Says paper across Africa, Europe, Middle East, and South Asia was shared prematurely, violating regulations
KARACHI:
Cambridge International Education (CIE) said on Thursday that the AS Level Mathematics Paper for June 2026 exams, conducted across Africa, Europe, the Middle East, Pakistan, and South Asia, was shared prematurely in violation of its regulations.
“We can confirm that Cambridge International AS Level Mathematics Paper 12 (9709), taken in our Africa, Europe, Middle East, Pakistan, and South Asia regions, was shared prematurely against our regulations. We investigate such incidents promptly and thoroughly, and we are now working to understand the extent of the leak and determine next steps,” said the statement issued by Cambridge.
Read More: Cambridge confirms A-Level paper leak
The board assured that its top priority was to ensure students were not disadvantaged by this incident, stating, “We continue to take all possible measures to protect the integrity of our exams.”
“It is important that candidates continue to prepare for, and take, upcoming exams,” the statement added.
The board further stated that decisions regarding future action would be made by senior and experienced experts with access to all relevant facts, ensuring the reliability of grades so that universities and other institutions can continue to trust them.
The board also said it aimed to minimise the disruption and stress caused to students due to the leaked paper, adding that it took the impact of such incidents on students very seriously.
The statement further added that the board valued the trust placed in it to deliver over two million exams each year in 160 countries and provide fair results.
Read: Cambridge says ‘aware’ of reported A-Level paper leak, investigating matter
“It remains rare for the integrity of an exam to be compromised, and we take appropriate sanctions against centres and students where we have evidence of malpractice,” the board said.
The board asked students and schools for their patience and to await further updates, adding that it would provide an update on progress on May 7.
A day earlier, Cambridge said it was aware of reports regarding the alleged leak of a question paper and was investigating the matter, adding that further information would be shared after the June 2026 examination series.
In a statement, CIE said: “We are aware of news about a reported leak of a question paper. We investigate such reports thoroughly.”
It added that more information would be provided to centres, if required, during or after the conclusion of the timetabled exams for the June 2026 session.
The statement came amid reports that the Advanced Subsidiary Mathematics Paper 1 for the June 2026 series, coded Pure Mathematics 1 (9709), was allegedly leaked ahead of the scheduled examination held in the afternoon today.
Read: Cambridge confirms A-Level paper leak
According to claims circulating online, the paper appeared on social media in both unsolved and solved formats. Some individuals suggested it surfaced late on Tuesday night, while others claimed it had been circulating at least six hours before the exam.
It was further reported that the paper was shared on social media platforms, including Reddit, and later widely circulated through WhatsApp. Some students also claimed it was being sold through an application before being distributed online.
Sources told The Express Tribune that at a private school examination centre in Karachi, students raised objections during the exam, stating they had already seen the paper on social media hours earlier. They questioned the conduct of the examination under such circumstances, arguing it could affect their threshold marks. British Council representatives at the centre reportedly recorded written statements from the affected students.
