Medical & Dental Admission Test Postponed

The medical and dental college admission test scheduled for December 4 has been postponed following the government's decision to arrange supplementary examinations for students who failed in one or two subjects in the 2026 Higher Secondary Certificate (HSC) and equivalent examinations.

Professor Dr Rubina Yasmin, additional director general (ADG) of the Directorate General of Medical Education (DGME), confirmed the postponement to The Daily Campus. The revised date for the admission test has not yet been announced.

However, no decision has yet been made on whether students who failed the HSC examinations but subsequently applied for result re-scrutiny or take supplementary examinations will be allowed to sit for the medical admission test. The Ministry of Education will make the decision on the matter.

The decision comes after a meeting held at the Education Ministry's conference room on Tuesday (November 3), where officials discussed rescheduling university and medical admission tests to accommodate students who will sit for supplementary examinations.

The meeting, titled “Re-evaluation of Answer Scripts and Conduct of Supplementary Examinations for HSC and Equivalent Examinations-2026,” was attended by senior officials from the ministry and its subordinate offices. Dr ANM Ehsanul Haque Milon, Minister for Primary and Mass Education, was the chief guest.

According to meeting sources, the education minister requested university vice-chancellors to postpone admission tests so that students who pass the supplementary examinations can pursue higher education in the current academic year. Although several vice-chancellors initially disagreed with the proposal, they later gave preliminary consent.

A senior official present at the meeting, speaking on condition of anonymity, said admission tests across different institutions, including medical colleges, could be postponed. The official said differences of opinion initially emerged among vice-chancellors and relevant officials, but they agreed following the education minister's request.

Universities will discuss the matter among themselves, determine how long the examinations should be postponed and announce their decisions later.

Senior Secretary of the Secondary and Higher Education Division Abdul Khaleque, University Grants Commission (UGC) Chairman Professor Dr Mamun Ahmed, Dhaka University Vice-Chancellor Professor Dr ABM Obaidul Islam and Directorate of Secondary and Higher Education Director General Professor Dr Khan Moinuddin Al Mahmud Sohel attended the meeting, along with other relevant officials.

Around 600,000 students failed the HSC and equivalent examinations this year. The pass rate stood at 52.12%, the lowest in 22 years. Against this backdrop, the government has decided to allow students who failed in one or two subjects to sit for special or supplementary examinations. More than 400,000 students are expected to receive this opportunity for the first time.

Under the initial plan, the special examinations may be held in the first week of December, with results expected to be published by the end of the month. Students who pass will then be able to seek admission to higher education institutions in the current academic year.

However, admission schedules for the 2026-27 academic year have already been announced. Medical and dental college admission tests were scheduled to take place nationwide on December 4, followed by Dhaka University's admission tests from December 5.

Various universities are also planning to hold admission tests between December and March next year. Authorities are considering rescheduling these examinations to ensure that students who pass the supplementary examinations have an opportunity to secure admission to higher education institutions.