Cambridge exams nightmare

I’m a distressed A Level student who, like thousands across Pakistan, is exhausted, unheard and unfairly treated. The May/June 2025 Cambridge exam session has turned into a nightmare. Major papers have been leaked — A Level Mathematics P1, M1, and now Computer Science P2 (9618/22). The CS paper was widely leaked on 15 May around 10:30 AM via WhatsApp group chats and Reddit. The paper was at 2.10 PM.

Rich students are buying these leaked papers for 150 USD. We are taking these exams in a state of complete uncertainty. Students are overwhelmed — not just by the academic pressure, but by real mental health crises. Many are suffering from extreme anxiety. This isn’t just about unfair grades, it’s about students’ lives and futures.

Parents are paying up to Rs. 200,000 per session for these international exams. Now, because of CAIE’s negligence and refusal to acknowledge the leaks, retakes are being forced on to students with no financial assistance and no accountability.

Why should families pay for Cambridge’s failure to protect paper integrity? And let’s not forget — these exams are happening under real war-like conditions, resulting in constant fear, especially for students near Pakistan’s eastern border.

While local boards postponed exams, CAIE carried on. Even more shocking is the silence from our own media. Why are the voices of students, parents and teachers being ignored?

We need someone to speak for us. We’re not just demanding retakes — we’re demanding justice. There should be:

• Immediate cancellation of all compromised papers (Maths P1, M1, CS P2).

• Special retake sessions in mid-June, once the current exams end.

• Special consideration for Pakistani students who faced war conditions.

• Financial leniency for those forced to retake papers due to no fault of their own.

• Urgent attention from both CAIE and the Ministry of Education.

Please, we urge Dawn to be the voice the students no longer have. If the local media continues to stay silent, these injustices will keep getting swept under the rug — and the students of Pakistan will keep paying the price, financially and mentally.

A concerned A Level student,
Pakistan

The prince who learns to read!

This is concerning the story “The prince who learns to read!” by Younus Ahmed (YW, March 15).

The story reminded that true strength lies in wisdom and the willingness to learn. It also taught that reading isn’t just for scholars, it’s for anyone who wants to understand the world better. We need more stories about the power of learning.

Hamza Rauf,
Muzaffargarh

Published in Dawn, Young World, May 24th, 2025