Three years in a row, Cambridge papers taken in Pakistan have been shared before the exam. If you are sitting AS or A Level now, you have probably asked what happens if a Cambridge paper leaks: whether your grade is safe, whether you will have to sit the paper again, and who pays. This guide sets out what Cambridge actually did in 2024, 2025 and 2026, explains assessed marks, replacement papers and free re-sits, and lists what to do if it happens in your series.

The facts below come from Cambridge’s statements as reported by Pakistani newspapers, and from the Cambridge Handbook. Your school or exam centre has the final word on how any decision applies to you.

What Cambridge did after each leak

The response has not been the same each time. It depended on how widely Cambridge judged the paper had been seen.

Series	Paper(s) affected	What Cambridge did
May/June 2024	AS and A Level Mathematics 9709/12	Marks from the paper disregarded; assessed marks from other 9709 papers; free November re-sit
May/June 2025	Mathematics Papers 12 and 42; Computer Science Paper 22 (partial leak)	Results released as normal; free November 2025 re-sits
May/June 2026	Mathematics 9709/12	Paper cancelled; new version sat on 9 June 2026
May/June 2026	Mathematics 9709/52	Assessed marks announced, then reversed: graded on original scripts
May/June 2026	Computer Science 9618/12	Assessed marks; free November 2026 re-sit

2024: assessed marks for AS Maths Paper 12

The AS Level Mathematics paper 9709/12, sat on 2 May 2024, was shared before the exam. Cambridge disregarded marks from that paper and gave affected students assessed marks calculated from their other 9709 papers. Students with an assessed mark could re-sit the same option in November at no charge and choose which result to carry forward. Cambridge said: “Our priority is to make sure we are fair to the majority of students who did not cheat” (Dawn, 28 July 2024).

2025: partial leaks, normal results

In June 2025 Cambridge said some content from three papers had been available before their timetabled dates in Pakistan: AS and A Level Mathematics Papers 12 and 42, and Computer Science Paper 22. It did not cancel them. “The results for these syllabuses will be released as normal,” Cambridge said, and students who had sat any of the three papers were offered free re-sits in the November 2025 series (Aaj News, 1 July 2025).

2026: three papers, three different outcomes

Mathematics 9709/12. Sat on 29 April 2026. On 7 May Cambridge said “the extent of the sharing means we cannot use this paper to award final examination results”. All candidates in the affected regions sat a new version on 9 June 2026, with no additional charge (The News, 7 May 2026).

Mathematics 9709/52 and the postponed Paper 32. Paper 52, sat on 12 May in administrative zones 3 and 4, was “shared prematurely against our strict regulations”. Cambridge postponed Mathematics Paper 32, due on 15 May in Pakistan, as a security measure (Dawn, 14 May 2026). The replacement Paper 32 was sat on 8 June 2026 (ARY News, 21 May 2026).

Computer Science 9618/12. Also sat on 12 May, and also shared early in Pakistan. On 21 May Cambridge said candidates for both Maths Paper 52 (zones 3 and 4) and Computer Science Paper 12 (Pakistan) would receive assessed marks (ARY News).

In August Cambridge changed course on Maths. After further investigation it decided the leak had little visibility in Pakistan, so candidates there were graded on their original scripts. Computer Science stayed on assessed marks because the paper “had been widely circulated in Pakistan before the exam”. Students with assessed marks were allowed to retake the same exam in November 2026 free of charge and choose which result to carry forward, “subject to the board’s existing 13-month rule” (The News, 5 August 2026). Results were still released on 11 August 2026 as planned.

The repeated leaks have cost Cambridge goodwill. A Friday Times column in May 2026 opened: “For three consecutive years, the sanctity of Cambridge International Examinations (CAIE) in Pakistan has been compromised” (The Friday Times, 16 May 2026).

Assessed marks, replacement papers and re-sits explained

Assessed marks

An assessed mark is a mark Cambridge calculates for one component from your results on the other components of the same syllabus. It is the same tool Cambridge uses when a candidate misses an exam for an acceptable reason, such as illness. In that situation the Cambridge Handbook says Cambridge “may calculate and award an assessed mark for the missing component”, normally only if the candidate has covered the whole course and completed at least 50% of the assessment in that series (Cambridge Handbook 2026, section 5.5.3).

In May 2026 Cambridge said the method is also used by other UK boards and that universities recognise these results (ARY News).

What it means for you: your other papers carry more weight. A student who did well on Paper 1 and Paper 3 benefits; a student who was relying on the leaked paper to pull the grade up does not. If you think your assessed grade undersells you, a free re-sit is the remedy.

Replacement papers

When Cambridge decides a paper cannot be used and there is still time in the series, it may set a new version for everyone in the affected regions, as it did for Maths 9709/12 and 9709/32 in June 2026. You sit a different paper of the same standard, on a new date.

Free re-sits and the 13-month rule

The free November re-sits in 2024, 2025 and 2026 let affected students sit the paper again without paying the entry fee. Where the terms allow you to choose which result to carry forward, the better result counts.

The 13-month rule matters for AS students. Cambridge AS Level results can be carried forward towards the full A Level twice within 13 months of the series in which the AS was taken (Cambridge Handbook 2026). Ask your school how a re-sit fits your carry-forward plan before you enter.

Your other options: enquiries and appeals

If your result looks wrong for reasons unrelated to the leak, the normal post-results services still apply. These are submitted by your school or exam centre through Cambridge’s system, not by students directly. Private candidates in Pakistan apply through the British Council, which publishes its own enquiry guide for private candidates.

Service	What it does
Service 1	Clerical re-check: confirms every part was marked and the marks were added up correctly
Service 1S	As Service 1, plus a copy of your script
Service 2	Review of the original marking
Service 2S	As Service 2, plus a copy of your script

Source: Cambridge Handbook 2026, section 6.3. The deadline for the November 2026 series is 26 February 2027, and Cambridge normally gives the outcome within 30 days. If your grade goes up after you have already entered a re-sit, Cambridge will credit the entry fee to your centre if you withdraw.

If you disagree with the outcome of an enquiry, the Head of Centre can make a written Stage 1 appeal, but only for a permitted reason listed in section 7 of the Handbook.

What to do if you hear a paper has leaked

1. Do not open, download or forward it. Cambridge has warned that anyone found sharing or misusing confidential material faces sanctions including “permanent disqualification from Cambridge qualifications and operations” (ARY News, 21 May 2026). Cambridge has also told students to beware of scams and misinformation about leaked papers.
2. Tell your school or exam centre what you have seen and where. They report to Cambridge.
3. Keep revising for the paper as timetabled. Until Cambridge announces a decision, the exam goes ahead. If a replacement paper is set, you will be sitting fresh questions.
4. Strengthen your other papers. If assessed marks are used, they are what your grade is built from.
5. Watch for the official notice through your school, not WhatsApp groups. Cambridge’s decisions in 2026 changed between May and August.

If you are applying to university

A disrupted series does not have to derail applications. LUMS says applicants for Fall 2027 can apply if they have sat the November 2026 retakes, and should tick the result-awaiting option in the online application (LUMS admission FAQs). Our guide to A Level grades for LUMS and IBA covers each university’s grade rules.

Preparing for a re-sit or replacement paper

A re-sit is a chance to fix the topics that cost you marks, so treat it as a short, focused revision cycle. For Mathematics, work through the 9709 May/June 2026 past papers under timed conditions. For Computer Science, our guide to 9618 Paper 12 May/June 2026 goes through what the mark scheme credited. Check exam dates and times in the Cambridge A Level October/November 2026 timetable for Pakistan.

Keeping the cost of extra help down

A re-sit series often means another round of coaching. As one current example, an online O and A Level Physics coaching programme lists its August–December 2026 batches at Rs11,000 a month for one subject (its advertised price, checked November 2026).

Tutopiya Premium covers every subject on the Learning Portal for one price. At the State Bank of Pakistan’s interbank rate of about Rs276.7 per US dollar on 6 November 2026 (SBP revaluation rates), the monthly plan of S$10 is about Rs2,200, three months (S$25) about Rs5,400, and a year (S$50) about Rs10,800, roughly one month of coaching in a single subject.

Start free

The Tutopiya Learning Portal covers 15 curricula and 130 subjects, including Cambridge AS and A Level Mathematics and Computer Science, with notes, practice questions by difficulty, quizzes, flashcards and past papers organised by syllabus code. A large section is free: create a free account and start with the topics from your re-sit paper. For targeted help before a re-sit, you can book a free trial lesson with a one-to-one A Level tutor.

Frequently asked questions

What happens if a Cambridge exam paper is leaked? +

Cambridge investigates how widely the paper was shared. In recent Pakistani cases it has either released results as normal, set a replacement paper, or given affected candidates an assessed mark calculated from their other papers in that subject, usually with a free re-sit in the next series.

What is an assessed mark in Cambridge exams? +

An assessed mark is a mark Cambridge calculates for a missing or disregarded component using a candidate's performance on the other components of the same syllabus. Cambridge said in May 2026 that the method is also used by other UK boards and that universities recognise the results.

Do I have to pay for a re-sit after a Cambridge paper leak? +

In the 2024, 2025 and 2026 cases Cambridge offered affected candidates in Pakistan a free re-sit in the following November series. In 2024 and 2026 candidates could choose which result to carry forward. Check the terms for your own paper with your school or exam centre.

Which Cambridge papers leaked in Pakistan in 2026? +

Press reports of Cambridge statements named AS and A Level Mathematics Papers 12 and 52 and AS and A Level Computer Science Paper 12, all in the May/June 2026 series. Mathematics Paper 32 was postponed as a precaution and replaced on 8 June 2026.

Can I apply to LUMS if I am re-sitting in November 2026? +

Yes. LUMS says applicants can apply for Fall 2027 if they have sat the November 2026 retakes, and should select the result-awaiting option in the online application.

What is the deadline for a Cambridge enquiry about results? +

Under the Cambridge Handbook 2026, the deadline was 20 September 2026 for the June 2026 series and is 26 February 2027 for the November 2026 series. Enquiries are submitted by your school or exam centre, not by students directly.

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