About the Dakhil Examination
The Dakhil (দাখিল) is the secondary-level public examination for students enrolled in Bangladesh's Madrasa education stream, administered by the Bangladesh Madrasa Education Board (বাংলাদেশ মাদ্রাসা শিক্ষা বোর্ড). It is equivalent in status to the Secondary School Certificate (SSC) in the general education stream and is taken at the end of Class 10, typically when students are 15 or 16 years old.
Like the SSC, the Dakhil includes Bangla as a compulsory subject — examined across two papers totalling 200 marks. The Dakhil Bangla examination covers both literature (First Paper) and language (Second Paper), using the curriculum prescribed by the Madrasa Education Board. While the structure parallels SSC Bangla, the set texts and some examination emphases differ, making Dakhil-specific preparation important for Madrasa stream students.
Strong performance in Dakhil Bangla is important not just for the certificate itself, but as a foundation for the Alim (higher secondary), subsequent university admission examinations, and eventually BCS and other government recruitment tests — all of which require solid Bangla language ability.
Dakhil Bangla Exam Structure
| Paper | Focus | Marks | Duration | Pass Mark |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bangla First Paper (প্রথম পত্র) | Literature — prose, poetry, comprehension | 100 | 3 hours | 33 |
| Bangla Second Paper (দ্বিতীয় পত্র) | Language — grammar, writing, composition | 100 | 3 hours | 33 |
Dakhil Bangla First Paper: Literature (সাহিত্য)
The First Paper tests students' knowledge and understanding of the Bangla literary texts prescribed by the Madrasa Education Board. The syllabus typically includes a selection of prose passages (গদ্যাংশ), poems (কবিতা), and sometimes short stories (ছোটগল্প) drawn from both classical and modern Bangla literature. Specific set texts change periodically when the curriculum is revised — always check the current Madrasa Board syllabus for the most up-to-date text list.
Typical First Paper Question Types
- বহুনির্বাচনী প্রশ্ন (MCQ) — Multiple-choice questions testing factual knowledge of set texts: who wrote what, when, key characters, themes, and specific lines or passages. Each MCQ is worth 1 mark.
- সৃজনশীল প্রশ্ন (Creative Questions) — Structured questions divided into four parts: (ক) Knowledge — a short factual question; (খ) Understanding — explain a concept or quote; (গ) Application — apply the text's ideas to a new scenario; (ঘ) Higher Order Thinking — evaluate, analyse, or give a personal response. Marks are 1+2+3+4 = 10 per question.
- রচনামূলক প্রশ্ন (Essay Questions) — Extended written responses about set texts: character analysis, theme discussion, author's purpose, comparison between texts.
Core Literary Knowledge Required
For Dakhil Bangla First Paper, students need to be able to:
- Identify and explain key themes in the set prose and poetry texts
- Analyse character motivation and development in prose fiction
- Interpret poetic imagery, metaphor, and literary devices
- Discuss the historical and social context of the set texts
- Compare ideas or characters across different texts
- Respond personally and analytically to literary questions
- Know biographical details of the set texts' authors
Literature Model Question and Answer
Sample Srijonshili (Creative) Question — Prose
"রহিম একজন কৃষক। সে প্রতিদিন মাঠে কাজ করে। তার পরিশ্রমে তার পরিবার চলে। কিন্তু তবুও সে কখনো হাসি মুখ হারায় না।"
Rahim is a farmer. He works in the fields every day. His family lives on his hard work. But even so, he never loses his smile.
(ক) জ্ঞান — ১ নম্বর
রহিম কে? (Who is Rahim?)
আদর্শ উত্তর: রহিম একজন কৃষক। (Model Answer: Rahim is a farmer.)
(খ) অনুধাবন — ২ নম্বর
রহিম হাসি মুখ হারায় না কেন ব্যাখ্যা করো। (Explain why Rahim does not lose his smile.)
আদর্শ উত্তর: রহিম পরিশ্রমী ও আশাবাদী। কঠিন জীবন হলেও সে পরিবারের সুখে কাজ করে। তার ইতিবাচক মনোভাব তাকে সর্বদা হাসি রাখতে সাহায্য করে। (Rahim is hardworking and optimistic. Though life is hard, he works for his family's happiness. His positive attitude helps him always remain smiling.)
Full creative questions (গ) and (ঘ) are available in our registered members area with full model answers and examiner commentary.
Dakhil Bangla Second Paper: Language (ভাষা)
The Second Paper tests Bangla language skills — grammar, formal writing, and composition. This paper is more predictable in structure than the First Paper and rewards systematic preparation.
Second Paper Topic Areas
Essential Grammar Topics for Dakhil Second Paper
Grammar (ব্যাকরণ) is the highest-weighted single component of the Second Paper. The following topics appear most frequently in Dakhil Bangla grammar questions:
- সন্ধি (Shondhi) — The joining of sounds at word boundaries. There are vowel sandhi (স্বরসন্ধি), consonant sandhi (ব্যঞ্জনসন্ধি), and visarga sandhi (বিসর্গসন্ধি). Students must be able to identify, apply, and break sandhi formations.
- সমাস (Shomash) — Compound word formation. Types include দ্বন্দ্ব (coordinate compounds), তৎপুরুষ (determinative compounds), কর্মধারয় (appositional compounds), and বহুব্রীহি (attributive compounds).
- কারক ও বিভক্তি (Karak o Bibhokti) — Case and case markers. Bangla recognises six cases: কর্তৃকারক (nominative), কর্মকারক (accusative), করণকারক (instrumental), সম্প্রদানকারক (dative), অপাদানকারক (ablative), অধিকরণকারক (locative).
- প্রত্যয় (Protto) — Suffixes and word-forming elements, both Sanskrit-derived (কৃৎ, তদ্ধিত) and native Bangla.
- বাগধারা (Bagdhara) — Idioms and set phrases. A minimum of 100 common idioms should be memorised for Dakhil level.
- প্রবাদ (Probaad) — Proverbs. Common proverbs and their meanings are tested both in MCQ and short-answer format.
- বাক্য পরিবর্তন (Bakyo Poriborton) — Transforming sentences between types: simple (সরল), compound (যৌগিক), complex (জটিল); affirmative to negative; active to passive.
- শুদ্ধ বানান (Shudho Banan) — Correct spelling. Common misspellings and their corrections are regularly tested.
Model Formal Letter — Application
Model Application Letter (আবেদনপত্র) — Dakhil Level
তারিখ: ১৫ জানুয়ারি ২০২৫
প্রধান শিক্ষক মহোদয়
[মাদ্রাসার নাম]
[ঠিকানা]
বিষয়: ছুটির আবেদন।
জনাব,
বিনীত নিবেদন এই যে, আমি আপনার মাদ্রাসার দশম শ্রেণির একজন ছাত্র। আমার মা হঠাৎ অসুস্থ হয়ে পড়েছেন এবং আমাকে তাঁর সেবা করতে হবে। এ কারণে আগামী ১৬ জানুয়ারি থেকে ১৮ জানুয়ারি পর্যন্ত তিন দিনের ছুটির জন্য আবেদন করছি।
অতএব, মহোদয়ের নিকট বিনীত প্রার্থনা, আমাকে উক্ত তিন দিনের ছুটি মঞ্জুর করে বাধিত করবেন।
আপনার একান্ত অনুগত ছাত্র
[নাম]
শ্রেণি: দশম, রোল নং: [নম্বর]
Note the essential structure: Date → Addressee (with title) → Subject → Salutation → Body (why + request) → Closing formula → Signature with class and roll number. Marks are awarded for format, language, and content.
Preparation Strategy for Dakhil Bangla
Three-Month Preparation Plan
High-Frequency Topics — Where Marks Are Won and Lost
Analysis of past Dakhil Bangla papers reveals that certain topics appear in every or nearly every examination. Prioritise these:
- বাগধারা (Idioms) — 5–10 marks in almost every paper. Learn at least 100 common Bangla idioms with their meanings and usage.
- সন্ধিবিচ্ছেদ (Sandhi analysis) — Breaking compound sounds into their components. Practise 50 common sandhi examples.
- শুদ্ধ বানান (Correct spelling) — 5–10 MCQs on common misspellings. Keep a personal list of words you misspell and review regularly.
- রচনা (Essay/Composition) — High marks available (15–20). Prepare 10 model essays on common topics: মুক্তিযুদ্ধ (Liberation War), আমাদের পরিবেশ (Our Environment), ডিজিটাল বাংলাদেশ (Digital Bangladesh), বৃক্ষরোপণ (Tree Plantation), etc.
- পত্র লেখা (Letter writing) — 10 marks. Memorise the correct format; marks are lost through format errors even when content is strong.
1. Forgetting to include the date in letter writing. 2. Using informal language in formal composition. 3. Confusing সন্ধি (sondhi) rules for vowel vs. consonant sandhi. 4. Writing summaries (সারাংশ) that are too long — must be ⅓ of original length. 5. Not reading the entire question before answering creative questions.
Resources Available on BanglaFluent
Our registered members have access to the complete Dakhil Bangla preparation package:
- Full text analysis of current set texts (updated each curriculum cycle)
- 500+ grammar MCQs with detailed explanations, at Dakhil difficulty level
- Model answers for all question types: creative questions, essays, letters, summaries
- Past paper question bank (last 10 years) with answer guides
- 20 full-length timed mock examinations
- Audio recordings for pronunciation of difficult vocabulary
- Progress tracking and personalised weak-area identification