The education ministry yesterday decided to reduce 10 marks from multiple-choice questions (MCQ) sections in SSC and HSC exams. The new score scheme will be effective from 2017.

The decision to reduce the marks came at a meeting chaired by Minister Nurul Islam Nahid in the ministry's conference room.

As per the decision, students have to answer MCQs of 30 marks instead of 40 and the papers which have MCQs containing 35 marks will now have questions for 25 marks, according to a press release.

The meeting also decided that examinees will sit for the MCQ paper before the creative (written) section from the next SSC and HSC exams in 2016. The decision was taken for holding the examinations fairly, said the release.

The meeting also discussed how the duration of JSC, SSC and HSC examinations can be reduced to avoid question paper leak. Making the state-owned BG Press fully automated to prevent question paper leak during printing was also stressed.