CIE agrees to review after O/A level results controversy

ISLAMABAD: Federal Minister for Education Shafqat Mahmood has said that Cambridge International has agreed to review its grading procedures regarding the recently declared CIE results for O and A levels after an outcry from Pakistani students who felt they were unfairly graded.

“As a result of our intervention conveying the anguish of our students, I have just heard that Cambridge has agreed to review its grading procedure regarding the recently declared results,” Mahmood said in a post on Twitter.

He added that Cambridge International will announce its final verdict on the matter after review.

Amidst the coronavirus pandemic, Cambridge International had cancelled its May/june 2020 series worldwide with the announcement to award certificates without exams.

The CAIE followed a four-step assessment mechanism which included teachers’ predicted grades, ranking order, school review/approval and standardisation.

However, after the results were announced on Aug.10, students started raising concerns as they got grades against their expectations and previous performance.

In its statement, Cambridge International said it had been listening to feedback and suggestions from schools and students and had been “looking carefully at how to act on it.”

“Since we released our results on Aug.11, we’ve been listening to the feedback and suggestions from our schools and students. We know schools have been pleased that we were able to provide grades in challenging circumstances,” it said.

It added, “We have also heard your concerns about some aspects of our process, and we understand the real anxieties Cambridge students are facing at the moment. We have been looking carefully at how to act on your feedback, and at the same time make sure schools, universities and employers continue to trust our qualifications. Aug.18, we will let you know the actions we will take,” it added.