By Staff Reporter
ISLAMABAD: Cambridge International Education confirmed on Wednesday that an AS-level mathematics examination administered the previous day had been leaked online in violation of its security rules, the second such incident it has acknowledged during the current May-June exam series in Pakistan.
In response, the board said it would postpone a second mathematics paper scheduled for Friday in Pakistan and replace it with a fresh version to safeguard the integrity of the process. The leak involved Cambridge International AS Level Mathematics Paper 52 (9709), which was taken on May 12 in the board’s administrative zones 3 and 4, a grouping that includes Pakistan along with parts of Africa, Europe, the Middle East and South Asia. Students who sat for the exam reported that the questions matched a fully solved version that had circulated on social media the day before.
Cambridge said in a statement that the paper “was shared prematurely against our strict regulations.” “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. The board added that it would provide schools with detailed guidance on how it plans to proceed by Friday, May 22.
As a precautionary measure, Cambridge also announced the postponement of AS Level Mathematics Paper 32 (9709), originally set for May 15 in Pakistan. The decision followed consultations with key stakeholders in the country and was intended as “an additional security and identification measure,” the statement said. A new paper will be substituted, and a revised exam date within the June series will be communicated by May 22. The release of AS- and A-level results, however, remains scheduled for Aug. 11.
Cambridge’s country director for Pakistan, Uzma Yousuf, said the board’s priority was to protect students from any disadvantage. “Our decisions about the next steps are taken by senior and experienced professionals who are in possession of all the facts,” she said. “Our principles are: ensuring the fairness and reliability of the grades that we award, so that universities and other users of the grades can continue to trust them.”
Yousuf described the pattern of leaks this exam series as “unprecedented” and attributed them to criminal activity. “We believe it is the work of criminals seeking to undermine examinations and the futures of the students who depend on them,” she said. “We are pursuing several legal routes to stop and punish those responsible.” She noted that while Cambridge does not comment on every individual allegation, it investigates all of them. Leaks remain rare, she added, and the board routinely updates schools when genuine issues arise.
Yousuf urged the public to rely only on official Cambridge statements and to avoid spreading misinformation that could further unsettle students. She thanked candidates and schools for their patience as the board works through the situation.
The latest breach follows a similar episode last month. On April 29, students reported that AS Level Mathematics Paper 12 (9709) had also appeared online in advance. After an investigation, Cambridge confirmed the leak, canceled the paper and scheduled a replacement examination for June 9. In June 2025, question papers for three AS- and A-level examinations were partially leaked across Pakistan, prompting widespread concern at the time.
Cambridge International, a division of Cambridge University Press and Assessment, administers O-level, AS-level and A-level qualifications in more than 160 countries. In Pakistan, the exams serve as a primary pathway to higher education both domestically and abroad, with thousands of students sitting for them each May and June. The qualifications are widely recognized by universities, making the security of the papers a matter of acute importance for students, parents and educators.
The incidents have drawn swift attention from Pakistani authorities. On Tuesday, Federal Education Minister Dr. Khalid Maqbool Siddiqui directed the chairman of the Inter Board Committee of Chairmen to contact Cambridge immediately for a full investigation and to clarify facts. He expressed deep concern over the repeated leaks, saying they inflict “severe mental stress, anxiety and uncertainty” on students and families who prepare honestly for the exams. Siddiqui called the breaches “an extremely serious matter” and urged Cambridge to strengthen its security protocols, monitoring mechanisms and overall examination system to make them “effective and tamper-proof.” He emphasized that the government would not tolerate any compromise on merit or the future of Pakistan’s students and insisted that all institutions involved must act with full accountability.
Cambridge has said it is working closely with law enforcement and other partners on active investigations into the thefts. For now, the board has asked schools and candidates to await official updates rather than rely on circulating rumors.
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