A-level students protest against Cambridge for awarding average grades
Pakistan
Some examinations were cancelled due to protests against the arrest of PTI chief on May 9
(Web Desk) – A-level students on Tuesday protested in Karachi and Lahore against the Cambridge International for what they call flawed grading system.
The students were protesting as they were awarded grades Cs, Ds, Es and Us due to the grading system of Cambridge International for this year.
The protesters said that they were given “average marks” for the papers cancelled on the basis of the marks they secured in other papers.
It may be recalled that the Cambridge International Examinations (CIE) cancelled some papers in May due to the political turmoil in the country following the arrest of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf chairman in a graft case on May 9.
The students demanded that the cancelled papers should be held so that they could improve their grades.
Meanwhile, reacting to criticism and demand for reviewing its grading system keeping in view this year’s ‘disappointing results’ by Pakistani students, Cambridge International issued a statement on Sunday saying that "This year’s standard has returned to the standard of [pre-pandemic standard of] 2019. Like other exam boards, we have been moving the standard of Cambridge qualifications back to the pre-pandemic standard of 2019 in gradual steps.
“Following the release of Cambridge International AS and A Level results on 10 August, it is aware that some students in Pakistan are disappointed with their results,” the statement said.
“The Cambridge International understands that students have also expressed concerns about their marks where they missed exam components due to the exam cancellations of May 10-12.”
It said that Cambridge International offered schools a reminder and clarity on how standards and grading had been applied for the June 2023 series, to help students, parents and schools understand the context around their results.
It also reassured students about the reliability of assessed marks where students missed exam components.
