Changes in BCS exam system on the anvil:Daily Sun

  The government is going to bring a whole raft of changes in the next Bangladesh Civil Service (BCS) examination system. By now, it has finalised some changes and several proposals are under active consideration. The holding of two-hour preliminary test with multiple choice questions for 200 marks is almost final. The next 35th BCS exams will be held under the new system. However, a proposal of t
he standing committee on public administration ministry suggested that the government withdraw the MCQ system from BCS exams. Public Service Commission, the regulator of first-class government jobs, also proposed to increase the written test mark. A stormy debate is now on the issue as some changes will also be made in the BCS syllabus and some new topics be added to the preliminary test. Public administration ministry and PSC are having hard times over the proposed changes prior to the long overdue 35th BCS exams. The government cannot publish the circular as the news system is yet to come into effect. Generally, the government puts an advertisement in newspapers for holding BCS exams within a year. Eighteen months have elapsed, but the government failed to publish a circular for 35th BCS exams. Meanwhile, thousands of BCS job seekers across the country have become worried over the likelihood of losing their age for qualifying government jobs. On the matter, Dr Kamal Nasser Chowdhury, senior secretary of public administration ministry, told Kaler Kantho that, “We have completed our task after finalising some changes to the upcoming (35th) BCS exams. The proposals are expected to be tabled in the next cabinet meeting.” “If the cabinet approves the new exam system, it will be sent to parliament for passage. The next parliamentary session will sit on September 1.” PSC sources said the advertisement for 31st BCS exams was published on January 26, 2011, while the ad for 32nd BCS on October 19 of the same year. “The advertisement for 33rd BCS was published on March 8, 2012, and that for 34th BCS on February 18, 2013. But one year and a half have already elapsed we couldn’t publish the circular for 35th BCS exams yet,” the sources added. Shahadat Hossain, who qualified twice in BCS written tests, said, “I obtained first class in all exams. I have been preparing for BCS exams for the last four years. I’m ready to participate in 35th BCS, but I’ll cross 30 years on September 15. My dream will come true if the government publishes the circular shortly.” PSC member Main Uddin Khandker told this correspondent that, “Advertisement for the 35th BCS exams will be published soon. We are making some changes in the BCS exam system. The preliminary test will be held on 200 marks under the MCQ system instead of 100 marks.” It was learnt that the ministry concerned has already finalised the exam system on the basis of a proposal made by PSC. This year, the price of an application form for the preliminary test has been fixed at Tk 700 instead of Tk 500 and Tk 100 for the mentally retarded, underprivileged and tribal candidates. Sources said PSC proposed that preliminary test be held on 300 marks, but government did not make any decision to this end. Besides, PSC has moved to formulate elaborate syllabus for preliminary BCS test. Some new subjects will be added to existing subjects. It hopes that the new syllabus will be published before the next BCS exams. The new subjects are geography (Bangladesh and world), environment and disaster management, computer and information technology and moral values and good governance. Meanwhile, Al Amin Raju, president of General Students Parishad, made an impassioned plea to the government on candidates’ age limit. He said, “Session jam takes away four to five years from a student’s valuable life. So, we appeal to the government to increase service-qualifying age to 35 years.”