Why are SSC pass rates falling? Experts weigh in
This year's results are comparatively more realistic, says the Dhaka education board chairman
The overall Secondary School Certificate (SSC) and equivalent examination pass rate has declined again, dropping to 62.25% this year from last year's 66.33%. Under the nine general education boards, the pass rate also fell to 64.05%, from 68.04% in 2025, according to data from the Ministry of Education and respective education boards.
Experts have offered differing perspectives on the shift, pointing to a combination of stricter examination oversight and underlying gaps in classroom learning.
While board authorities view the lower success rate as a return to realistic evaluation following pandemic-era spikes, educational researchers warn against drawing simple conclusions without empirical data, stressing that the trend also underscores long-standing disparities in school learning environments and the urgent need for research-based assessment.
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Eminent educationist Dr Manzoor Ahmed noted that there could be two reasons behind this decline.
For the first time, the entire examination process was brought under strict surveillance using CCTV cameras. In addition to direct monitoring by the education minister, special measures were taken to prevent unfair means
While special supervision and quality improvement initiatives could be one reason, issues related to learning opportunities and the academic environment in schools might also be linked to it, he told The Business Standard.
He further added that to understand how reliable examination results are, the factors must be analysed by reviewing the results every year.
"Although research is necessary for student assessment, such research is not conducted regularly in Bangladesh. Reaching a conclusion that the pass rate has simply dropped -- without reviewing the differences in exam management, supervision, and students' learning opportunities -- would be incorrect," he opined.
"The true cause of this decline must be determined by analysing the factors based on data and evidence," said the professor emeritus at Brac University.
Syed Akhtaruzzaman, chairman of the Board of Intermediate and Secondary Education, Dhaka, said that due to the Covid-19 pandemic, the pass rate in 2021 was nearly 100%.
"This year, it has dropped to 64%. However, according to relevant officials, although the pass rate has decreased, this year's results are comparatively more realistic.
"For the first time, the entire examination process was brought under strict surveillance using CCTV cameras. In addition to direct monitoring by the education minister, special measures were taken to prevent unfair means," he explained.
"As a result, while students who studied regularly had the opportunity to perform well, those with gaps in their preparation faced difficulties during the exams," said the Dhaka board chairman.
Top academic achievers also decreased markedly this year, with 1,16,676 students securing GPA-5 across all boards, down from 1,39,032 last year, 1,82,129 in 2024, and 1,83,578 in 2023.
