‘Political turmoil’: Maryam urges CIE to review its grading system

LAHORE (Agencies): Raising her voice for students, Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) Senior Vice President Maryam Nawaz on Saturday urged the Cambridge International Examinations (CIE) to review its grading system for this year, citing unprecedented political turmoil.

Taking to X, formerly known as Twitter, the PML-N leader expressed concerns over the unexpected results, saying, “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.” On August 10, more than 45,000 students in Pakistan received their Cambridge International AS and A-Level results.

In total, more than 118,000 entries were made for Cambridge International AS and A-levels in the June 2023 series in Pakistan, a rise of 10% since June 2022.

“Many hundreds have reached out voicing their dissatisfaction with the CIE grading this year,” said the PML-N leader. Narrating the miseries of the students, she said, “These students have worked incredibly hard, their university offers and future careers are dependent on the discretion that CIE exercises.” Maryam maintained that it would be a welcome step if the CIE on grounds of fairness reviewed their grading system for this year.

The CIE should also consider the fact that Pakistani students sat their examination in times of unprecedented political turmoil where their security and safety were at risk, she added.