Cambridge, British Council call off Friday exams in four regions

Cambridge International Education (CIE) and the British Council have called off all exams set for Friday, May 9, in Muzaffarabad, Mirpur, Islamabad Capital Territory, and Punjab, citing ongoing security concerns.

The decision affects O Level, IGCSE, and International AS & A Level exams for students at both Cambridge Direct and British Council schools.

“This only applies to exams on Friday 9 May,” they said, adding that they will “update schools by the evening of Sunday 11 May” about exams planned for Monday.

Officials are still expecting exams in other parts of Pakistan on May 9 to go ahead “if the security situation remains unchanged,” but any new developments will be shared.

Both the educational organisations in the joint statement said their “priority is to support the safety of students and staff, and help students progress with their education.”

They added: “Where exams are cancelled, we use our expertise and well-established processes to make sure we can award fair grades so that students can progress.”

Students have been advised to follow only the official Cambridge and British Council Pakistan pages for updates. Private candidates can contact British Council Customer Services, while school students should contact their institutions directly.

Earlier, the British Council called off all GCE, IGCSE, IELTS, and University of London exams scheduled for Thursday, May 8, afternoon session across all Lahore venues due to emerging security and safety concerns.

“This decision has been made to prioritise the safety & security of candidates,” the Council said, urging students and parents to rely solely on official British Council platforms for the latest updates.

The statement did not mention whether the exams would be rescheduled, but emphasised that all further announcements would be made through official channels.

The development comes after India launched unprovoked strikes in Pakistan in the early hours of Wednesday, two weeks after it accused its neighbour of involvement in an attack in the Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir (IIOJK) in which 26 people were killed.

Islamabad had denied the accusation and vowed to retaliate against the missile strikes, also saying it shot down five Indian aircraft, 25 drones, and damaged multiple checkposts.

As the tensions continue, authorities across the country are on high alert, with flights also being suspended intermittently.