BMET

Overview

The Bureau of Manpower, Employment and Training (BMET) is the Bangladesh government agency for the training and overseas employment of Bangladeshi workers. It runs a national network of technical training centres (TTCs), around 110 according to a November 2025 report, offering trade and language courses and pre-departure training.

BMET does not set one national exam. The test most job seekers meet through BMET today is the Saudi Skill Verification Program (SVP), known in Bangladesh as Takamol (also spelled Taqamul). Saudi Arabia requires it before many workers can get a work visa, and BMET runs the testing at Saudi-approved TTCs. This page covers that test.

BMET's official pages confirm its Takamol Support Centre and fees, but most details below come from news reports in The Business Standard, because BMET does not publish a full guide to the test. Confirm current rules with BMET or an approved TTC before you pay.

Who must take it

According to reports, the SVP began in Bangladesh in mid-2023 for skilled trades such as plumbing, electrical work, welding, refrigeration and automobile electrical work. It then grew to 73 occupations, including cleaning and loading-unloading jobs. From mid-2025, the Saudi Embassy stopped issuing visas to cleaners and loaders without an SVP certificate.

Exam pattern

For some low-skilled jobs the practical part carries most weight: cleaners are tested on cleaning tasks, and physical fitness matters most for loading and unloading work.

Fees

• BMET's Takamol Support Centre stated in December 2025 that the training fee is only Tk 2,000 and the test fee only US$50, and told candidates not to pay more.

• The Business Standard reported in September 2026 that the test fee rose from US$50 to US$85 in early September 2026, and that a retake costs the same.

The Tk 2,000 covers a three-day preparatory course at government TTCs.

How to apply

1. Register online for the SVP test in your occupation and pay the test fee.

2. Take the optional three-day preparatory course at a government TTC if you need it.

3. Sit the computer-based test and the practical assessment at a Saudi-approved TTC.

Marking and results

Results are pass or fail. Reports put the failure rate at about 20 to 27 percent: of 447,572 workers tested up to 16 September 2026, more than 27 percent failed.

Preparation tips

• Pick the occupation that matches the job in your visa offer.

• Practise the real tasks of your trade, since the practical test checks hands-on skill.

• Pay only the official fees, and pay through the official process.