Responding to a long-standing demand of BCS aspirants, Bangladesh Public Service Commission Chairman Mobassher Monem today said candidates will now be allowed to submit their cadre preferences before the viva voce, instead of after.

Addressing the media at the PSC office in Agargaon at 4:00pm, he announced a series of major reforms to the Bangladesh Civil Service examination process.

"Candidates have long requested the option to choose their preferred cadres before the viva. We have accepted that and decided to implement this from the 47th BCS onward," he said.

The preliminary exam of the 47th BCS will be held from 10:00am to 12:00pm on June 27 in Dhaka, Rajshahi, Chattogram, Khulna, Barishal, Sylhet, Rangpur, and Mymensingh centres.

The chairman also said that the viva voce score has been reduced from 200 to 100 marks starting from the 47th BCS to ensure a more balanced evaluation process.

He said they want to complete the entire process — from prelims to recruitment — in 12 months.

Addressing concerns of harassment during police verification of candidates before recruitment, Mobassher said to prevent any unnecessary harassment in the name of verification, the PSC will carry out basic background check of candidates themselves. "Later, if required, other agencies may conduct additional background checks. But candidates will not face undue trouble."

He also announced changes to the current system of two examiners evaluating written scripts one after another. "We are modifying that method and introducing a new system to speed up processing results."

The PSC is also working to revise the 2023 recruitment policy, which will enable the commission to recommend more candidates for non-cadre posts, he added.

"To streamline all commission activities within a set timeframe, we've developed a 'master calendar'. This will help eliminate delays in the BCS [recruitment] process," he said, adding, "We are also working to make the process more transparent and efficient."

Other commission officials were also present at the press conference.