Cambridge | Pakistan

This summer has brought on a nightmare for students across Pakistan and a PR bloodbath for the Cambridge examinations board. Its Mathematics paper leaked hours before hundreds of thousands of teenagers were supposed to attempt it across the country on April 29. The memes were eviscerating: Next time, print out the leaked .pdf and when the invigilator hands you the question paper, say, ‘It’s OK, I’ve brought my own’. In truth, though, no one was laughing. “It was a bit of doom and gloom,” said Lahore student Hamza Nasir*, describing the mood outside the hall after his AS Level Mathematics P1 exam. Some students who had no idea about the leak were livid and others were celebrating its veracity. This is the third time leaks have ruined exam season. Each year, in May-June and November, Pakistani students sit for the Cambridge Assessment International Education (CAIE) exams in subjects that range from English Literature to Islamiyat. Grades 10 and 11 prepare for the Ordinary or O Levels and grades 12 and 13 sit th...

The interior ministry on Thursday directed the National Cyber Crime Investigation Agency (NCCIA) to investigate, in coordination with Cambridge International Education (CIE), the leaking of the latter’s exam papers. According to a handout issued by the interior ministry, the development came as Interior Secretary Muhammad Khurram Agha chaired a high-level meeting regarding the “alleged leakage of Cambridge examination papers” at the Ministry of Interior and Narcotics Control. A day earlier, CIE confirmed the leak of an AS-level Mathematics exam paper held on Tuesday and announced the postponement of another Mathematics paper scheduled for Friday (tomorrow). This was the second such incident it had confirmed during the ongoing session. However, the statement issued by the ministry mentioned the “alleged leakage of Cambridge O Level Mathematics examination papers”. Thursday’s meeting was attended by the Education Secretary Nadeem Mahbub, representatives from CIE, NCCIA Director General Syed Khurram Ali, represe...

Cambridge International Education (CIE) on Wednesday confirmed the leak of an AS-level Mathematics exam paper held on May 12, and announced the postponement of another Mathematics paper scheduled for Friday, May 15. Amid recent reports of Cambridge exam paper leaks, students who appeared for an AS-level Mathematics paper on Tuesday made fresh claims that the paper they received was identical to a solved paper they had come across on social media just a day earlier. “We can confirm that Cambridge International AS-Level Mathematics Paper 52 (9709), taken in our administrative zones 3 and 4 on May 12, was shared prematurely against our strict regulations,” said a statement issued by the board on Wednesday. “We investigate such incidents promptly and thoroughly and we are now working to understand the extent of the leak and determine next steps.” The statement said that “as an additional security and identification measure”, and upon discussions with “key stakeholders” in the country, the board was postponing the...

Cambridge International Education (CIE) on Thursday cancelled the “prematurely shared” mathematics exam, announcing that it will conduct a new version of the exam for affected regions on June 9. On April 30, CIE confirmed that its AS-level mathematics paper was “shared prematurely” against its regulations. It said that the exam paper was for the Africa, Europe, the Middle East, Pakistan and South Asia regions. CIE, in a statement, said that “Cambridge’s senior assessment experts have decided that a new version of the Mathematics (9709/12) exam paper will be sat by all candidates in the affected regions”. CIE noted that the previous exam paper could not be used to award final exam results and “will not be used to generate results through calculated assessment”. As per the statement, the replacement exam will “ensure fair outcomes for students and deliver grades that are trusted by universities and other stakeholders”. CIE announced that the new exam will take place on June 9 (Tuesday), “as part of the June ser...

Cambridge International Education (CIE) on Thursday confirmed that its AS-level mathematics paper was “shared prematurely” against its regulations. The development comes after the Inter-Board of Coordination Commission (IBCC) on Thursday announced it would seek a report from Cambridge as parents and students raised questions about the transparency of the exam system following reports of the leak. In an official statement, CIE said, “We can confirm that Cambridge International AS-Level mathematics paper 12 (9709) taken in our Africa, Europe, Middle East, Pakistan and South Asia regions, was shared prematurely against our regulations. “We investigate such incidents promptly and thoroughly and we are now working to understand the extent of the leak and determine next steps,” it added. It affirmed its priority to ensure that the students were not disadvantaged by this incident, saying it would take all possible measures to protect the integrity of its exams. “It is important that candidates continue to prepare fo...

The Cambridge International Education (CIE) said on Wednesday it was “aware of news about a reported paper leak of a question paper”, as several users on social media expressed ire. “We investigate such reports thoroughly and will provide more information to centres, if required, during or after the end of timetabled exams for the June 2026 series,” the CIE said in its official statement. The CIE, part of Cambridge University Press and Assessment, offers internationally recognised exams to over scores of schools in 160-plus countries. In Pakistan, O Levels (grades 9–10) cover a broad subject range, while A and AS Levels (grades 11–12) are more specialised and advanced, providing pathways to higher education in Pakistan and abroad. According to reports, the leaked paper was of AS mathematics. As reports circulated on social media, irked users pointed out the high examination fees and that Cambridge question papers had leaked in the previous years as well. In June last year, question papers of three AS and A Le...

Islamabad - Following consultations with local authorities, Cambridge and the British Council have announced the cancellation of all Cambridge O Level, IGCSE, and International AS and A Level exams scheduled for 9 May (Friday), in Muzaffarabad, Mirpur, Islamabad Capital Territory, and Punjab province due to security concerns.