s Higher Secondary Certificate (HSC) and equivalent examinations to apply for admission in the 2026-27 academic year if they pass the proposed retakes.

The issue was discussed yesterday at a meeting of Education Minister ANM Ehsanul Hoque Milon with representatives of universities, medical admission authorities and the University Grants Commission (UGC).

The parties concerned would hold further talks to work out how the schedules could be adjusted, said Khan Moinuddin Al Mahmud Sohel, director general of the Directorate of Secondary and Higher Education.

The admission test dates will have to be rescheduled, he said, adding that students who pass the supplementary examinations must have an opportunity to apply.

The education boards plan to begin the supplementary examinations on December 2 and publish results by December 31. 

Asked whether universities agreed to the changes, Moinuddin said the authorities would discuss the options and decide how to proceed.

The meeting followed concerns that the government’s plan to give unsuccessful HSC candidates another chance might still leave them unable to apply to major public universities this academic year.

A total of 4,22,905 students failed one or two subjects in this year’s HSC and equivalent examinations and could qualify for the retakes. 

Milon announced the retake initiative on October 31, saying students who failed one or two subjects should not have to wait another year to pass. The ministry would try to coordinate the examinations with university admissions, he said.

Several universities are scheduled to close applications or finish admission tests before the retake results are out.

According to the existing timeline, Dhaka University will accept applications from November 11 to 25 and hold its five admission tests between December 5 and 26. 

Its rules require candidates to have passed the HSC or equivalent examinations in 2026 and meet the minimum GPA requirements for their chosen units. DU does not allow applicants from previous HSC batches.

Jagannath University will receive applications from November 15 to December 10, with admission tests beginning on January 1. 

Rajshahi University’s proposed preliminary application period runs from November 12 to 27, although its tests are planned for January.

Chittagong University and Comilla University have set December 10 as their application deadline, with admission tests planned for later dates.

For universities holding tests in January, the application deadline rather than the test date is often the immediate obstacle for supplementary candidates.

Khulna University has scheduled tests for December 17 and 18, while the Military Institute of Science and Technology has fixed December 18 and 19.

The medical and dental admission tests have tentatively been planned for December 4.

The nine-university agricultural cluster has scheduled its combined admission test for January 2, while Sher-e-Bangla Agricultural University, which is coordinating the process, has yet to announce detailed application arrangements.

There may be more room for adjustment in the 20-university General, Science and Technology (GST) cluster. Its tests are scheduled for March 19, 20 and 27, but application dates have not been announced.

BUET has fixed January 16 for its admission test and KUET January 8, while RUET and CUET have proposed January 14 and 23 respectively. Their application deadlines will determine whether supplementary candidates can compete.

On Monday, Syed Akhtaruzzaman, chairman of the Dhaka Education Board and head of the Inter-Education Board Coordination Committee, told The Daily Star that the boards would need the entire month of December to hold the examinations, evaluate scripts and publish results.

“We have informed the authorities that bringing these students into the regular admission process will be difficult in practice,” he said, adding that there is little scope to shorten the examination schedule further.

The uncertainty comes despite an undergraduate intake capacity far exceeding the number of students who passed this year’s HSC and equivalent examinations.

The country has 14,92,288 undergraduate places for the 2026-27 session, compared with 6,46,685 successful HSC candidates, according to the UGC.

But only 63,656 places are on public university main campuses. Another 10,18,632 are in affiliated colleges and institutions, including 9,46,095 under National University, while private universities account for 4,10,000.