Will discuss postponement of O and A Level exams with CIE: Shafqat Mehmood

• Shafqat Mehmood says he cannot comment on anything right now as conversations with Cambridge board is yet to be held. 
• Shafqat Mehmood says he will share an update on the exams once he meets with Cambridge board officials. 
• Earlier this month, Mehmood had announced that Cambridge, Inter, Matric and other exams will be be held as per schedule.

ISLAMABAD: Federal Minister for Education Shafqat Mehmood on Wednesday said the government will hold discussions with the Cambridge International Examination (CIE) board today whether upcoming O and A level exams can be postponed or not.

“We will hold a meeting with Cambridge again today to review the situation and we will see if these exams can be postponed,” Mehmood said after chairing a meeting of education and health ministers at the National Command and Operation Centre (NCOC).

The minister, in a brief statement, said that he cannot "comment on anything" right now as the conversation with Cambridge is yet to be held. 

He added that he will share an update on the exams once he holds the meeting with the UK board.

Read more: Cambridge exams to be held as per schedule, says Shafqat Mehmood

Mehmood today chaired an important meeting of education and health ministers at the National Command and Operation Centre (NCOC) to decide on the closure of schools amid an alarming rise of coronavirus cases in the country.

The number of COVID-19 active cases has doubled in the last three weeks while the positivity ratio has remained above 8% in the last few days. According to the NCOC data, the number of active cases was 17,352 on March 6 which reached 36,849 on Wednesday.

Earlier this month, Mehmood had announced that Cambridge, Inter, Matric and other exams will be be held as per schedule.

He also shared that local board exams for grades 10, 11 and 12 will be held this year in May and June.

Read more: Pakistan schools in coronavirus hotspot areas to stay closed till April 11

"Our children are giving [inter and matric] exams under the Pakistani boards, hence the same [rule] will also apply for children giving exams for other boards," he had said earlier, referring to O level and A level students.

However, he today said that since CIE examinations were being held much earlier than local board exams, he would explore the possibility of postponement with the Cambridge board.