It says there will be no additional costs for students, while the August 11 results release date will remain unchanged.
Cambridge International Education (CIE) announced on Thursday the cancellation of the AS Level Mathematics exam (9709/12) for students in administrative zones 3 and 4, following the leak of the question paper.
The leak, which breached exam rules, led to the decision not to use the document for the final assessment results.
The recent event occurred after the leak of the Mathematics article last week. CIE announced that the AS Level Mathematics document for the June 2026 exams, held in Africa, Europe, the Middle East, Pakistan and South Asia, had been shared prematurely, in violation of its regulations.
A statement issued today by the authority on the matter said: “After detailed review, the scope of the exchange means that we cannot use this document to award final exam results. We have therefore made the decision to cancel Mathematics (9709/12), and it will not be used to generate results through a calculated assessment.”
The examining body assured students, schools and families that investigations were ongoing, with the cooperation of law enforcement authorities. The breach caused “frustration and disappointment”, Cambridge acknowledged, highlighting the hard work the students had put into its preparation.
“The theft and unauthorized sharing of this exam remains the subject of an active investigation. We are working closely with relevant law enforcement agencies and other partners to identify those responsible. Cambridge applies strict sanctions to anyone found to have shared or misused confidential exam materials, including permanent disqualification from Cambridge qualifications and operations,” it said.
The statement further added that the authority regularly received reports of alleged exam leaks, the vast majority of which were false.
“We routinely monitor social media and other online channels for posts offering to share or sell quizzes, proactively working with platforms to identify and remove such content. Our legal and compliance teams investigate every credible report and we take strong legal action against those involved in illegal sharing,” the statement said.
Cambridge’s priority, it said, was to ensure that no students were harmed by the incident. As part of this commitment, a substitute Mathematics exam (9709/12) would be held on June 9, according to the regular exam schedule. “The replacement exam will ensure fair results for students, aligned with the university’s requirements.”
“There will be no additional cost to students or schools. The results release date of August 11 will remain unchanged,” he said.
The statement further said that CIE planned to provide detailed guidance by May 15 on how schools would receive the replacement questionnaires. They would also address frequently asked questions and outline the process for students affected by the situation.
Read: Cambridge says it is “aware” of the A-Level paper leak and is investigating the matter
“We encourage all students to continue concentrating on the remaining exams and assure them that the actions we are taking are in the best interests of Cambridge students and the integrity of our qualifications,” he concluded.
According to claims circulating online, AS Level Mathematics appeared on social media in both solved and unsolved formats. Some people suggested it appeared late last Tuesday night, while others claimed it had been circulating for at least six hours before the exam.
The document was further reported to have been shared on social media platforms, including Reddit, and then widely circulated via WhatsApp. Some students also claimed that it was sold through an app before being distributed online.
Sources said The express PAkGazette that at the examination center of a private school in Karachi, students raised objections during the exam, stating that they had already seen the paper on social media hours before. They questioned taking the exam under such circumstances, arguing that it could affect their threshold scores. British Council representatives at the center reportedly recorded written statements from the affected students.
A and O Level examinations under the Cambridge system are currently being held across the country for the May-June session. However, the latest incident is significant as one complete and resolved article is said to have been leaked, while the previous year around four articles were partially leaked and only selected questions were circulated online.
Read also: Cambridge offers students free November exams after June papers leak
The Federal Ministry of Education had previously investigated these incidents, while Cambridge had also ensured internal investigations. However, the findings were not shared with the ministry, nor were details revealed about those responsible and no action was taken.
Under exam security protocols, Cambridge question papers must not leave exam centers as candidates write answers directly on the question papers. Despite this, it was reported that the solved and unsolved versions of the paper were circulated on social media before and after the exam.
