Cambridge cancels AS Level Maths paper after leak

Cambridge International Education (CIE) announced on Saturday that it has cancelled the leaked AS Level Mathematics paper and will not be marking students on it.

Instead, students will be assessed based on their performance in the second paper of AS Level Mathematics and other exams.

This decision follows the leak of the AS-Level Mathematics paper on social media, particularly Facebook, on May 2. The incident left students in a state of uncertainty, unsure if the paper would be cancelled and how it would impact their grades.

In response to the leak, CIE initially stated, "We are looking into concerns raised about a potential paper leakage on 02 May 2024 for AS Level Mathematics 9709 Paper 12. This is being investigated, and Cambridge and the British Council are in close communication."

Addressing the leak, CIE assured that students would be marked fairly, ensuring that no one would suffer a loss due to the incident.

In a recent email to school heads, Cambridge administration confirmed that after reviewing evidence from multiple sources, they concluded that the paper was accessed by a significant number of students in Pakistan before the exam.

"Our priority is to make sure we are fair to the majority of students who did not cheat.

That means making sure those who cheated receive no advantage so that students applying to university compete on an equal basis," stated CIE.

"We have reviewed evidence from multiple sources and concluded that this specific paper was seen by a significant number of students in Pakistan before the start of the exam."

Additionally, CIE announced that students who wish to retake the exam can do so in November without paying the examination fee.

Exam leaks are not uncommon in Pakistan, with several incidents reported, including the leak of physics and computer science papers in Karachi earlier this year, minutes before the exams commenced.