Class VIII terminal tests – Junior School Certificate (JSC) and its madrassa equivalent Junior Dakhil Certificate (JDC) examinations – began across the country today.

A total of 2,325,933 examinees from 28,632 educational institutions are expected to appear for the tests which began from 10:00am.

Education Minister Nurul Islam Nahid along with his ministry high-ups visited several centres in Sylhet in the morning.

The number of this year's JSC examinees is 1,967,447. Of them, 914,900 are male while 1,052,547 female.

A total of 358,486 examinees participate in JDC examination. Of them, 167,770 are males and 190,716 females.

A total of 585 students from eight overseas centres will attend the JSC examinations.

The number of JSC and JDC examinees increased by 235,241 as 2,090,692 candidates took part in the exams in 2014.