Islamabad: The Sub-Committee of the Standing Committee on Federal Education, Professional Training, National Heritage and Culture of the National Assembly of Pakistan convened a high-stakes meeting to review the recent A-Level paper leak scandal involving Cambridge International Education (CIE).
The session focused on CIE’s investigative findings, compensatory policies, and the future of Cambridge’s credibility in Pakistan.
Cambridge officials, including Director of Assessment Standards Anthony Dawson and local representative Ms Uzma Yousaf , acknowledged that portions of three exam papers had been leaked before the official exam date. In response, CIE awarded full marks to all students for those specific questions.
This remedy, however, was rejected by the sub-committee, which deemed the solution inadequate, unfair, and illogical — especially for high-performing students whose efforts may now be undervalued.
Committee members presented their own findings, including video and photographic evidence suggesting that full papers — not just parts — were leaked across several subjects, such as Mathematics, Physics, and Computer Science. These revelations directly contradicted Cambridge’s claim that only limited pages were circulated. The committee demanded greater transparency about the leak’s origin and asked whether it was internal, center-based, or external officials who were involved in CIE paprs.
Anthony Dawson clarified that the breach did not originate within Cambridge, though the investigation is still incomplete. He indicated that individuals found guilty could face bans from future involvement in Cambridge assessments and that exam centers could be de-registered.
When pressed about other options, Cambridge mentioned the possibility of calculated assessments using performance in other exams. The committee rejected this, insisting instead on free retakes or the awarding of universally high grades — particularly for students in their final academic year. Members highlighted the importance of receiving final results by August 10 to meet university application deadlines and suggested a July retake as a viable solution.
The meeting concluded without consensus. The committee maintained that Cambridge’s current approach fails to meet standards of justice and transparency and requested that new proposals be submitted in a follow-up meeting.
The session was led by Ms. Sabheen Ghoury, MNA (Convener), with participation from Ms. Zeb Jaffar, MNA, Mr. Abdul Aleem Khan, MNA, and Mr. Dawar Khan Kundi, MNA. Mr. Muhammad Ali Sarfaraz, MNA
