Aspirants aiming for higher education across the nation can mark their calendars: applications for admission to public universities for the 2026-27 academic year are set to open in January, with entrance examinations scheduled to commence in February.
The timing follows strategic discussions held on Monday between the chairman of the University Grants Commission (UGC) and vice-chancellors of public universities.
Speaking to reporters at the UGC office, Chairman Professor Mamun Ahmed explained that the meeting focused on establishing student-centric examination schedules, aligning admission calendars, and awaiting the outcome of Higher Secondary Certificate (HSC) re-evaluations and supplementary assessments.
The academic landscape faces a shift this year, as pass rates for the 2026 HSC and equivalent examinations dropped noticeably.
Whilst over 7,00,000 candidates cleared the milestone in 2025, just over 6,00,000 succeeded this time around.
To offer a second chance to those who stumbled in one or two subjects, supplementary examinations are underway, with results due by 31 December.
By pushing the entrance test window to February, authorities are ensuring these candidate groups get a fair shot at competing for coveted public university berths.
Logistics, however, present a unique puzzle.
With Ramadan on the horizon, the UGC has explicitly asked vice-chancellors to factor the holy month into their planning.
Universities that have already declared test dates have been urged to reconsider their timetables in the national interest and for the comfort of fasting candidates.
Crucially, the commission is moving to end the chaos of overlapping exam dates.
“Our expectation is that students will have the opportunity to sit admission tests at more than one university,” Professor Mamun Ahmed stressed.
To enforce this, the UGC proposed creating a central coordination committee comprising representatives from the ministry, commission, and individual campuses to harmonise exam dates year-round.
For now, the examination pattern remains steady: tests for the current academic session will stick to last year’s multiple-choice question (MCQ) format, though potential structural revisions for future years remain on the table.
With public universities offering roughly 63,000 primary places, complemented by over a million seats across National University and Islamic Arabic University affiliates, alongside 4,00,000 in private institutions, the upcoming drive represents a defining moment for hundreds of thousands of hopefuls.
DU ignores UGC request, sticks to its schedule
Meanwhile, the Dhaka University has decided to hold its 2026-27 undergraduate admission tests as scheduled, despite a request from the UGC to defer them over the re-evaluation of HSC examination results.
The decision was taken at an emergency meeting of the university’s general admission committee on Monday. Pro-Vice-Chancellor (Administration) Professor Mohammed Almujaddade Alfasane confirmed the decision after the meeting.
Earlier, a meeting chaired by UGC Chairman Professor Mamun Ahmed decided to postpone public university admission tests to accommodate students awaiting re-scrutiny results.
Dhaka University said it would follow the schedule approved by its highest decision-making body.
Online applications will open at noon on 11 November and close at 11:59pm on 25 November. Admission tests will begin with the IBA Unit on 5 December, followed by the other units through 26 December.
Professor Alfesane said students who pass after re-scrutiny, with results due on 23 November, would be eligible to apply before the deadline. Those who fail will remain ineligible.
