Three Universities Lower Requirements for 2026-27 Admission Tests

Three universities have lowered the GPA requirements for applicants seeking admission to their undergraduate first-year programmes in the 2026-27 academic session, while Jahangirnagar University is considering a similar move following this year's comparatively poor HSC results.

The universities that have reduced their eligibility requirements are Jagannath University (JnU), Rajshahi University (RU) and Khulna University of Engineering and Technology (KUET). The information emerged from an analysis of the universities' admission-related decisions and published notices.

Jagannath University

Jagannath University has reduced the combined and individual GPA requirements for admission applications to its A, B and D units. It has also lowered the minimum combined GPA requirement for the E unit compared with the previous academic session. No changes have been made to the eligibility criteria for the C unit.

The decisions were taken at the special session of the 80th meeting of the university's Academic Council, held on August 9 in the vice-chancellor's conference room under the chairmanship of Vice-Chancellor Professor Md Raish Uddin.

Under the revised criteria, applicants to the A unit, which covers the Faculty of Science and the Faculty of Life and Earth Sciences, must have a combined GPA of at least 7.00 in their SSC and HSC or equivalent examinations. However, applicants will not be eligible if they secured a GPA below 3.00 in either examination.

For the B unit, under the Faculty of Arts and Law, applicants must have a combined GPA of at least 6.00, with no individual examination GPA below 2.75.

The C unit, under the Faculty of Business Studies, retains its requirement of a combined GPA of at least 6.50, with a minimum GPA of 3.00 in each examination.

For the D unit, under the Faculty of Social Sciences, applicants must have a combined GPA of at least 6.00, with no individual examination GPA below 2.75.

Applicants to the E unit, under the Faculty of Fine Arts, must have a combined GPA of at least 5.50, with a minimum GPA of 2.50 in either examination.

In the 2025-26 academic session, applicants to the A unit were required to have a combined GPA of at least 7.50 and a minimum GPA of 3.25 in each examination. The B, C and D units each required a combined GPA of 6.50, with at least 3.00 in each examination. For the E unit, the minimum combined GPA was 6.00.

Rajshahi University

Rajshahi University has taken an initial decision to lower the admission eligibility requirements for the 2026-27 academic session, citing the comparatively poor HSC results.

The decision was taken at the first meeting of the university's Admission Test Committee, held at 11am on Sunday (November 1).

Under the proposed criteria, applicants from the humanities group must have a minimum GPA of 3.00 in both their SSC or equivalent and HSC or equivalent examinations, including the fourth subject, with a combined GPA of at least 6.50.

In the previous academic session, the required combined GPA for applicants from this group was 7.00.

For applicants from the science group, the revised requirement is a minimum GPA of 3.50 in each examination, including the fourth subject, with a combined GPA of at least 7.00. The combined GPA requirement was 8.00 in the previous academic session.

However, the university has not yet made a decision on the eligibility criteria for the B unit (Commerce). The possibility of relaxing the requirements for this unit was also discussed at the meeting.

Khulna University of Engineering and Technology

Khulna University of Engineering and Technology has also reduced its GPA requirement for admission applications in the 2026-27 academic session.

According to an admission notice published on Tuesday (November 3), applicants from any secondary and higher secondary education board, madrasa education board or technical education board must have a combined GPA of at least 16.00 in Mathematics, Physics, Chemistry and English in their HSC, Alim or equivalent examinations.

In the 2025 academic session, the required combined GPA in these four subjects was 18.00.

Applicants who passed examinations under foreign education boards must obtain equivalent grades in the same subjects.

However, candidates seeking admission to the Department of Biomedical Engineering must have a GPA of at least 4.00 in Biology in their HSC or equivalent examination.

Jahangirnagar University also considering relaxation

Jahangirnagar University is considering a partial relaxation of the minimum eligibility requirements for admission applications in the 2026-27 academic session.

Professor Dr Md Shamsul Alam, the university's Pro-Vice-Chancellor (Academic), said this year's HSC results were poorer than those of previous years, with both the pass rate and the number of GPA-5 achievers declining.

He said the university could consider relaxing the eligibility requirements for its admission tests in response to the results.

However, he said a final decision would be made after discussions with the relevant admission test committee, faculty deans and directors of the university's institutes.