KARACHI: Thousands of students who had appeared for their Cambridge O Level, Cambridge International General Certificate of Secondary Education (IGCSE) and Cambridge International Certificate in Education (ICE) exams in June 2022 received their results on Thursday along with a quarter of a million of their peers from around the world.

It was a test of nerves for the students in Sindh as fearing bad weather and torrential rains the provincial government had ordered closure of all education institutions for a day. Many students who were looking forward to going to school and receiving their results in person from there and celebrating with their friends were unable to do that. Some schools notified them about their results through email, some through WhatsApp and some through phone calls. But until that happened, they all kept checking their email accounts and smart phones. Many also kept checking with their friends if they had received their results yet.

Still, all schools did not follow that pattern. Some schools did keep their office open for their Cambridge students to be able to come and take their results from them in person.

Then after getting the results, there were others things to worry about as some students were not happy and satisfied with their results unlike others who were quite happy. Also, it was felt by many students that this year the threshold was too high because many hardworking students expecting higher grades did not get what they had hoped for.

It has been another difficult year for students and teachers worldwide, with some still affected by lockdowns and most still dealing with the various effects of the Covid-19 pandemic.

In Pakistan, over 200,000 Cambridge O Level and Cambridge IGCSE subject entries were made by schools in the June 2022 exam series, with around 56,000 students appearing for exams from 628 schools. Students sat their exams amid strict Covid-19 standard operating procedures, which were implemented to keep them safe, whilst enabling them to gain their qualifications and continue with their next educational steps. Cambridge International (CI) also provided support to help students and teachers to adapt running of exams and other assessments to the disruption caused by Covid-19.

Islamiyat, English Language and Pakistan Studies were the most popular Cambridge O Level subjects in the June 2022 exam series among Pakistani students.

CI’s chief accountable officer Christine Özden said that this year had been another tough one. “The pandemic has continued to disrupt our lives and learning in different ways. Some of our students and teachers have been affected by school closures and ongoing restrictions,” he said and added: “More than ever, I congratulate Cambridge students for their hard work towards these results. They’ve shown great resilience and dedication to get to this point, and I am proud of everyone’s achievements. They can now progress to new opportunities and experiences, and I’m confident they have the skills, knowledge and courage to succeed in every choice they make.”

“I also want to express special thanks to Cambridge schools and teachers. Their commitment and passion for education has been fundamental to their students’ success,” he further said.

CI Pakistan country director Uzma Yousuf said that she would like to congratulate all of their students in Pakistan on their Cambridge O Level and Cambridge IGCSE results.

She said: “This is a fantastic achievement, in the face of yet another difficult year, as these students have had to overcome many challenges brought by the Covid-19 pandemic,” and added: “All those receiving results today should be very proud of what they have achieved. I would also like to congratulate the teachers, schools and families for the constant support they have given to our students through such uncertain times, which has enabled them to gain their qualifications and continue with their studies.”

“I would like to appreciate the diligence of our partners, the British Council, for conducting these exams during this time and for ensuring the safety of all the students taking their exams, by adhering to strict Covid-19 safety measures,” she continued.

Across the entire CI exam series in June 2022, more than 460,000 students, making 1.4 million entries in 147 countries, were able to gain the qualifications they need to progress.

More than 700 schools across Pakistan offer Cambridge programmes and qualifications to their students. The Cambridge Pathway curriculum offers flexibility and choice to students and schools, with over 40 subjects available in Cambridge O Level, over 70 subjects at Cambridge IGCSE and over 55 subjects offered at CI AS and A Level, and a choice of two exam series each year. CI AS and A Level results have already been announced on Aug 11.

Published in Dawn, August 19th, 2022