Govt School Admission Policy 2027 Bangladesh – স্কুল ভর্তি নীতিমালা ২০২৭
Government school admission in Bangladesh for 2027 follows the Government Secondary School Student Admission Policy 2027 (সরকারি মাধ্যমিক বিদ্যালয়ে শিক্ষার্থী ভর্তির নীতিমালা-২০২৭), issued by the Secondary and Higher Education Division of the Ministry of Education. Class 1 seats are filled by a digital lottery, and Class 2 to 9 seats are filled by a written test. This guide explains every rule in plain English, so you can plan before the circular comes out.
Key facts at a glance
| Topic | What the policy says |
|---|---|
| Classes open for admission | Entry class, plus Class 2 to 9 where seats are vacant |
| Class 1 method | Compulsory digital lottery |
| Class 2 to 9 method | Written admission test, merit order |
| Age for Class 1 | 6+ years; on 1 January of the admission year: minimum 5, maximum 7 |
| Special needs students | Up to 5 extra years of age relaxation |
| Academic year | 1 January to 31 December |
| Students per class section | 55 |
| Schools you can choose (Class 1) | Up to 5 |
| Application fee, Class 1 | Maximum Tk 110 |
| Application fee, Class 2 to 9 | Maximum Tk 250 |
| Application | Online only, through the official software |
| Largest quota | 40% for cantonment area students of Dhaka city schools |
What is new or important in the 2027 policy
- Everything is online. Application, fee payment, processing and result publishing for all government secondary schools must be done online.
- One system for the whole country. The Dhaka Metropolitan Admission Committee announces the date, time and software, and applicants from all districts follow it.
- The lottery software is checked twice. Before the digital lottery, another government-approved technical firm must verify the software and issue a certificate.
- No admission outside the list. A school cannot admit any student who is not on the selected list or the waiting list, whatever the reason.
Check your child’s age first with our Age Calculator, then read the sections below.
Which classes can a student be admitted to?
Students are admitted to the entry class of a government secondary school. If seats are vacant, schools can also admit students to any class up to Class 9. Class 10 is not part of the open admission process.
Age limit for school admission 2027
The policy follows the National Education Policy 2010: a child should be 6+ years old for Class 1. The exact rule is counted on 1 January of the academic year the student wants to join.
| Rule | Detail |
|---|---|
| Minimum age on 1 January | 5 years |
| Maximum age on 1 January | 7 years |
| Other classes | Age is counted the same way for every class |
| Special needs students | Up to 5 extra years allowed |
| Proof of age | Attested copy of the online birth registration certificate, submitted with the application form |
Example: For the 2027 session, count the child’s age on 1 January 2027. A child born on or before 1 January 2022 has completed 5 years and meets the minimum. A child who has already turned 8 by that date (born on or before 1 January 2019) is above the maximum. Children on the edge of the range should wait for the official circular, which may explain how the last day is counted.
The quickest way to check is our free Age Calculator. It uses this exact rule and shows the result at once.
Academic year and class size
- The academic year runs from 1 January to 31 December.
- Each class section has 55 students.
- Extra seats may be added for some quotas, such as children of transferred government employees (see the quota section).
| Class 1 | Class 2 to 9 | |
|---|---|---|
| Method | Digital lottery | Written admission test |
| Selection | Random draw, no exam | Merit order by marks |
| Who runs it | Directorate of Secondary and Higher Education (DSHE), centrally | Admission committee and the schools |
| Waiting list | Equal to the number of vacant seats | Equal to the number of vacant seats |
২০২৭ শিক্ষাবর্ষে সরকারি মাধ্যমিক বিদ্যালয়ে ভর্তির সব আবেদন ও ফি অনলাইনে হবে। ১ম শ্রেণিতে ডিজিটাল লটারির মাধ্যমে এবং ২য় থেকে ৯ম শ্রেণিতে লিখিত পরীক্ষার মাধ্যমে শিক্ষার্থী বাছাই করা হবে। ১ জানুয়ারি তারিখে শিক্ষার্থীর বয়স সর্বনিম্ন ৫ ও সর্বোচ্চ ৭ বছর হতে হবে; বিশেষ চাহিদাসম্পন্ন শিক্ষার্থীর জন্য সর্বোচ্চ ৫ বছর অতিরিক্ত সুবিধা আছে। ১ম শ্রেণির আবেদন ফি সর্বোচ্চ ১১০ টাকা এবং ২য় থেকে ৯ম শ্রেণির ২৫০ টাকা। কোটা: মুক্তিযোদ্ধা ৫%, বিশেষ চাহিদাসম্পন্ন ২%, সহোদর ৩%, যমজ ২%, ঢাকা মহানগরীর ক্যান্টনমেন্ট এলাকার শিক্ষার্থী ৪০% এবং ৬ষ্ঠ শ্রেণিতে স্বতন্ত্র সরকারি প্রাথমিক বিদ্যালয়ের ৫ম শ্রেণি উত্তীর্ণদের ১০%।
Class 1: Digital Lottery
Students for Class 1 must be chosen by lottery. No admission test is allowed.
- A student can give preference to up to 5 institutions.
- If a school runs a double shift and the family selects both shifts, the choice counts as 2 schools.
- Applying more than once to the same institution cancels all applications to that school.
- DSHE runs the whole process centrally, and the lottery must happen in front of admission committee members with full transparency.
- A waiting list equal to the number of vacant seats is prepared with the selected list. If a selected student does not take admission on the fixed date, the next student on the waiting list is called in order.
See our School Lottery Result 2027 page for how to check the result.
Class 2 to 9: Written test
Vacant seats in Class 2 to 9 are filled by a written test in merit order. A waiting list equal to the vacant seats is also prepared.
| Class | Total marks | Bangla | English | Math | Time |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Class 2 to 5 | 50 | 15 | 15 | 20 | 1 hour |
| Class 6 to 9 | 100 | 30 | 30 | 40 | 2 hours |
- Question papers must be of good standard and based on the NCTB textbook of the relevant class.
- Students must use a black ballpoint pen in the written test.
- The exam is held on a weekly holiday where possible.
School clusters for Class 2 to 9
The admission committee can group nearby schools into clusters, considering location and student convenience. A student can apply to only 1 school in each cluster.
School Admission Date and time
Before the academic year starts, the committee meets and fixes the admission test date and time. Schools must publish the number of vacant seats, and the committee also advertises through national and local newspapers and websites. Watch our Govt School Admission Notice page for the circular.
How to apply for government school admission 2027
All applications, fee collection, result processing and publishing for government secondary schools in 2027 must be online. The Dhaka Metropolitan Admission Committee publishes a circular with the date, time and software.
- Check your child’s age with the Age Calculator.
- Check if you qualify for a quota with the Quota Checker.
- Keep the online birth registration certificate ready. An attested copy is submitted with the application.
- Wait for the official circular and open the application website named in it.
- Choose schools (up to 5 for Class 1, or 1 per cluster for Class 2 to 9) and submit the form.
- Pay the application fee online and save the receipt and application number.
The full walkthrough is on our How to Apply page.
Application fee
| Class | Maximum application fee |
|---|---|
| Class 1 | Tk 110 |
| Class 2 to 9 | Tk 250 |
The admission fee, including session charge, is set according to Ministry of Education instructions. Any amount above these limits for the application form is not allowed under the policy.
Vacant seats and notice
- School heads must publish the number of vacant seats by class at their own institution.
- The committee announces the notice through national and local newspapers and websites.
- School heads enter class-wise vacancies in the official software on the date set in the circular.
- Within 7 days after admission ends, detailed seat-filling information by category goes to the central committee and DSHE.
Results, selected list and waiting list
- The merit list and waiting list are published together on the DSHE, district administration or school website where available.
- Each school publishes the list on its notice board and website.
- Admission must be completed within the time set by the committee. No student can be admitted outside the selected list, and a head teacher cannot admit anyone at any other time of the year on his or her own. This is a punishable offence.
- For categories with verification, the head teacher checks original documents of every student selected under a quota before confirming admission.
- All exam papers and documents, from code numbering to result publishing, are kept by the committee for one year.
Quota for government school admission 2027
Some seats are reserved. Seats that no eligible student claims go back to general applicants, so no seat stays empty. Use our Quota Checker to see which quotas fit your child.
| Quota | Seats reserved | Key conditions |
|---|---|---|
| Freedom fighter / martyred freedom fighter’s son or daughter | 5% | Attach an attested copy of the certificate with the application and show the original at admission. If no applicant is found: 3% goes to siblings and 2% to general applicants. |
| Special needs students | 2% | Minimum eligibility required; valid proof from the proper authority. If unfilled, goes to general applicants. |
| Brother or sister already studying (or applying) in the same school | 3% | Applies to a maximum of 3 children of a couple. If no sibling applies, seats open to twins. |
| Twins | 2% | Same school, maximum 3 children of a couple. If no twin applies, seats open to siblings. |
| Children of Ministry of Education staff | 1% | Together with listed subordinate offices, total 2%; DSHE recommendation letter and minimum eligibility needed. Fractions are rounded up. |
| Children of staff of listed subordinate offices | 1% | Same conditions as above. |
| Class 6 seats for Class 5 passers of independent government primary schools | 10% of Class 6 seats | Only for Class 6. |
| Cantonment area students of Dhaka city government schools | 40% | The other 60% is open to all. DSHE defines the cantonment area of each school. |
Special rules
Children of transferred government employees
- Apply to the admission committee chair, with proof, within 12 months of the transfer order date.
- In metropolitan, city corporation and divisional cities, the new workplace must be more than 10 km away (by Google Map) from the old one.
- In district, upazila and thana areas, the child can be admitted to the nearest school to the new workplace.
- An extra 5% seats are kept in each class and section for these children.
- Students already studying in a government school get priority.
- If the employee is transferred back, the child can return to the earlier school.
Children of teachers and staff
Children of teachers or staff of a government secondary school get extra seats equal to the number of eligible children at the same school. If the school has no suitable boys or girls section or no suitable class, extra seats are kept at the nearest suitable government school.
Other cases
- Mutual transfer: two students in the same class can swap schools if both schools agree. The guardian applies to the committee chair.
- Death of a government employee in service: the child can be admitted to a government school in the area where the family settles.
- Orphan students of a government school who change residence can join the same class in a government school in the new area.
- Parent’s death forcing relocation: a student of a government school can join the same class in a government school in the new area.
Rules for the written test
- Question papers follow NCTB textbooks and must be kept secret and secure.
- Seating must be orderly with enough light and air. The committee inspects centres before the exam.
- Answer scripts are bundled by class (maximum 100 per bundle), not by roll number order.
- The committee gives code numbers to scripts. No teacher of the exam school may do this work.
- Teachers of another school or cluster check the scripts, so a school never marks its own scripts.
Who pays for the admission process
| Process | How the money is used |
|---|---|
| Digital lottery | After the technology partner’s contract fee, the rest of the fee money is shared under a plan made by a sub-committee of the Secondary and Higher Education Division. |
| Written test | After the technology partner’s contract fee, 50% stays with the school for notices, printing, transport, seating, the exam and allowances, and 50% goes to the committee for question papers, code numbers, evaluation, results and administration. |
Frequently asked questions
On 1 January of the admission year the child should be at least 5 and at most 7 years old. Children with special needs get up to 5 extra years.
No. Class 1 students are chosen only by a digital lottery. Class 2 to 9 use a written test.
Up to 5 institutions. If a double-shift school is chosen for both shifts, it counts as 2 choices. More than one application to the same institution cancels all applications to it.
Class 2 to 5 have 50 marks (Bangla 15, English 15, Math 20) in 1 hour. Class 6 to 9 have 100 marks (Bangla 30, English 30, Math 40) in 2 hours.
A maximum of Tk 110 for Class 1 and Tk 250 for Class 2 to 9, collected online.
It is a ranked list, equal in size to the vacant seats. If a selected student does not take admission on time, the school calls the next student on the list.
No. Admission outside the selected list or waiting list is not allowed and is a punishable offence for the head of the institution.
An attested copy of the online birth registration certificate with the application. For a quota, attach the proof of that quota, and carry the original documents for verification at admission.
This policy is for government secondary schools. Private schools set their own rules, so read our Non-Govt School Admission Notice page. Transferred government employees can also apply to non-government secondary schools under the transfer rules above.
Final checklist
- Check the child’s age on 1 January 2027 with the Age Calculator
- Check quota eligibility with the Quota Checker
- Get an online birth registration certificate and attested copies
- Watch the Govt School Admission Notice page for the circular
- Apply online on time and keep the receipt
- Join our Facebook group for updates
Rules can change through official circulars. This article is based on the Government Secondary School Student Admission Policy 2027 and is for information only.
