HSC Candidates Erroneously Given Last Year’s Papers in Nilphamari

A severe administrative lapse disrupted the Higher Secondary Certificate (HSC) examinations in Nilphamari on Sunday, 19 July, when candidates were mistakenly supplied with the previous year’s question papers. The incident occurred during the History First Paper examination at the Borovita School and College centre in Kishorganj upazila, sparking intense frustration and anxiety among examinees and their parents.

The examination commenced punctually at 10:00 am, but invigilators inadvertently distributed the 2025 question papers instead of the scheduled 2026 set. Unaware of the blunder, the students focused on their answers for one hour and forty-five minutes. The error was finally detected at 11:45 am after several candidates noticed the discrepancy and alerted the hall supervisors.

Upon realising the mistake, the centre authorities suspended the examination immediately, confiscated the erroneous papers, and distributed the correct 2026 question sets. To compensate for the lost time, the authorities extended the examination period until 2:20 pm, allowing students to complete their papers under stressful conditions.

Palak, an examinee at the centre, recounted that they initially failed to notice the incorrect year on the question sheets. It was only after nearly two hours had elapsed that they realised they were answering the 2025 syllabus questions, prompting them to notify the invigilator, who then initiated the exchange.

Another candidate, Hasan, expressed deep distress over the administrative negligence. He lamented that the oversight caused immense psychological strain, noting that having to start the examination afresh after writing for nearly two hours severely compromised their performance.

Adding to these accounts, an examinee named Shubh Misha explained that in at least two examination rooms, students had already completed four creative questions before invigilators intervened with the new papers. Consequently, the candidates were forced to compose seven new creative answers within the extended timeframe, leaving many physically and mentally exhausted by the 2:20 pm conclusion.

When approached for comment, Badsha Alamgir, the Principal and Centre Secretary of Borovita School and College, flatly denied the allegations, maintaining that the correct papers had been distributed. When pressed further regarding the specific grievances raised by numerous students, he claimed to be occupied, abruptly ended the telephone call, and switched off his mobile device.

Arifur Rahman, the Kishorganj Upazila Nirbahi Officer (UNO), confirmed the incident and announced the formation of a formal probe committee to investigate the matter. Out of 490 registered candidates at the Borovita centre, 479 were present on the day. The UNO clarified that investigators are currently determining how many rooms were affected, as initial reports suggest the blunder may not have occurred across the entire centre.

Upazila Secondary Education Officer Ashrafuzzaman stated that he was fully aware of the situation and was actively consulting with the UNO. The local administration plans to coordinate with the education board authorities to ensure that the affected students are not penalised academically due to the institutional error.