KARACHI: The annual intermediate exams that commence from Saturday (today) will hold science pre-engineering, pre-medical, science general and home economics papers in its first phase. This was announced by the Board of Intermediate Education Karachi (BIEK) during a media briefing regarding the exams here on Friday.

More than 139,000 students will sit the exams. According to the details, the first phase will also include the grade and division improvement exams along with other additional subject and special and benefit cases for both part one and part two of Intermediate.

The exams will be conducted in two shifts, or morning and afternoon. The morning shift, from 9am to 12 noon, will see the holding of pre-engineering, pre-medical and home economics exams. There are some 107,000 students registered for these.

Meanwhile the afternoon shift, which will be from 2pm to 5pm, will hold papers for science general group which has more than 32,000 students.

For both shifts there are some 179 designated examination centres, of which 129 will handle the morning shift examinees while 50 centres will handle the afternoon shift. There are 26 exam centres in the morning shift and 14 in the evening shift that are being seen as sensitive.

BIEK chairman Professor Nasim Ahmed Memon said that they had prepared well in advance for the clean and peaceful holding of the exams as they had penned letters for the purpose to the home department, universities and board department, colleges education department, commissioner, deputy commissioners, Rangers and police chief, K-ELectric, etc.

He said that they had put up banners to warn the students against acts of cheating. He said that mobile phones, tablets, laptops or any other electronic devices were strictly prohibited. In case of finding any of those on a student would result in cancelling his or her paper and disallowing them to appear for any exam for the next three years.

The board has also assembled 26 vigilance teams to insure there is no cheating. These teams would be paying surprise visits to centres. They would also be looking over the other arrangements and facilities at the centres. There will also be 13 external superintendents.

The intermediate exams will continue throughout the month to conclude on July 1.

Published in Dawn, June 1st, 2024