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Varsity admission to be tough for students

Single admission test for public universities


Published : 26 Nov 2023 11:17 PM

As 10, 67,852 examinees including 92,595 with GPA-5 (maximum grade point average) passed the Higher Secondary Certificate (HSC) and equivalent examinations-2023, there would be tough competition for the students with glorious results to get admission into the prestigious public universities or desired subject due to very limited seats.

Apart from the current admission seekers, a large number of students, who did not get chance last academic session, will also, sit for admission test this year.  

The students,who will not get chance at public universities and medical colleges, will also have scope to get admission into private universities and renowned colleges under the national university and go abroad for higher education considering the shortage of available seats in top universities in the country, academics say.

However, the ongoing hartals and blockade programmes enforced by BNP and like-minded political parties have cast a shadow over the first year entry test at the higher educational institutions this time. 

The authorities of general, engineering, science and technologies and agriculture universities and medical colleges will start first year honours enrolment tests for the 2023-24 academic session soon. 

To getrelief students from the hassle of taking part in the admission test by visiting the whole country every year earlier President, who is also chancellor of universities, has directed the University Grants Commission (UGC) to take necessary measures for holding a single admission test for all public universities for the 2023-24 session.

After the result, many students and guardians have already 

expressed their disappointment over the ongoing political programmes, saying they are particularly concerned about the on time admission test.

When contacted Farid Uddin Ahmed, Vice-Chancellor Shahjalal University of Science and Technology (SUST), said as per the President directives on October 10,the UGC sent a recommendations to education ministry requesting to issue an ordinance to hold a single admission test for all public universities from the 2023-2024 academic year.

“I think the ministry has taken the UGC’s recommendations seriously. And we will get a specific guideline from the ministry within 15 days in this regard. The ordinance will prevail over the university acts regarding admission tests,” he added.

Replying to a query about hartal and blockade, the SUST VC said all public university vice-chancellors and teachers must work with a positive attitude in order to arrange the entry test on time.

“If we work in a planned and systemic way, we will not face any problem to hold the first year admission test on time. On the other hand, a single admission test would not harm the identity, uniqueness, and autonomy of any universities,” he added.

Currently, 22 general, science and other public universities hold a ‘central admission test’ under a cluster. Besides, seven agriculture and three engineering and technology universities hold tests in two different clusters.

But Dhaka University, Buet, Jahangirnagar University and Chittagong University are still reluctant to join the cluster system.

The admission seekers are their guardians are pleased over the cluster system in admission test. 

Earlier public universities will conduct admission tests at their respective traditional system. 

According to UGC, admission test question papers will be prepared based on the syllabus of higher secondary. 

Besides, like last year, admission test will be taken in cluster system in seven universities related to agriculture. 

As a result, the students will get relief from the hassle of taking part in the admission test by visiting the whole country every year. 

There are 55 public universities, 113 private universities and 3 international universities registered under the UGC.

Apart from this, admissions in the affiliated colleges of the National University have been done on the basis of SSC and HSC results for the last few years.

There are 19 general and science and technology universities that have decided to take admission test in cluster system:

The universities of this group will publish advertisements in the newspapers regarding the admission of students mentioning their respective conditions and demands.