Applications for admission to public universities for the 2026-27 academic year are expected to open in January, with entrance examinations scheduled to begin in February.
The University Grants Commission (UGC) has asked universities to consider Ramadan when setting their admission test schedules and avoid clashes between examination dates so that students can apply to multiple institutions.
The decisions were discussed at a meeting between UGC Chairman Professor Mamun Ahmed and university vice-chancellors at the UGC office on Monday.
Speaking to reporters after the meeting, Mamun Ahmed said the discussions focused on coordinating admission schedules, publishing the results of HSC re-evaluation and supplementary examinations, and ensuring that students get equal opportunities in the admission process.
The decision to hold admission tests from February was taken partly to allow students who pass the HSC re-evaluation and supplementary examinations to participate in the university admission process.
More than 700,000 students passed the HSC and equivalent examinations in 2025, while the number fell to slightly over 600,000 in 2026.
Supplementary examinations are being arranged for students who failed in one or two subjects, with their results expected to be published by 31 December.
The UGC has urged universities that have already announced their admission test dates to reconsider their schedules in the national interest and for the convenience of students.
“Importance has been given to ensuring that admission test dates at different universities do not clash. We want students to have the opportunity to sit for admission tests at multiple universities,” Mamun Ahmed said.
The meeting also discussed a proposal to form a central coordination committee comprising representatives from the UGC, the Ministry of Education and universities.
The proposed committee would coordinate admission-related activities and examination schedules throughout the year. The possibility of starting admission procedures earlier and in a more organised manner from next year was also discussed.
Although changes to the admission test question format were discussed, the meeting decided to retain the multiple-choice question (MCQ) system used last year for the upcoming admission cycle.
The UGC also requested vice-chancellors to give due consideration to students’ GPA results when determining admission test eligibility.
The commission stressed that admission policies should take into account the number of HSC graduates and the available seats in higher education institutions.
Bangladesh currently has around 180 public and private universities. Public universities offer approximately 63,000 first-year admission seats.
Meanwhile, affiliated institutions under the National University, Islamic Arabic University and other public universities have more than 10,00,000 seats. Private universities offer over 400,000 seats.
