Dhaka:  Higher Secondary Certificate (HSC) and equivalent examinations of 2016 will begin across the country on Sunday with 12, 18,628 examinees taking part from 8,533 educational institutions.

On the first day of the examinations, test of Bangla first paper will be held from 10:00am to 1:00pm.

Of the total examinees, 6, 54,114 are male and 5, 64,514 female.

‘Theoretical examinations will begin on 3 April and it will end on 9 June while practical examinations will be held from 11 June to 20 June,’ Education Minister Nurul Islam Nahid told a pre‑examination press briefing in the conference room of the ministry in Dhaka on Thursday.

Education Secretary Sohrab Hossain, Director General of Directorate of Secondary Education Fahima Khatun and senior officials of the ministry, among others, were present on the occasion.

‘In 2012, only Bangla first paper examination was held under the creative question paper method. Examinations of 25 papers on 13 subjects were held under creative question last year,’ Nahid said.

Examinations of 11 papers of new subjects will be held under creative question method meaning 36 papers of 19 subjects will be brought under the exam method this year, he added.

Nahid said a total of 10,20,109 examinees under eight general education boards will participate in the HSC and equivalent examinations this year while some 91,591 will appear in the examinations from madrasa board.

As many as 1, 02,132 students under vocational examinations will take part in the examinations and 4,796 candidates in DIBS examinations.

As many as 262 examinees from seven overseas centres will appear in the examinations. Of the examinees, 138 are female and 124 male.

Nahid said additional 20 minutes time will be given to students with disabilities in the HSC and equivalent examinations to encourage them for continuing their studies. Extra 30 minutes will be given to the students with special needs including autism, he added.

Tougher action will be taken against the persons, who will be found guilty for question paper leakage and other malpractices aiming to misguide examinees, he said adding, law enforcers will keep sharp vigil to resist any ill attempt to launch propaganda on the upcoming HSC examinations.

The minister urged the guardians and examinees not to be misguided by any quarter as they may try to create confusions over the examinations by launching propaganda through Facebook, mobile phones and different other ways.

According to the statistics revealed at the press conference, a total of 1, 44,744 examinees have increased in the HSC and equivalent examinations this year as the total examinees were 10, 73,884 in 2015.