The Daily Corporate Desk
Dhaka, 31 October 2026: Bangladesh’s Higher Secondary Certificate (HSC) and equivalent examination pass rate has fallen to 52.12% in 2026, marking its lowest level in 22 years, as the latest results reveal a significant decline in overall academic performance.
A total of 40,084 students secured the highest Grade Point Average (GPA-5) this year, according to the results published on Saturday by the education authorities.
The overall pass rate dropped by 6.71 percentage points from 58.83% in 2025. The number of GPA-5 achievers also declined substantially, falling from 69,097 last year to 40,084 in 2026 — a decrease of 29,013 students.
The last time the pass rate was lower was in 2004, when 47.74% of candidates passed the examinations.
According to the published results, 12,70,583 students appeared in the examinations under 11 education boards across the country. Of them, 6,46,685 candidates passed.
The examinations were conducted under nine general education boards, alongside the Bangladesh Technical Education Board and the Bangladesh Madrasah Education Board. Students from 9,439 educational institutions took part in the examinations at 2,697 centres nationwide.
Education Minister ANM Ehsanul Hoque Milon formally announced the results at the Ministry of Education in Dhaka on Saturday.
Students dissatisfied with their results will have the opportunity to apply for answer-script scrutiny or reassessment. Applications can be submitted online from 1 November to 7 November, according to the education authorities.
The sharp decline in both the pass rate and the number of GPA-5 achievers has brought renewed attention to the performance of the country’s secondary and higher secondary education system.
