Staff Correspondent: The results of this year's Secondary School Certificate (SSC) and equivalent examinations were published at 10 am on Monday.This year, the overall pass rate in the country's 11 education boards is 62.25 percent, while 1,16,676 students secured GPA-5. Last year, the pass rate was 68.45 percent.Education and Primary and Mass Education Minister Dr ANM Ehsanul Hoque Milon officially published the results at a press conference at the Secretariat here.Following the announcement, the results were made available simultaneously on the websites of all education boards in the country, the respective educational institutions and through SMS from 10:00 am.At the press conference, Prof Syed Akhtaruzzaman, president of the Inter-Education Board Coordination Committee and chairman of Dhaka Education Board, presented the results in detail.According to the information presented at the press conference, a total of 18,29,485 candidates participated in the examinations this year under the country's nine general education boards, Madrasa Education Board and Technical Education Board, and of them, 11,38,877 passed. Among those who passed, 5,30,938 were boys and 6,07,939 were girls.This year, both the pass rate and the number of GPA-5 decreased compared to the previous year. Last year, 1,39,032 students got GPA-5.A total of 14,04,539 students participated in the examinations under nine general education boards. Of them, 8,99,610 passed with 64.05 percent pass rate.