Announces assessed marks for candidates of leaked maths and computer science papers
Cambridge International Education (CIE) announced on Wednesday that the replacement exam for the postponed A Level Mathematics Paper 32 would now be held on June 8 as part of the June 2026 exam series, while confirming the use of graded marks for all candidates from A Level Mathematics Paper 52 and AS Level Computer Science Paper 12.
On 7 May, CIE announced 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. Almost a week later, it was further confirmed that another leak involving AS Level Mathematics Paper 52 (9709) had been circulated online ahead of the exam.
Meanwhile, AS Level Mathematics Paper 32 (9709) was postponed.
Read: Cambridge cancels AS Level Mathematics paper after leak, announces new date
In a statement issued today, the CIE said the postponed exam would now take place on June 8.
“The publication date for the Cambridge International AS & A Level results of 11 August remains unchanged,” the statement said, adding that the British Council would soon share detailed information on the conduct of the examination.
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Cambridge also confirmed that, along with Mathematics Paper 52 (9709/52), AS Level Computer Science Paper 12 (9618/12), taken on 12 May, was also “shared prematurely in Pakistan against our strict rules”.
The statement clarified that “the wider distribution of the leaked material in Pakistan does not necessarily indicate that the source of the leak originated in Pakistan,” adding that investigations into the source of the breach were ongoing.
“Our priority is to make sure we are fair to students who have not cheated, which is the vast majority,” Cambridge said, adding that this meant that those who cheated were given no advantage, so that all students applying to the university were competing on an equal footing.
The CIE said it would use its “well-established approach” of graded marks for all candidates for AS & A Level Mathematics Paper 52, in Zones 3 and 4 and for all candidates for AS Level Computer Science Paper 12 in Pakistan.
It described assessed marks as a “well-researched method”, also used by other UK-based exam boards, and commonly used in cases where candidates were absent from an exam due to acceptable reasons such as illness or injury.
Also read: Cambridge confirms 2nd leak of A-level Mathematics paper, postpones May 15 exam
“Using assessed grades means that we will disregard the grade for the paper and instead calculate a grade for each student based on their performance in the other components of the curriculum for which they have entered and completed work,” the statement said.
The CIE said the method removed any “possible unfair advantage” students may have tried to gain through cheating and ensured all candidates were treated equally.
It added that the method “nullifies the effect of an easy or difficult task and reflects any difference in difficulty”, while candidates could still achieve full marks.
While acknowledging the students’ problem, the exam body said it recognized students were dealing with the issue “at an important time in their education” amid confirmation of leaks involving Cambridge International AS & A Level papers.
Regarding exam security, Cambridge said it had faced “sustained and focused efforts to steal our exam papers” during the June 2026 exam series and was actively responding to the threat.
“The theft of this and other exam papers remains the subject of a detailed investigation,” the statement said.
It added that prosecutions were being pursued against perpetrators in coordination with law enforcement agencies and social media platforms.
Read more: Government takes notice after another Cambridge Maths paper is allegedly leaked
“We will apply sanctions to those who share or misuse confidential exam materials, including permanent disqualification from our qualifications and operations,” the statement warned.
Cambridge further said that research security challenges “were not unique to a single table” and that security protocols governing the production, handling, storage and distribution of papers were constantly updated in response to changing threats.
The statement also advised students to remain vigilant against fraud, misinformation and malpractice.
Although the issue of CIE paper leaks is not new and was also reported last year, this exam session has seen a spate of leaks as A and O level exams under the Cambridge system are currently held across the country for the May-June session.
The papers were leaked online, with several students claiming they had already started circulating before the exams.
The series of leaks prompted the federal government to take notice, with Education Minister Khalid Maqbool Siddiqui expressing concern over the repeated incidents.
“Hard-working students cannot be allowed to suffer because of such incidents,” the minister said, adding that similar cases had also surfaced last year and that Cambridge should further strengthen its exam system.
The Minister had directed the board chairmen’s committee to immediately convene a meeting with the Cambridge authorities and take urgent measures to protect the interests of the students.
