The 9th and 11th grade examinations on Tuesday started across Khyber Pakhtunkhwa including merged tribal districts where about 672,196 candidates are going to appear till August 4 under strict COVID-19 SOPs. A total of 415,962 candidates are going to appear in 9th class and 256,234 candidates in 11th class examinations under eight Boards of the Intermediate and Secondary Education for whom 3,939 examination halls were set up across the province. Besides installation of CCTV cameras in most of the examinations halls and centres to discourage cheating, Education Department spokesman told APP that about 415,962 candidates including 249,239 male and 166,723 female are going to appear in 9th grade and 256,234 candidates including 151,853 male and 104,381 female in 11th grade examinations. A total of 86,204 candidates including 26,780 male and 59,424 female are appearing in the 9th grade examination under Board of Intermediate and Secondary Education (BISE) Peshawar. Similarly, 54,947 candidates including 36,889 male and 18058 female are appearing in said examination under BISE Malakand, 62,703 including 37,651 male and 25,052 female under BISE Abbottabad, 71,011 candidates including 45,013 male and 25,998 female under BISE Mardan. Likewise, BISE Bannu are taking 9th grade exam from about 27,805 candidates including 22,182 male and 5,623 female, 42,204 including 30,853 male and 11,351 female by BISE Kohat whereas BISE Swat are testing about 48,110 candidates including 33,825 male and 14,285 female and DI Khan board were taking examination of 22,978 candidates including 16046 male and 6932 female. As many as 57,048 candidates including 17,447 male and 39,601 female would appear in 11th grade examination starting from tomorrow (Wednesday) under BISE Peshawar, 32,026 candidates including 22,078 male and 9,948 female by BISE Malakand, 38,972 including 22,223 male and 16,749 female by BISE Abbottabad, 43,530 candidates including 28,030 male and 15,500 female by BISE Mardan. BISE Bannu would test 16,956 candidates including 13,566 male and 3,390 female whereas BISE Kohat would judge abilities of 24,279 candidates including 17,946 male and 6,333 female besides BISE Swat would hold examination from 28,682 including 20,456 male and 8226 female. Similarly, 14,741 candidates including 10,107 male and 4634 female would appear in the 11th grade examination to be conducted by BISE DI Khan. The result of the examinations would be announced within 45 days, the spokesman added. Photo state machines near examination halls and carrying cell phones and other gadgets along with themselves by students were banned. Unvaccinated teachers would not be allowed to perform examination duty while cheaters and their facilitators would be dealt under the law, the spokesman said. The examinations of 10th and 12th grade were already held before Eid-ul-Adha and checking of papers continued.