Jahangirnagar University’s (JU) admission tests for the 2026-27 academic session are likely to begin on 17 January next year, while the plan to hold examinations in divisional cities has been dropped for this session.

JU Pro Vice-Chancellor (Academic) Prof Dr Md Shamsul Alam confirmed the development following a meeting of the university’s Admission Test Committee on 22 September.

“January 17 has been proposed as a tentative starting date for next year’s admission tests. The entire week from January 17 will be considered as the tentative examination period. However, the final decision will be taken after discussion at the Academic Council,” he said.

The committee also reached a policy-level consensus to complete admission tests for each unit in a single shift from the 2027-28 academic session, according to the Pro-VC.

Under the proposed system, each unit would have one question paper and its examination would be completed in a single shift, eliminating separate shifts for male and female candidates. The system, however, will not be fully implemented this academic session.

The committee also discussed holding admission tests in divisional cities but decided against the proposal this session due to the additional financial and logistical requirements.

A proposal to hold tests at several colleges in Dhaka was also discussed but could not be implemented due to similar practical difficulties.

The proposals will be placed before an emergency meeting of the Academic Council for final approval. The meeting may be held on 24 September, although the date is subject to change.

Meanwhile, the committee discussed possible changes to the admission test system for second-time applicants. One proposal was to increase the marks allocated to the written examination instead of directly deducting marks from second-time candidates.

The written examination currently carries 80 marks, while increasing it to 90 marks was discussed. No final decision has been taken on the matter.

The Pro-VC said all proposals would be finalised after further discussion by the relevant university bodies.