A subcommittee of the National Assembly’s Standing Committee on Education has expressed dissatisfaction with Cambridge Assessment International Education’s (CIE) findings regarding the recent O and A level exam paper leaks. The meeting, chaired by MNA Sabheen Ghoury, was held to review the situation and ensure fairness for students affected by the incident. CIE representatives, including Country Director Uzma Yousuf, appeared before the committee to provide details of the investigation.
During the meeting, CIE officials admitted that there were partial leaks of three exam papers. These included one question from AS & A Level Mathematics Paper 12, parts of two questions from Paper 42, and a portion of one question from Computer Science Paper 22. However, the officials claimed that there was no evidence of full papers being leaked before the examinations.
As a corrective measure, Cambridge has promised to award full marks to students for the specific leaked questions. Despite this step, committee members were not satisfied with the report, criticizing it for failing to explain how the leaks happened or identify the individuals responsible. They argued that simply giving full marks without addressing the root cause was not enough to ensure accountability.
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MNA Sabheen Ghoury stressed that the committee seeks justice for the affected students and called on CIE to hold consultations with students and parents before the next meeting, scheduled for June 30. She also recommended that students opting to retake their exams in October should be allowed to do so without any additional fees. The subcommittee plans to present further recommendations to the main committee for a comprehensive resolution.
