The average pass rate in this year’s Higher Secondary Certificate (HSC) and equivalent examinations stands 58.83%, showing an 18.95 percentage point decrease from last year.

Last year, the combined pass rate was 77.78 percent.

A total of 69,097 students earned GPA-5 in HSC and equivalent examinations this year whereas the number was 1,45,911 last year.

The results were officially released at 10:00 am today, with all general, madrasa, and technical education boards publishing their outcomes simultaneously. Professor Dr Khondoker Ehsanul Kabir, chairman of the Dhaka Education Board and president of the Inter-Education Board Coordination Committee, formally announced the results.

Among the general education boards, 64.62 percent students passed in Dhaka, 59.40 percent in Rajshahi, 48.86 percent in Cumilla, 50.20 percent in Jashore, 52.57 percent in Chattogram, 62.57 percent in Barishal, 51.86 percent in Sylhet, 57.49 percent in Dinajpur and 51.54 percent in Mymensingh.

The pass rate in Madrasa Education Board is 75.61 percent, while the Technical Education Board 62.57 percent.

A total of 12,51,111 students — 6,18,015 were male and 6,33,096 females — registered for the exams under 11 education boards. However, nearly 27,000 students did not appear in the exams.

Exams were held across 2,797 centres nationwide.