After a long review, the Ministry of Education has finally given the final approval to the evaluation system of the Secondary School Certificate (SSC) examination. The National Curriculum Coordinating Committee is moving away from the trend of publishing results through GPA based on marks only in the new curriculum. Instead, students will be assessed on letter grades. The SSC result will be published in seven scales in different English letters.

According to the new rules, the weightage of the written portion will be 65 percent and the practical portion will be 35 percent in the SSC evaluation. Each subject will be assessed for a maximum of one school day (per day while school is in session).

A joint National Curriculum Coordinating Committee (NCCC) meeting for secondary level and technical and madrasa levels was held yesterday Monday in the Ministry of Education to approve the assessment-structure according to the new curriculum. The committee gave final approval to the draft evaluation strategy of the National Curriculum and Textbook Board with some observations in the meeting held in the presence of Education Minister Mahibul Hasan Chowdhury.

According to multiple sources of NCCC, it was discussed in the meeting to conduct five-hour test on each subject in the draft evaluation-structure. However, it was decided to be more flexible in the NCCC meeting. In this case, evaluation is decided on a maximum of one school day for each subject.

According to the draft of the new framework, results or report cards will be published on seven scales or indicators according to the student’s determined aptitude. The names of these seven scales are unique, achieving, pioneering, active, exploratory, developing and initiating. For example the highest scale ‘outstanding’ would mean the student achieved the ultimate level of proficiency in all subjects. Beginner level on the other hand would mean the lowest level of proficiency. The result of learning assessment and public examination assessment will be published separately in the report card.

But according to the new decision, now these seven scales of students’ proficiency will be denoted by seven English letters. A letter grade will not be determined based on marks as it is now. Basically, it has been decided to adopt this method so that common people including parents can easily understand the results.

Besides, according to the new curriculum, if a student fails in one or two subjects in the SSC examination, then he will get admission in class XI subject to conditions. However, within the next two years, he will have to pass the SSC examination in that subject. And if you fail in three or more subjects, you cannot pass class XI.

In the field of evaluation, there is also a change in the type of questions. Assessment of the written part will be done along with activity based (assignment, presentation, investigation, demonstration, problem solving, planning etc.)

In the ongoing system, students get the opportunity to take the SSC exam if they pass the selective examination (test) in class 10th. But there will be no more selective exams in the new curriculum. If a student is not present for 70 percent of the working days in class 10, he/she will not be able to appear in public assessment or SSC examination.

Besides, in the new rules, the SSC exam will be based on the syllabus of class 10 only. Even if the procedural changes are introduced, this examination or assessment will be centralized under the education boards as at present.

However, the new curriculum has not been finalized in the madrasa so far, so it has been decided that the entrance exam will be held as before. However, except for the specialized subjects, the evaluation of the rest of the subjects will be based on the syllabus of class 10 only.

Meanwhile, according to the written instructions of the National Curriculum and Textbook Board (NCTB), the half-yearly (six months) evaluation will begin in schools from July 3 tomorrow. This examination is being conducted in conjunction with the draft of the evaluation-structure of the public examination. It has been decided in the last meeting of NCCC, after reviewing this collective evaluation, institution-wise continuous and collective evaluation will be finalized.

Incidentally, the new curriculum in first, sixth and seventh classes started last year. This year, this curriculum was launched in the second, third, eighth and ninth grade. In 2027, the new curriculum will be introduced in class 12.

Besides, the education boards have planned to conduct the SSC exam in January 2026 in the new curriculum. The students who are currently studying in Class IX will appear for the first time in the SSC exam according to the new curriculum.

Member of the organization in routine charge of the Chairman of NCTB (Education) Professor Md. Moshiuzzaman said that the strategy decided by NCTB regarding the evaluation, some amendments have been approved in the meeting of NCCC. Now everyone will be informed if there is a working paper.

Business Bangladesh/DS