Dhaka, August 10, 2026: Bangladesh’s secondary education system has recorded a major decline in this year’s SSC and equivalent examination results, with the overall pass rate falling to 62.25%—the lowest in 19 years since 2007.
The pass rate dropped by 6.20 percentage points from last year, while the number of students securing the highest grade, GPA-5, also declined significantly. Education officials and experts have attributed the poor performance to stricter assessment, examinations based on the full syllabus, and widespread failures in mathematics and English.
The results were published on Monday morning by the Ministry of Education and the Bangladesh Inter-Education Board Coordination Committee.
A total of 1,829,485 students from nine general education boards, the Madrasa Education Board and the Technical Education Board took part in the SSC and equivalent examinations this year. Of them, 1,138,877 students passed, while 116,676 secured GPA-5.
In 2025, the overall pass rate was 68.45%, with 139,032 students achieving GPA-5. This means the pass rate has fallen by 6.20 percentage points in a single year, while the number of GPA-5 achievers has decreased by 22,356.
Girls outperform boys
Students under the nine general education boards recorded a pass rate of 64.05%. Of the 1,404,539 examinees, 899,610 passed, while 106,009 students secured GPA-5.
Girls once again outperformed boys in the general education boards. Among 662,663 male examinees, 395,814 passed, resulting in a pass rate of 59.73%.
In contrast, 503,796 of the 741,876 female examinees passed, giving girls a pass rate of 67.91%—8.18 percentage points higher than that of boys.
Girls also remained ahead in GPA-5 results. A total of 58,705 female students achieved GPA-5, compared with 47,304 male students.
Poor results in madrasa and technical education
Results were even weaker in the Madrasa and Technical Education Boards.
A total of 296,982 students appeared for the Dakhil examination under the Madrasa Education Board. Of them, 164,797 passed, resulting in a pass rate of 55.49%. A total of 6,716 students achieved GPA-5.
Under the Technical Education Board, 127,964 students took the SSC (Vocational) examination out of 135,179 registered candidates. Some 7,215 students were absent.
Only 74,470 students passed, while 53,494 failed, bringing the pass rate to 58.20%. A total of 3,951 students secured GPA-5.
Sharp decline compared with previous years
The deterioration becomes more apparent when this year’s results are compared with those of the past decade and a half.
The SSC pass rate was 82.16% in 2011 and rose steadily to 91.34% in 2014. It subsequently fluctuated following changes in assessment methods and examination formats.
In 2017, the pass rate fell to 80.35% after new standards were introduced for evaluating answer scripts.
During the COVID-19 pandemic, examination and assessment methods were significantly altered. In 2021, subject mapping and special assessment methods pushed the pass rate to 93.58%, one of the highest levels ever recorded.
After regular examinations and the full syllabus were restored following the pandemic, the pass rate began to decline. It fell to 68.45% in 2025 and dropped further to 62.25% this year.
Mathematics and English major concerns
Education experts have particularly highlighted the high failure rates in mathematics and English, two core subjects.
They said the combination of full-syllabus examinations and relatively strict evaluation standards had exposed longstanding learning gaps among students.
The decline has also affected institutional results. The number of educational institutions where all students passed fell dramatically to 669 this year, compared with 2,968 in 2025.
At the same time, the number of institutions where no student passed increased to 312. The figures have raised fresh concerns about the quality of teaching, learning methods and students’ basic academic skills.
Professor Dr Syed Akhtaruzzaman, chairman of the Bangladesh Inter-Education Board Coordination Committee and chairman of the Dhaka Education Board, said the results should not be assessed solely by looking at the decline in the pass rate.
He said authorities should identify the subjects in which students are struggling most and examine why certain institutions performed poorly.
According to him, the full-syllabus examination and adherence to prescribed evaluation standards contributed to the change in results. However, the results also exposed genuine learning gaps that need to be addressed.
He stressed that improving students’ subject-based knowledge and skills should be prioritised over simply increasing the pass rate.
Experts call for remedial support
Dr Mohammad Ali Jinnah, a professor at the University of Dhaka’s Institute of Education and Research and pro-vice-chancellor of National University, described the results as a reflection of longstanding problems in Bangladesh’s education system.
He said students who remained engaged in regular studies performed better, while those who had become detached from academic activities performed comparatively poorly.
He pointed to several factors, including the influence of mobile phones and digital culture, as well as family and financial difficulties.
Regarding students’ persistent weakness in mathematics and English, Jinnah said the education boards need to work directly with teachers of these subjects instead of merely commenting on poor results each year.
He recommended teacher training and the introduction of remedial or support-based learning programmes for students who are falling behind.
Rather than traditional coaching, he suggested targeted remedial support that identifies why individual students are struggling and provides them with specialised assistance.
He also said the technical education sector requires a comprehensive overhaul, citing shortages of trained instructors, appropriate learning environments, modern equipment and laboratory facilities.
Re-scrutiny applications open August 11
Students dissatisfied with their results will have the opportunity to apply for re-scrutiny.
Applications for re-scrutiny of SSC and equivalent examination results can be submitted from August 11 to August 17, 2026.
