Chittagong University 'A' Unit results raise confusion: error, oversight, or technical glitch?

Chittagong University's decision to republish the results of its 'A' unit undergraduate admission test for the 2025–26 academic year has stirred confusion and concern among candidates and parents, raising questions about errors and accountability in the admission process.

The revised results were released on 18 January after discrepancies were detected in the original publication on 7 January. The changes were significant: the number of passing candidates increased from 41,609 to 42,040, pushing the overall pass rate up by 0.55 percentage points.

Candidates question their scores

Several examinees allege their scores do not match their performance. Rina Akter, a candidate from the 'A' unit, said, "I expected to score above 60 but was awarded 49.5 instead. Such a big gap cannot be justified. Because of errors in evaluation, my dream has been shattered."

Mahdi Rahman echoed the concerns, claiming he should have received 58 marks but was shown as scoring only 44. These complaints went viral on social media, prompting the university to re-evaluate the results.

Where the Discrepancies Came From

Internal sources say errors occurred in both question setting and OMR processing. In the English section, an incorrect answer key was submitted, causing correct answers to lose marks while incorrect ones gained an advantage. In mathematics, a similar OMR marking error misassigned marks.

During re-evaluation, authorities awarded two marks to both correct and incorrect answers, creating a new form of inequality, as students who had answered correctly should have remained ahead by 2.5 marks.

University's Explanation

Professor Md Golam Kibria, coordinator of the 'A' unit admission test, attributed the errors to an alignment problem during OMR reading caused by a printing issue. "On the left side of the OMR sheet there is a black alignment mark. If the paper shifts slightly during printing, correct answers may be read incorrectly," he said.

He added that all suspicious sheets were manually verified, and a wrongly identified correct answer in one question affecting 5,000 candidates was corrected. "After all corrections, we believe there are no remaining errors," he said.

Lingering Doubts

Despite the revisions, candidates and parents remain uneasy about the transparency of Chittagong University's admission process. From question moderation to OMR processing, each stage has come under scrutiny, highlighting the need for stricter oversight and accountability in a system that shapes academic futures.