The pass rate in this year’s Higher Secondary Certificate (HSC) and equivalent examinations has dropped to 52.12 per cent, marking the lowest level since 2005, according to a review of results over the past 22 years.
A total of 1,270,583 candidates sat for the examinations across 11 education boards, of whom 646,685 passed, while 40,084 students achieved GPA-5. The results were published on Saturday morning.
The pass rate has declined by 6.71 percentage points from 58.83 per cent recorded in the 2025 HSC and equivalent examinations.
In 2005, the HSC pass rate stood at 59.16 per cent, rising to 65.65 per cent in 2006 and 65.60 per cent in 2007. It subsequently climbed to 78.67 per cent in 2012.
The rate fluctuated in the following years, standing at 66.64 per cent in 2018. During the pandemic, no examinations were held in 2020, resulting in a 100 per cent pass rate being recorded. The rate stood at 95.26 per cent in 2021 before declining to 85.95 per cent in 2022, 78.64 per cent in 2023 and 77.78 per cent in 2024.
This year, pass rates varied considerably among the education boards. The Dhaka Board recorded a pass rate of 61.80 per cent, while the Barishal Board recorded the lowest at 44.84 per cent.
Following the publication of the results, Education Minister ANM Ehsanul Hoque Milan said the results were not satisfactory. He added that the ministry and education boards would work together to address the issue.
