Amid furore on social media, Cambridge says 'aware' of reports about question paper leak

Published April 29, 2026 Updated April 30, 2026 12:08am
This image shows students taking Cambridge International Examinations. — British Council Pakistan Twitter
This image shows students taking Cambridge International Examinations. — British Council Pakistan Twitter

The Cambridge International Education (CIE) said on Wednesday it was “aware of news about a reported paper leak of a question paper”, as several users on social media expressed ire.

“We investigate such reports thoroughly and will provide more information to centres, if required, during or after the end of timetabled exams for the June 2026 series,” the CIE said in its official statement.

The CIE, part of Cambridge University Press and Assessment, offers internationally recognised exams to over scores of schools in 160-plus countries. In Pakistan, O Levels (grades 9–10) cover a broad subject range, while A and AS Levels (grades 11–12) are more specialised and advanced, providing pathways to higher education in Pakistan and abroad.

According to reports, the leaked paper was of AS mathematics.

As reports circulated on social media, irked users pointed out that Cambridge question papers had leaked in the previous years as well.

In June last year, question papers of three AS and A Level examinations were partially leaked across Pakistan in 2025.

“We have written to our schools in Pakistan to tell them that, against our regulations, some content from three question papers was available before the timetabled exam dates in Pakistan,” the CIE said in a statement at the time.

The leaked papers were AS/A Level Mathematics Paper 12, AS/A Level Mathematics Paper 42 and AS/A Level Computer Science Paper 22.

The CIE had offered free November 2025 resits for candidates who took the three impacted June 2025 exam papers.

In 2024, the CIE had launched an inquiry following an uproar over reports of online leak of the A-Level mathematics paper.

The probe had confirmed that the paper was indeed leaked. “We have reviewed evidence from multiple sources and concluded that this specific paper was seen by a significant number of students in Pakistan before the start of the exam,” a CIE letter had stated, adding that the CIE would give “assessed marks” to students in this particular paper.

CIE exams are typically held twice a year, in June and November, with results released in August and January, respectively. This year, June series papers are being held from April 23-June 9.

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