The Public Administration Reform Commission has put forward a series of recommendations regarding the Bangladesh Civil Service (BCS) examination, including a detailed roadmap from the exam process to final appointment. The proposals also include the redistribution of marks for core subjects and the formation of three full-fledged commissions.
Details of these recommendations were published in the complete report of the commission on the Cabinet Division’s website on Saturday, February 8.
According to the report, the commission has suggested the establishment of three separate Public Service Commissions for conducting the BCS exams. Each commission would have a chairman and eight members.
The proposed commissions include:
Public Service Commission (General) – Responsible for recruitment and promotion exams for all services except education and health.
Public Service Commission (Education) – Dedicated to the recruitment and management of education sector personnel.
Public Service Commission (Health) – Focused on the recruitment and management of healthcare professionals.
The commission has recommended the formulation of a merit-based recruitment and promotion policy or law to ensure stability and prevent frequent changes. It also emphasizes the need to establish a fixed timeline for the recruitment process in government jobs.
Proposed BCS Exam and Appointment Roadmap
The report outlines a structured timeline for BCS exams and appointments:
Exam Notification – Second week of January
Preliminary Exam – First week of April
Preliminary Exam Results – First week of May
Written Exam – Second half of June
Written Exam Results – Second week of December
Viva & Psychological Test – First week of January to the second week of February (following year)
Final Results – Third week of April
Medical & Police Verification – Third week of May
Appointment Gazette Publication – Second week of June
Joining Date – July 1
Subject & Evaluation System Reforms
The commission has suggested including six mandatory subjects in the written exam:
Bengali Essay – 100 marks
English Essay – 100 marks
English Composition & Precis – 100 marks
Constitution, History, Heritage & Culture of Bangladesh – 100 marks
International & Current Affairs – 100 marks
General Science & Technology, Society & Environment, and Geography – 100 marks
Notably, Mathematics has not been recommended as a core subject.
Additionally, the commission has proposed allowing candidates to choose six optional subjects (each carrying 100 marks) from clusters of Arts, Social Sciences, Physical Sciences, Commerce, and Law, ensuring that no more than two subjects are selected from any single cluster.
To maintain transparency, the commission has recommended setting the minimum passing mark at 60% for both the written and viva exams. It also suggests publishing a breakdown of the final BCS results for better clarity.
