Srinagar: Amid fear of violence, more than 94 per cent students appeared for the board exam across 10 districts of the Valley today.The anxiety and disturbance was visible on the faces of students who had stepped out of their homes after more than four- month-long of unrest.“It seems like we were caught between the devil and the deep sea. There was a lot of confusion over the exam. We are mentally disturbed, but there was no other option but to appear in the exam,” said Bisma Amin, a Class XII medical student who appeared in the exam at Government Girls Higher Secondary School, Rajbagh.Despite giving students a chance to appear for the exams in March, most of the Class XII students preferred to sit in the exam today for which they have been given 50 per cent relaxation in the syllabus.“It was difficult for us to prepare. I live at Batamaloo and there is always stone-throwing, teargas and pepper shelling. It is difficult to study in such a situation. We appeared for the exams with whatever little preparation we had done,” said Saima, another Class XII student.The students were satisfied with the relaxation in syllabus provided by the J&K Board of School Education.“Today was my chemistry paper. The paper was set in the old pattern but the choice was announced inside the exam hall. We were able to attempt the whole paper after studying only 50 per cent of the syllabus,” said Ifat, a student from Sangarwani in Pulwama. She wrote her exam at a centre at Government College for Women, MA Road, Srinagar.The exams were held amid a tight security cover. CRPF and J&K Police personnel were deployed at exam centres and adjoining routes.Joint Secretary, Examinations, Syed Rouf said the exams were held smoothly. “Everything happened normally. There was no trouble anywhere. In all, 94.53 per cent students appeared in the exams,” Rouf said. He said that of the 31,964 students enrolled in Class XII, 30,213 appeared in the exams.The Class X exam will start tomorrow and will be held at 545 centres across the Kashmir valley. (TNS)