ABSTRACT
Assessment plays a dominant role in education in Bangladesh. Major decisions such as admission to prestigious universities are made on the basis of test scores, and hence, student lives are either positively or negatively influenced by these results. A well-known consequence of high-stake tests is negative washback, a situation in which test outcomes are at variance with learning objectives. Assessment in Bangladesh appears to move beyond backwash as a wide range of stakeholders are affected by test outcomes. This chapter provides an overview of the secondary and higher secondary assessment scenario in Bangladesh and examines the washback effect of the two major public examinations, that is, Secondary School Certificate and Higher Secondary School Certificate examinations. A small-scale descriptive and exploratory study was conducted to reflect, exemplify, and assess the washback effect and illustrate the impact of high-stake assessment in the context of Bangladesh. Views of 50 teachers, 50 students, 15 guardians, and 10 administrators are gathered via questionnaires, semi-structured interviews, and focus group discussions. The insights gained from this study are likely to raise awareness of the consequences of high-stake assessment as well as inform assessment-related policies and practices.
