Says there will be no extra cost to students, while August 11 results release date remains unchanged
Cambridge International Education (CIE) announced on Thursday the cancellation of the AS Level Mathematics (9709/12) exam for students in administrative zones 3 and 4, following the leak of the question paper.
The leak, which was in breach of exam regulations, led to the decision not to use the paper for final assessment results.
The latest development followed the leak of the maths paper last week. The CIE announced that the AS Level Mathematics paper for the June 2026 exams, conducted in Africa, Europe, the Middle East, Pakistan and South Asia, had been shared prematurely, in breach of its rules.
A statement issued by the authority on the matter today said: “Following a detailed review, the extent of the sharing means that we cannot use this paper to award final exam results. We have therefore taken the decision to cancel Mathematics (9709/12) and it will not be used to generate results through calculated assessment.”
The exam body assured students, schools and families that the investigation was ongoing in cooperation with law enforcement agencies. The break led to “frustration and disappointment,” Cambridge acknowledged, noting the hard work the students had put into their preparation.
“The theft and unauthorized sharing of this exam paper remains the subject of an active investigation. We are working closely with relevant law enforcement authorities and other partners to identify those responsible. Cambridge applies severe sanctions to anyone found to have shared or misused confidential exam material, including permanent disqualification from Cambridge qualifications and operations,” it said.
The statement further added that the authority regularly received reports of alleged leaks of exam papers, the vast majority of which were fake.
“We routinely monitor social media and other online channels for posts offering to share or sell question papers and proactively work with platforms to identify and remove such content. Our legal and compliance teams investigate any credible report and we take robust legal action against those involved in illegal sharing,” the statement said.
Cambridge’s priority, it said, was to ensure that no student was disadvantaged by the incident. As part of this commitment, a replacement test in mathematics (9709/12) will be held on 9 June according to the regular exam schedule. “The replacement exam will ensure fair outcomes for students, consistent 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,” it said.
The statement further said that CIE planned to provide detailed guidance by May 15 on how schools would receive the compensation issues. They would also address frequently asked questions and outline the process for students affected by the situation.
Read: Cambridge says it is “aware” of reported A-level paper leak and investigating
“We encourage all students to continue to focus on their remaining exams and reassure them that the actions we are taking are in the best interests of Cambridge students and the integrity of our qualifications,” it concluded.
According to claims circulating online, AS Level Mathematics appeared on social media in both unsolved and solved formats. Some people suggested it appeared late last 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 that it was sold through an application before being distributed online.
Sources said Express Pakinomist that at a private school exam center in Karachi, students raised objections during the exam, stating that they had already seen the paper on social media hours earlier. They questioned the conduct of the study under such circumstances, claiming that it could affect their threshold grades. 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 held across the country for the May-June session. However, the latest incident is significant as one complete and solved paper is said to have been leaked whereas in the previous year around four papers were partially leaked with only selected questions circulating online.
Also read: Cambridge offers students free resits in November after June paper leak
The Federal Department for Education had previously carried out investigations into such incidents, while Cambridge had also secured internal investigations. However, the results were not shared with the ministry, nor were details of those responsible or any action taken revealed.
Under exam security protocols, Cambridge question papers are not supposed to leave exam centers as candidates write answers directly on the question papers. Despite this, both unsolved and solved versions of the paper were reportedly circulating on social media before and after the exam.
