THESE are unusual times owing to the Covid-19 pandemic and all exams, including Cambridge International Education (CIE), have been cancelled in the UK and the rest of the world, including Pakistan. My son is in A2 and was scheduled to appear in May/June exams. He’s got four offers from four UK universities, but he might lose a year due to the Cambridge assessment education examining body’s strange decision not to award grades on the previous result, plus the assessment of the teachers of his school. He will lose one year even though he has been a straight As student throughout his academic life till now.

In England and Wales, they have already decided to award grades on the basis of past results plus assessment by the teachers. Thus the students won’t lose their precious years due to the corona crisis.

I am perturbed and find it rather strange that different criteria are being applied by the same governing examination body owing to different locations.

The notification by CIE Pakistan sends a clear message that despite charging students at the same level as the UK students they are now telling Pakistani students to appear in October/November session and waste one year and apply to foreign universities again next year.

I urge the government and the Cambridge International Education Pakistan to apply the same set of rules which have been notified in the UK and other countries.

Dr Shurjeel Malik
Faisalabad

Published in Dawn, March 30th, 2020