46th BCS written exam centres inaccessible after 9:45am, early arrival advised

The candidates sitting the 46th Bangladesh Civil Service (BCS) written examinations starting from Jul 24 must enter the exam halls before 9:45am.

Although the written exam will begin at 10am on the scheduled days, the Public Service Commission (PSC) has instructed candidates to be inside the halls at least 15 minutes earlier.

In a notice issued on Tuesday, the PSC said the rule regarding no entry after 9:45am has been mentioned both on the admit card and in the exam conduct guidelines, asking candidates and concerned parties to strictly follow the instructions.

The written exams for the compulsory subjects of this BCS will take place from Jul 24 to Aug 3, followed by the post-related written tests scheduled from Aug 10-21.

As many as 21,397 successful candidates are set to appear for the exams following the two-phase announcement of the preliminary results.

In a separate notice issued on Tuesday, the PSC advised candidates to arrive at their respective exam centres well ahead of time.

“To avoid any unforeseen complications, the commission has prepared the attendance sheets by randomly arranging the candidates’ registration numbers in odd and even order, and allocating exam rooms through a random selection process. As this process of finding the assigned room and seat may take some time, candidates are advised to arrive early at their centres,” the commission said.

EXAM GUIDELINES FOR CANDIDATES

In another notice published on Tuesday, the PSC issued a set of instructions for 46th BCS written test candidates.

The notice stated that candidates are strictly prohibited from carrying books, all types of watches, mobile phones, any kind of electronic device, scientific programmable calculators, devices resembling bank or credit cards, jewellery, bracelets, or bags into the exam hall. Candidates bringing any of these items will not be allowed to enter.

At the entrance of the exam centres, candidates must undergo a security screening in the presence of an executive magistrate and police officers.

This includes checking admit cards and scanning for prohibited items using metal detectors.

On the day of the exam, SMS notifications will be sent to all candidates reminding them not to carry any prohibited items. Candidates must strictly follow the instructions mentioned in the SMS.

The PSC also stated that candidates are not allowed to cover their ears and must keep them fully visible during the exam. If a candidate needs to use any hearing aid, they must obtain prior approval from the commission by submitting a recommendation from a medical specialist.

According to the PSC, if any candidate is found in possession of prohibited items inside the hall, the items will be confiscated, and the candidate will be disqualified for violating the Bangladesh Civil Service (Age, Qualification, and Direct Recruitment Examination) Rules, 2014.

Moreover, the candidate will be permanently barred from participating in any future recruitment exams conducted by the PSC.

The PSC had published the circular for the 46th BCS on Nov 30, 2023.

The preliminary exam was held on Apr 26, 2024, with 254,561 candidates participating. Of them, 10,638 candidates passed the preliminary exam, according to results published on May 9.

The written exams were initially scheduled to be held from Aug 28 to Sept 9 last year. However, the exams were postponed on Aug 25 due to political unrest following a change in the government.

To address alleged disparities, the PSC announced on Nov 18 last year that an equal number of additional candidates would be declared successful alongside the initial qualifiers from the preliminary exam, and a revised result would be issued.

Accordingly, on Nov 27, the PSC published a revised result of the 46th BCS preliminary exam, declaring an additional 10,759 candidates successful alongside the previously announced 10,638, bringing the total number of qualified candidates to 21,397.

Subsequently, on Mar 24, the commission announced that the written exams for the 46th BCS would begin on May 8. However, the exams were deferred again on May 21 in the wake of protests by the candidates.