The University Grants Commission (UGC) has decided to push back public university admission tests for the 2026-27 academic session, according to bdnews24.com. The decision was taken at a Monday meeting the commission held with vice-chancellors of public universities to settle the admission calendar.
Under the plan, universities will begin accepting applications in January 2027, UGC Chairman Professor Mamun Ahmed said in a written statement. A UGC member told bdnews24.com that the decision applies to all universities.
Why it matters
The delay is tied to this year's HSC and equivalent examinations. According to the UGC chairman, fewer students passed than in the previous year — a little over six lakh this year against more than seven lakh in 2027, as bdnews24.com reported his statement.
He said answer scripts were marked properly this year, which meant many students did not get the results they expected. Re-scoring of scripts and supplementary exams are now being arranged, and the government is working toward publishing those results by 31 December, he said. Students who pass through re-scoring or the supplementary exams will be allowed to sit the admission tests, he added.
Dhaka University calls an emergency meeting
Dhaka University Vice-Chancellor Professor A B M Obaidul Islam did not attend the UGC meeting. After the commission's decision was announced, the university's admission committee called an emergency meeting for 3pm on Monday, where its own test schedule is to be fixed, bdnews24.com reported.
Several institutions had already set dates before the UGC meeting. The medical admission test was planned for 18 December, BUET's for 16 January, and Jahangirnagar University's between 10 and 21 January, according to the report.
What to watch: whether Dhaka University and the other institutions that had already fixed dates align their schedules with the UGC's February timeline.
