No exams to take place until June 15 amid COVID-19 surge in Pakistan
Pakistan has canceled all examinations till June 15 amid the surge in coronavirus infections, Federal Education Minister Shafqat Mahmood announced on Tuesday.
The decision was announced after a special National Command and Operation Centre (NCOC) meeting.
The O and A Level exams have also been canceled and deferred till October/November, he said. The official also clarified that no student will be promoted without exams this year.
“All exams canceled till June 15 and depending on the spread of the disease may even go further,” he said in a tweet, adding that decision had been taken to address the health concerns of students and parents.
He said Cambridge exams had been postponed till Oct-Nov for all grades, while the only exception was for those A2 students “who have a compulsion to take [the] exam now”.
We also discussed the concerns of students who cannot wait till September to take their exams as their year will be wasted. We are giving special permission to A2 students to take their exams and centres will be open for only them, Mehmood added. “Pakistan has around 20,000 A2 students.”
However, the students taking A2 exams and those who want to appear for the purpose of applying to foreign universities have the exemption. “For A2 who have some compulsion to take exams now, every attempt will be made to provide safe venues. Not more than 50 students” in one center.
The university admissions in Pakistan will be aligned for grade 12 and A2 students who will be taking exams in October-November. “This is to ensure no one loses a year,” he added.
The decision comes after pleas and calls from students to cancel the Cambridge exams due to the raging third wave of coronavirus in Pakistan.