CIE claims leaked AS Level maths paper shared ahead of exam, vows to take action against those responsible
Cambridge International Education (CIE) on Wednesday confirmed the leak of a second A-Level mathematics paper that was allegedly released online ahead of the exam, saying it was working to determine the extent of the breach and decide on next steps.
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 test was canceled due to a leak, another CIE maths exam was reportedly leaked on Monday, a day before the exam scheduled for Tuesday.
“We can confirm that Cambridge International AS Level Mathematics Paper 52 (9709), taken in our administrative zones 3 and 4 on 12 May, was shared prematurely in breach of our strict regulations,” the CIE said in a statement.
Read: Government takes note after alleged leak of another Cambridge Maths paper
It said it had investigated such incidents “promptly and thoroughly” and was now working to understand the extent of the leak and determine next steps.
“We will share detailed information with schools on the approach to take following this leak by Friday May 22,” it adds.
The CIE further said that following discussions with key stakeholders in Pakistan, and as an additional security and identification measure, it has decided to postpone the Cambridge International AS Level 32 (9709) Mathematics paper, which was scheduled to be held in Pakistan on Friday.
“We will replace this with a new exam paper and communicate a new exam date for the June series by Friday, May 22,” it said, adding that the Cambridge International AS & A Level results release date of August 11 would remain unchanged.
“Our priority is to ensure that students are not disadvantaged by this incident, and we continue to take all possible measures to protect the integrity of our exams,” said Uzma Yousuf, Cambridge Pakistan Country Director.
She added that “decisions about next steps are made by seasoned and experienced professionals who have all the facts.”
“Our principles are: to ensure the fairness and reliability of the grades we award, so that universities and other users of the grades can continue to have confidence in them,” Yousuf said.
Describing the nature of the theft as “unprecedented”, the CIE said the criminals sought to jeopardize exams and the future of students who depended on them.
“We are following several legal avenues to arrest and punish those responsible,” the statement added.
“While we do not comment on individual reports of paper leaks, we investigate all allegations. Despite this example, paper leaks remain rare and when there is a genuine problem, we notify schools at the appropriate time and provide recommended next steps.
“We ask people to only rely on official statements from Cambridge and not add misinformation that is very unhelpful to students. We thank all of our students and schools for their patience and ask them to wait for further updates,” the statement said.
The A-Level maths paper was reportedly leaked on Monday, with several students claiming it began circulating online ahead of the exam.
According to the students, the mathematics test scheduled for the afternoon of May 12 had already 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 has also taken note of the incident, with Education Minister Khalid Maqbool Siddiqui expressing concern over repeated leaks of documents.
“Hard-working students cannot suffer from such incidents,” the minister said, adding that similar cases had also surfaced last year and Cambridge should further strengthen its examination system.
He also asked the Inter-Council Committee of Presidents to immediately convene a meeting with Cambridge authorities and take urgent steps to protect the interests of students.
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.
