KARACHI: Over 40,000 students who were taking the O and A-Level exams encountered significant difficulties getting to their designated testing locations, which were tiny schools and colleges tucked away down winding streets in the metropolis.
An additional issue experienced by the families who had gone to drop their children off at the examination centers was the lack of parking spaces in and around the centers during the intense heat.
Furthermore, the worst traffic jams around test locations made things even more difficult for parents and students. The state of affairs indicates that plans were not well planned and that arrangements were made in an unorganized and random manner.
Exams for O and A levels were previously held in renowned luxury hotels in the capital, providing a quiet, comfortable setting with all the amenities required. But things are very different this year.
Exam centers were arranged so that students from Gulshan were forced to present for exams at Korangi center, more evidence of administrative ineptitude.
In this regard, a Cambridge representative told The Express Tribune that efforts are being made in collaboration with the British Council to maintain exam transparency, allowing students to complete the tests in a stress-free and secure setting.
Head of British Council South Asia Communication and Marketing Shah Rukh remarked in an interview with The Express Tribune, “We have established examination centers ensuring uninterrupted provision of facilities so that students come up with the best in their exams.”
He stated that the exam centers’ scheduling is made public ahead of time. “We are issuing instructions to our team to address the parking complaints so that students do not face any problem.”
Approximately 6,000 of the 40,000 students taking the Cambridge examinations in Karachi this year are private candidates. In this regard, the city has about twenty examination centers set up.
In the 2024 session, around 100,000 students will take the Cambridge exams nationwide, with an additional 15,000 taking the exam as a private applicant. One hundred examination centers have been established nationwide in this regard.
significant subjects for the Cambridge O-Level include English, Urdu, Mathematics, Physics, and Islamiat; for the A-Level, significant subjects include Computer Science, Physics, Mathematics, Business, and Chemistry.
About 200 schools in Karachi are among the approximately 800 schools in Pakistan that are linked to the Cambridge system. Exams for O and A levels will run till June 13.
