Cambridge International Education has confirmed that a Mathematics exam paper was shared online before students sat it on Monday in Pakistan.
The board stated that AS-Level Mathematics Paper 52 (9709), taken in administrative zones three and four on 12 May, was prematurely circulated online.
Students who sat the exam told media that the questions they received were identical to a solved paper they had seen on social media the day before.
Friday exam postponed
In response, Cambridge has postponed AS-Level Mathematics Paper 32 (9709), which was due to be taken in Pakistan on Friday, 15 May.
The board confirmed it would replace the paper and announce a new exam date within the June series no later than Friday, 22 May.
Despite the disruption, Cambridge stated that the release date of AS and A-Level results on 11 August remains unchanged and will not be affected.
“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.
Board’s response and legal action
Cambridge’s Country Director for Pakistan, Uzma Yousuf, said the board’s priority was ensuring students were not disadvantaged by the incident in any way.
She confirmed all decisions were made by senior professionals with full access to all relevant facts and available evidence regarding the leak.
Yousuf described the theft as unprecedented in scale, saying the board believed it was the work of criminals deliberately seeking to undermine examinations.
She stated that Cambridge was actively pursuing several legal routes to stop and punish all those found responsible for orchestrating the paper leaks.
Yousuf also asked the public to rely only on official Cambridge statements, warning that misinformation was harmful and particularly unhelpful for affected students.
Pattern of recent leaks
This is not the first such incident this exam series; an AS-Level Mathematics paper taken on 29 April was subject to similar leak allegations.
Following a thorough investigation into that earlier case, Cambridge concluded the claims were not unfounded, and a replacement paper has been scheduled for 9 June.
Prior to this series, three AS and A-Level examination papers were also partially leaked across Pakistan during the June examination series in 2024.
Cambridge International Education is part of Cambridge University Press and Assessment, and offers internationally recognised qualifications to schools in over 160 countries worldwide.
In Pakistan, O-Level examinations cover grades ten and eleven across a broad range of subjects, while A and AS Levels serve grades twelve and thirteen.
