A-level results spark outrage

ISLAMABAD: Over 45,000 Pakistani students who recently received their Cambridge International Examinations (CIE) AS and A-Level results were left dissapointed and outraged, with an overwhelming number of Cs, Ds, Es, and Us overshadowing the few As and Bs achieved.

The cause of this distress can be traced back to the predicted grades assigned by CIE during the three days of cancelled exams due to protests led by the Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf party in May.

The repercussions of these results are far-reaching, affecting students aiming for admissions in prestigious institutions both within and outside the country. Many find themselves falling short of the usual admission standards, leading to adjustments in admission criteria by major universities for those who took the exams in the May/June series.

Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz leader Maryam Nawaz took to X (formerly Twitter) requesting CIE to review this year’s grading system.

Many hundreds have reached out voicing their dissatisfaction with the CIE grading this year.
It appears that the grading this year has produced unfair results which has led to severe unrest & anxiety amongst the students. Expected A*s have ended up with Cs & Es. These students…

— Maryam Nawaz Sharif (@MaryamNSharif) August 12, 2023

Social media platforms have become a forum for students to vent their frustrations. Some contemplate requesting rechecks of their papers, while others consider retaking exams they didn’t perform well in, whether through their institutions or privately. There’s also discussion about changing subjects based on the belief that poor grades may not accurately reflect their capabilities.

Even the actor Faysal Quraishi released a video requesting the board to reconsider their decision, jumping on the trending hashtag bandwagon #cambridgereviseourgrades.

#Cambridgereviseourgrades https://t.co/ltGyvZ7sbp

— Faysal Quraishi (@faysalquraishi) August 12, 2023

Amidst the dissatisfaction, students have reached out to the British Council, learning that CIE plans to return to pre-Covid standards. This translates to heightened scrutiny, more rigorous checking, and reduced margin of error for students.