Cambridge orders retake of leaked AS maths paper in affected regions

Cambridge Assessment International Education has announced a retake for AS Level Mathematics Paper 9709/12 in affected regions after allegations emerged that the paper had been leaked before the examination.

The decision means thousands of students appearing in the May/June 2026 examination series will now have to sit a replacement paper in June after Cambridge cancelled the original exam over concerns about its integrity.

The retake has emerged as the biggest development in the controversy, with students across multiple countries expected to reappear despite already preparing for and attempting the scheduled paper.

Reports of the alleged leak began circulating online ahead of the exam, with screenshots and claimed questions widely shared on social media platforms and student groups.

Following complaints and concerns from students, Cambridge decided to invalidate the paper and arrange a fresh examination to maintain fairness in assessment standards.

Cambridge has also issued a message for candidates and their families, saying it understands the importance of confidence in its examinations and maintains rigorous processes and regulations to protect the validity, reliability and fairness of results. It said the security of question papers is a responsibility shared by Cambridge, schools and associates.

In its message, Cambridge said it had written to schools in Pakistan in an earlier case after content from some papers became available before the scheduled exams. It said the affected papers included Cambridge International AS & A Level Mathematics Paper 12, Mathematics Paper 42 and Computer Science Paper 22, but added that it had found no evidence that complete papers had been shared before the exams in those cases.

Cambridge said candidates would still receive overall syllabus grades and that results would remain valid for universities in Pakistan and around the world. It said grades would be based on completed question paper content, while some affected questions could be disregarded, with candidates awarded full marks for those questions where required to maintain fairness.

The board said such action is taken to ensure candidates who accessed material before an exam do not gain an unfair advantage, while protecting those who did not view any leaked content. It added that this approach is designed to preserve the integrity of the assessment and maintain trust among schools and universities worldwide.

Cambridge also said malpractice investigations were ongoing and warned that proven involvement could lead to sanctions. For centres, this could include deregistration, while candidates found involved could face disqualification and a ban from entering Cambridge exams.

The move has triggered frustration among students and parents, many of whom said candidates with no involvement in the alleged leak are now being forced to go through another high-pressure examination process.

The controversy comes amid growing scrutiny of examination security after alleged leaks involving other Cambridge papers, including Business Studies and Computer Science exams, also surfaced online during the ongoing examination session.

Students on social media questioned how multiple papers could allegedly circulate before exams without stronger safeguards being implemented by the examination board.

Cambridge has not publicly disclosed how the Mathematics paper was allegedly leaked or whether investigations have identified those responsible. The board, however, maintained that protecting the credibility and fairness of its global assessment system remains its top priority.

Educational institutions are now awaiting further details regarding the exact date, arrangements and format for the replacement examination scheduled for June.