Dhaka, Bangladesh – The government is planning to bring back the admission test for entry into government polytechnic institutes. This change will likely start from the 2025-2026 academic year.
Currently, students are admitted based on their GPA scores from the SSC exams. The Bangladesh Technical Education Board (BTEB) is considering changing this system. They want to reintroduce the admission test.
Sources at the BTEB have confirmed this information.
Before 2016, government polytechnics used to have admission tests. In 2016, the government of the time removed the test. Instead, they started using GPA scores for admission. Now, the BTEB wants to go back to the admission test system.
Officials at the BTEB say this step is being taken to improve the quality of technical education. They believe that the GPA system did not allow the best students to get in. According to them, removing the admission test meant that the institutes were missing out on talented students.
The BTEB discussed this issue multiple times in December 2024. They have now completed the preparations for the change. The final decision now depends on the Ministry of Education. If the ministry approves, the admission test system will return from the 2025-26 session.
Engineer Md. Rokib Ullah, Chairman of the BTEB, stated that the matter is not yet finalized. However, they are trying to make it happen. They are waiting for the Ministry of Education’s approval. The board is aiming to conduct admission tests from the next semester.
The Chairman also mentioned that they want to reshape technical education. He said that Bangladesh will need a lot of technical skills in the future, but the country does not have enough skilled people. He added that technical education had suffered in the last fifteen years. This initiative to bring back admission tests is part of a larger plan to revamp technical education.