The Higher Secondary School Certificate is a secondary qualification in

Bangladesh Bangladesh (}, ), officially the People's Republic of Bangladesh, is a country in South Asia. It is the eighth-most populous country in the world, with a population exceeding 165 million people in an area of . Bangladesh is among the mos ...

India India, officially the Republic of India (Hindi: ), is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by area, the second-most populous country, and the most populous democracy in the world. Bounded by the Indian Ocean on the so ...

and

Pakistan Pakistan ( ur, ), officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan ( ur, , label=none), is a country in South Asia. It is the world's List of countries and dependencies by population, fifth-most populous country, with a population of almost 24 ...

Higher Secondary Education

The Board of Secondary and Higher Secondary Education in Bangladesh recognises "Higher Secondary Education" under the clause 1(5) of the "Board of Trustees". Higher Secondary Education comprises (a) general, (b) vocational, (c) technical, or (d) special education with the combination of varied courses. It is the continuation of the "Secondary Education Courses" and it precedes the " Tertiary Education" governed by the Universities. Class XI - XII is the range of "Higher Secondary Education" that roughly covers 16-17 years of age group youth in the context of Bangladesh. The Higher Secondary Certificate (HSC) is a public examination credential in

, and

. HSC is equivalent to GCE

A Level The A-Level (Advanced Level) is a subject-based qualification conferred as part of the General Certificate of Education, as well as a school leaving qualification offered by the educational bodies in the United Kingdom and the educational au ...

in England and 3rd and 4th year of

high schools A secondary school describes an institution that provides secondary education and also usually includes the building where this takes place. Some secondary schools provide both '' lower secondary education'' (ages 11 to 14) and ''upper seconda ...

in the United States.

India

, the HSC/Intermediate and PUC Certificates is known as "Class 12th Certificate" and also known as "+2 Certificate". It is awarded to senior high school students by almost all National and State Boards and It is also awarded to junior college students by some state boards. It is awarded after successful completion of exams like Higher Secondary Exam, PUC Exam, Intermediate Exam,SSC (Senior School Certificate)Exam etc. It is conducted at the state level by the state boards of education like Kerala Board of Public Examination (KBPE), Board of Secondary Education, Rajasthan (BSER),

Maharashtra State Board of Secondary and Higher Secondary Education The Maharashtra State Board of Secondary and Higher Secondary Education () is a statutory and autonomous body established under the "Maharashtra Secondary Boards Act" 1965 (amended in 1977). Most important task of the board, among few others, i ...

(MSBSHSE),

Board of Intermediate Education, Andhra Pradesh The Board of Intermediate Education, Andhra Pradesh (BIEAP) is a board of education in Andhra Pradesh, India. Established in 1971, it was located in Hyderabad, situated in the composite Andhra Pradesh state. The board is now located in Vijayawa ...

(BIEAP), Karnataka School Examination and Assessment Board (KSEAB),

West Bengal Council of Higher Secondary Education The West Bengal Council of Higher Secondary Education (WBCHSE) came into existence in 1975. It is an autonomous examining authority, which is responsible for conducting examinations for standard XII for both government and private schools aff ...

(WBCHSE),

Bihar School Examination Board The Bihar School Examination Board (abbreviated BSEB) is a statutory body under section 3 of Bihar School Examination Act - 1952 which is functioning under Government of Bihar devised to conduct examinations at secondary and senior secondary s ...

(BSEB) etc and at the national level by the national boards of education like

Central Board of Secondary Education The Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) is a national level board of education in India for public and private schools, controlled and managed by the Government of India. Established in 1929 by a resolution of the government, the Board ...

(CBSE) as All India Senior School Certificate Examination (AISSCE),

Council for the Indian School Certificate Examination The Council for the Indian School Certificate Examinations (CISCE) is a privately held national-level board of school education in India that conducts the Indian Certificate of Secondary Education (ICSE) Examination for Class X and the Indian ...

(CISCE) as Indian School Certificate (ISC), and

National Institute of Open Schooling The National Institute of Open Schooling (NIOS), formerly National Open School (name changed in 2002), is the board of education under the Union Government of India. It was established by the Ministry of Human Resource Development of the Gove ...

(NIOS). CBSE conducts it once a year and NIOS twice a year in public examinations with an option of on-demand examinations. On the other hand, the 10th class exam which is also conducted at state level by the state boards of education and at the national level by the Central Board of Secondary Education and in India this exam is known as SSC exam. There are a total of up to six subjects; out of these five are main subjects and one is additional in HSSC exam, which are different for different State Board but common in case of Central Board of Secondary Education. HSSC exam consists of total 1100 marks: 550 in HSSC 1 and 550 in HSSC 2. Students can sit supplementary/improvement exams in September/October or by the new rule of fbise, next year with HSSC 2 Examination.

Bangladesh

After 10 years of schooling at the primary and secondary level, maybe years of passing students (16+) who succeed in passing the

Secondary School Certificate The Secondary School Certificate (SSC) or Secondary School Leaving Certificate (SSLC), Matriculation examination, is a public examination in Bangladesh, India and Pakistan conducted by educational boards for the successful completion of the seco ...

(SSC) examination have the option of joining a college for a two-year higher secondary education in respective areas of specialization or enrolling in a technical or polytechnic institute. After the two-year higher secondary education based on the

national curriculum A national curriculum is a common programme of study in schools that is designed to ensure nationwide uniformity of content and standards in education. It is usually legislated by the national government, possibly in consultation with state or other ...

, one has to sit for the public examination called the Higher Secondary Certificate examination conducted by the education boards. Students of Islamic religious and English medium streams also sit for their respective public examinations,

Alim Alim (''ʿAlīm'' , also anglicized as ''Aleem'') is one of the Names of God in Islam, meaning "''All-knowing one''". It is also used as a personal name, as a short form of Abdul Alim, "''Servant of the All-Knowing''": Given name * Alim ad-Din ...

and

A-Level The A-Level (Advanced Level) is a subject-based qualification conferred as part of the General Certificate of Education, as well as a school leaving qualification offered by the educational bodies in the United Kingdom and the educational aut ...

, conducted by the

Bangladesh Madrasah Education Board Bangladesh Madrasah Education Board ( bn, বাংলাদেশ মাদ্রাসা শিক্ষা বোর্ড) or Alia Madrasah Education Board started its activity independently in 1979. With the passage of time in Banglades ...

and

London London is the capital and largest city of England and the United Kingdom, with a population of just under 9 million. It stands on the River Thames in south-east England at the head of a estuary down to the North Sea, and has been a majo ...

Cambridge University , mottoeng = Literal: From here, light and sacred draughts. Non literal: From this place, we gain enlightenment and precious knowledge. , established = , other_name = The Chancellor, Masters and Schola ...

to qualify for further education. Every year, the HSC exam usually starts in April in Bangladesh, and the routine gets published two months before the examination. There are nine Boards of Intermediate and Secondary Education responsible for conducting the public examinations also responsible for recognizing the private educational institutes. Because of the

COVID-19 pandemic The COVID-19 pandemic, also known as the coronavirus pandemic, is an ongoing global pandemic of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). The novel virus was first identif ...

, after a lot of speculation and considerations, the concerned authority decided not to arrange a Higher Secondary Certificate or equivalent examination for the year 2020. Results from two prior exams, JSC and SSC, were averaged and used as the score. In 2021, the date and subjects of HSC exam were revised to abridge for the first time. The HSC Exam was held on 2nd December and continued till 30th December with only three major subjects for the each group of the students. 26,784 institutions participated in the exam under nine education boards together with 16,35,240 candidates.

Higher Secondary Certificate Examination

The Board of Intermediate and Secondary Education
conducts the public examinations like: "Secondary School Certificate Exam (SSC)" and "Higher Secondary School Certificate Exam (HSC), and recognizes the private sector secondary and intermediate level educational institutions. There are eleven (11) education Boards to conduct their tasks: #

Board of Intermediate and Secondary Education, Dhaka The Board of Intermediate and Secondary Education, Dhaka, is an autonomous organization and responsible for holding public examinations ( JSC, SSC and HSC). The board office is located at Bakshibazar, Dhaka. History Board of Intermediate and S ...

. #

Board of Intermediate and Secondary Education, Rajshahi The Board of Intermediate and Secondary Education, Rajshahi is an autonomous organization, mainly responsible for holding two public examinations ( SSC & HSC). The Board started its operation in the year 1961. Background Board of Intermediate ...

. #

Board of Intermediate and Secondary Education, Cumilla The Board of Intermediate and Secondary Education, Cumilla is an autonomous organization that is responsible for holding public examinations (Junior School Certificate (J.S.C.), Secondary School Certificate (S.S.C.), and Higher Secondary (School) ...

. #

Board of Intermediate and Secondary Education, Jashore The Board of Intermediate and Secondary Education, Jessore is an autonomous organization in Jessore, Bangladesh, mainly responsible for holding two public examinations (SSC & HSC) and for providing recognition to the newly established non-governm ...

. #

Board of Intermediate and Secondary Education, Chattogram The Board of Intermediate and Secondary Education, Chattogram is an autonomous organization, mainly responsible for holding two public examinations (SSC & HSC). The board started its operation in the year 1995. Later The Board started Holding JSC ...

. # Board of Intermediate and Secondary Education, Barishal. #

Board of Intermediate and Secondary Education, Sylhet Board or Boards may refer to: Flat surface * Lumber, or other rigid material, milled or sawn flat ** Plank (wood) ** Cutting board ** Sounding board, of a musical instrument * Cardboard (paper product) * Paperboard * Fiberboard ** Hardboard, a ...

. #

Board of Intermediate and Secondary Education, Dinajpur The Board of Intermediate and Secondary Education, Dinajpur, Bangladesh an autonomous organization, mainly responsible for holding three public examinations (Junior School Certificate (JSC), Secondary School Certificate (SSC), and Higher Seconda ...

. # Board of Intermediate and Secondary Education, Mymensingh. # Bangladesh Madrassa Education Board. # Bangladesh Technical Education Board. "The Ordinance of the Board" is controlled by the ''East Pakistan Intermediate and Secondary Education Ordinance, 1961'' (''East Pakistan Ordinance No. XXXIII of 1961'') and its amendments No. XVI of 1962 and No. XVII of 1977. Under the ''East Pakistan Ordinance No. XXXIII of 1961'', Dhaka Board is established in 1961. In pursuance of the ''Presidential Proclamation on the 7th October, 1958, Rajshahi Board established in 1961 (East Pakistan Ordinance No. XXXIII of 1961)''. The Cumilla Board is established in 1962 in the pursuance of the amendments No. XVI of 1962. Jashore Board is established in 1963 by the Government Order- 737. Then it was named as " Intermediate and Secondary Education Board, Khulna Division, Jashore" though it was renamed in 1965 as " Intermediate and Secondary Education Board, Jashore". The Technical Board was established on the 7th March, 1967 in pursuance of the Gazette no- 175. The Madrassa Education Board is established under "The Madrasa Education Ordinance No. IX of 1978" in 1978. The Chattogram Education Board is established in 15th May, 1995, Brishal Education Board is established in August 23, 1999, Sylhet Board is established in 1999, and Dinajpur Board is established in 22nd October, 2006. The Government forms a new Education Board in Mymensingh in August, 2017; now the total education board becomes 11

Pakistan

The Higher Secondary School Certificate (HSSC), also known as Intermediate, is a public examination taken by the students of Higher Secondary School or

Intermediate college A junior college (sometimes referred to colloquially as a juco, JuCo or JC) is a post-secondary educational institution offering vocational training designed to prepare students for either skilled trades and technical occupations and workers in su ...

(

Junior college A junior college (sometimes referred to colloquially as a juco, JuCo or JC) is a post-secondary educational institution offering vocational training designed to prepare students for either skilled trades and technical occupations and workers in su ...

) in

. After finishing Matriculation in Grade 9 and 10, the students then enter an

intermediate college A junior college (sometimes referred to colloquially as a juco, JuCo or JC) is a post-secondary educational institution offering vocational training designed to prepare students for either skilled trades and technical occupations and workers in su ...

and complete grades 11 and 12. Upon completion of each of the two grades, they again take standardized tests in their academic subjects. They are offered by provincial boards at provincial level and by FBISE at the federal level. Upon successful completion of these examinations, students are awarded the Higher Secondary School Certificate (HSSC). This level of education is also called the FSc/FA/ICS. There are many streams students can choose for their 11 and 12 grades, such as pre-medical, pre-engineering, humanities (or social sciences), computer science and commerce. Each stream consists of three electives and as well as three compulsory subjects of English, Urdu, Islamiyat (grade 11 only) and Pakistan Studies (grade 12 only).

History

The Society for Promoting Christian Knowledge (SPCK) was the first step from the British government to spread practical needs education along with religious education. In 1824, the General Committee of Public Instruction was established and it proposed to include the moral education in the India subcontinent. Then, the establishment of a Directorate of Public Instruction (DPI) was made at each province in 1854 by the proposal of the Woods Education Dispatch. The Hunter Commission, the first education commission in India suggested the introduction of "A" Course (Literature) and "B" Course (Technical Education) and guided to establish higher education through private entrepreneurship and the government colleges to remain under divisional management. The

Sadler Commission Sadler may refer to: * Sadler (surname), people with the surname ''Sadler'' * James Sadler and Sons Ltd English pottery manufacturer * Sadler, Kentucky, United States; an unincorporated community * Sadler, Texas, United States; a city * Sadler repo ...

in 1917 had proposed introducing two years of university education merged among the colleges as Higher Secondary Education. Then in 1944; the

Sargent Scheme The Sargent Scheme, formally known as the Report of the Sargent Commission on Post-War Education Development in India, was a 1944 memorandum prepared at the behest of the British-run Government of India that outlined the future development of lit ...

proposed secondary education for children aged between 11-17 years. The Akram Khan Committee and the Ataur Rahman Khan Commission were established consecutively in 1947 and 1957 to revise the education system. As a result, East Pakistan Secondary Education Board was established to conduct the examination of the secondary level institutions. This Board was split and 6 boards were established at each division in pursuance of the Ordinance- 1961 After the independence of Bangladesh the Government directly controlled secondary and higher secondary education and nationalized a good number of schools and colleges. The office of the Director of Public Instruction (DPI) was renamed the

Directorate of Secondary and Higher Education Directorate of Secondary and Higher Education () is a Bangladesh government Directorate under the Ministry of Education responsible for improving education standards and access to education. The Director General of the Directorate is Nehal Ahmed ...

(DSHE)] in 1981