Government says Cambridge will tighten safeguards after repeated exam controversy
Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi chairs the June 25 meeting. Photo: Ministry of the Interior website/File
The Ministry of Interior on Thursday ordered the National Cybercrime Investigation Agency (NCCIA) to conduct a thorough investigation, in coordination with Cambridge International Education (CIE), into the alleged leak of exam papers during ongoing assessments at Cambridge.
The development came a day after Cambridge confirmed the leak of another A-level maths paper believed to have been circulating online ahead of the exam. The institution said it was working to determine the extent of the breach and decide its next course of action.
In response to the controversy, Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi, Education Minister Khalid Maqbool Siddiqui and Interior Secretary Muhammad Khurram Agha chaired a high-level meeting at the Ministry of Interior and Narcotics Control to review the issue.
Read: Cambridge confirms second A-level maths test leak and postpones May 15 exam
According to a statement issued by the ministry, the Secretary of the Federal Ministry of Education and Professional Training (MoFE&PT) informed the participants of the concerns raised by the government and parents regarding what the statement described as “the alleged leak of the Cambridge O Level mathematics examination papers”.
During the meeting, the British deputy high commissioner told attendees that the case appeared to involve theft rather than an actual paper leak.
“CAIE representatives reiterated that Cambridge maintains strict standards to ensure transparency and integrity in the conduct of examinations,” the statement said.
The statement added that the MoFE&PT Secretary also raised concerns over reports of another exam paper leak and sought Cambridge’s official position on the matter in light of the anxiety faced by students and parents.
Cambridge representatives assured the forum that an official update would be shared at the earliest.
The statement further said that the Home Secretary expressed “serious concerns” over the alleged exam test leaks and stressed the need for coordinated and effective measures for a speedy resolution of the matter.
“He requested DG NCCIA to conduct a thorough investigation in coordination with Cambridge,” the statement said, adding that he also stressed strict implementation of the decisions taken at the meeting and timely sharing of the investigation results to ensure transparency and maintain public trust.
Learn more: Government takes note after alleged leak of another Cambridge Maths paper
“It was also decided that Cambridge would further strengthen the capacity of its system to address weaknesses and shortcomings in the examination process,” the statement added.
Cambridge system A and O level exams are currently being held across the country for the May to June session.
Just days after an A-level maths paper was canceled due to a leak, another Cambridge maths exam was reportedly streamed online on Monday, a day before it was scheduled to be held.
The following day, Cambridge confirmed that a second A-level maths paper had been leaked ahead of the exam and said it was assessing the scale of the breach and determining next steps.
Subsequently, Cambridge postponed Cambridge International AS Level Mathematics Paper 32 (9709), which was scheduled to take place on Friday in Pakistan.
According to the students, the mathematics test scheduled for the afternoon of May 12 had started circulating on social networks a few hours before the start of the exam. The candidates claimed that upon entering the examination hall, they were handed the same paper which had earlier been posted online.
The federal government had also taken note of the matter earlier, with Education Minister Khalid Maqbool Siddiqui expressing concern over repeated paper leaks.
Earlier, a Cambridge A-level mathematics test taken on April 29 was also leaked, prompting authorities to announce a rerun of the exam.
Following the incident, the CIE announced the cancellation of the AS level mathematics exam (9709/12) for students in administrative zones 3 and 4 after the question paper was leaked. The violation of the exam regulations led to the decision not to use the test for the final evaluation results.
During the current exam session, other documents were also reportedly partially leaked.
