Multiple choice questions (MCQ) will be dropped from the Primary Education Completion (PEC) exams, says Primary and Mass Education Minister Motafijur Rahman.

He announced the decision on Tuesday while addressing a press conference at the ministry.

“MCQs will be dropped from this year in an effort to stop leak of question,” said Rahman.

PEC marks completion of the primary level education by fifth graders in Bangladesh. The equivalent public exam for Madrasa-goers is the Ebtedayee exam.

“There will be no MCQs in the PEC exams scheduled for November. Questions have not leaked during the ongoing HSC exams, thanks to some of the measures adopted,” the minister.

He added that they were focusing on strategies rather than resorting to legal measures to plug question leak.

“No more choosing the right answer. Students will have to write short and comprehensive answers,” said Rahman.

The decision came against the backdrop of the recent question paper leaks in almost all public exams.

On Feb 18, the National Academy for Primary Education (NAPE) issued a directive on the structure of questions and the distribution of scores for competency-based questions.

The NAPE directive, however, did not say anything on cancelling MCQs.