Primary Scholarship Exam to be 400 Marks: New Policy Issued

ফাইল ছবি

News Desk: The Ministry of Primary and Mass Education has issued the “Primary Scholarship Examination Policy 2026” to evaluate meritorious students in primary education. Under the new policy, the primary scholarship examination will now be held for a total of 400 marks.

The policy was published on Tuesday (March 10) on the website of the Directorate of Primary Education, signed by Primary and Mass Education Secretary Abu Taher Md. Masud Rana.

The guideline will be known as the “Primary Scholarship Examination Policy 2026.” All scholarship-related activities will be conducted according to this policy from 2026. However, under a special arrangement, the 2025 primary scholarship examination will also be held following this policy.

According to the guideline, fifth-grade students studying in government and private schools will be eligible to participate in the exam based on the cumulative evaluation results of the fourth grade, and a maximum of 40 percent of students can take part. Participation has been made mandatory for all government primary schools. For private schools, following the NCTB curriculum and being active in the IPEMIS online system of the Directorate of Primary Education will be mandatory.

Subjects and Marks Distribution

According to the policy, the scholarship examination will be held for 400 marks. Each of the following subjects will carry 100 marks: Bangla, English, Elementary Mathematics, Bangladesh and Global Studies & Primary Science (combined)

Each subject will have a 2 hours and 30 minutes time limit. However, students with special needs will receive an additional 30 minutes. To qualify for a scholarship, a student must obtain at least 40 percent marks in each subject.

Types of Scholarships and Quotas

According to the policy, two types of scholarships will be awarded: Talent Pool and General Scholarship

In both categories, 50 percent boys and 50 percent girls will be selected. Of the total scholarships, 80 percent will be reserved for students of government primary schools, while 20 percent will be reserved for students from private schools.

The policy states that Talent Pool scholarships will be awarded based on merit ranking at the upazila or thana level. In the case of General scholarships, union or ward level will be considered the unit for government school students. Each union or ward will receive five general scholarships: Two boys, Two girls, One merit quota

To ensure proper management of the scholarship examination, a national-level steering committee will oversee the process. The Minister and State Minister of Primary and Mass Education will serve as advisers, while the Secretary will act as the chairperson. Separate committees will also be formed at the district level under the Deputy Commissioner (DC) and at the upazila level under the Upazila Nirbahi Officer (UNO).

The policy also includes strict provisions for departmental disciplinary action against those responsible for any irregularities or negligence in conducting the examination.

With the issuance of this policy, all previous policies related to primary scholarships, including the one issued in 2008, will be considered cancelled.