Foreign Boards Expected to Come Under IBCC and Education Ministry

A parliamentary subcommittee has ordered all foreign examination boards in Pakistan to come under the Federal Ministry of Education and IBCC. The directive was issued during a session of the National Assembly’s Standing Committee on Federal Education, held at IBCC headquarters.

Chaired by MNA Sabheen Ghoury, the meeting focused on the recent leak of Cambridge O and A Level examination papers. Committee members raised concerns over the breach involving three papers from Cambridge Assessment International Education (CIE). A CIE representative confirmed partial leaks of three papers. Affected students will get grades under Cambridge’s special consideration policy.

Alternatively, they may opt for a free resit in November 2025, without additional fees. The committee recommended third-party investigations for any future paper leaks. Members also discussed the taxation status of foreign exam boards. The British Council clarified exams operate under a government-to-government framework.

Dr. Ghulam Ali Mallah, Executive Director of IBCC, said a meeting will be held with all international boards to form a unified policy. He emphasized IBCC’s role in standardizing academic assessments and building international cooperation. Invitations for this meeting have already been sent to relevant boards.

Cambridge University confirmed on June 30 that the compromised papers included A Level Mathematics Papers 12 and 42, and Computer Science Paper 22. Results for these subjects will be released as scheduled. Resit registration details will be shared after the June 2025 results. Private candidates will receive resit guidance through the British Council.