Comilla University commenced its undergraduate admission tests for the 2024–25 academic year on Saturday, marking a return to independently held exams after four years of following the centralised cluster system.
The first phase of the three-unit examination began with the Unit ‘C’ test at 10am, followed by the Unit ‘A’ exam later in the afternoon. The Unit ‘B’ exam is scheduled for April 25 at 4pm.
According to data provided by the university’s registrar office, a total of 66,402 students have applied for 1,030 seats across the three units, averaging 64 applicants per seat. The Unit ‘A’ exam, with 32,658 applicants for 350 seats, remains the most competitive, with 93 students vying for each spot. Unit ‘C’ received 9,952 applications for 240 seats (41 per seat), while Unit ‘B’—covering the faculties of arts, social sciences, and law—saw 23,792 applications for 440 seats (54 per seat).
This year’s admission tests are being held at 30 centres spread across the university campus, Kotbari area, and various parts of Comilla city.
The return to the university’s own examination system comes after continued criticism of the cluster method introduced during the Covid-19 pandemic. Implemented under directives from the University Grants Commission (UGC) in the 2020–21 academic year, the cluster system was meant to simplify logistics during the pandemic. However, over time, various stakeholders raised concerns over its effectiveness. After several rounds of discussion and revisions, the university’s Academic Council resolved to exit the cluster system and resume individual admission tests.
This year, the admission merit list will be prepared based on a total of 120 marks—100 from the admission test and 20 from GPA scores in SSC and HSC exams. Applications were accepted from 2 February to 28 February, including weekends and holidays.