Editing Edexcel (section)

==== Leak ====
Further controversy ensued after the Paper 3 of the new specification Mathematics A-Level (9MA0/3H – sat 14 June), appeared to have been accessed by someone who, late in the night before the exam sitting, posted on [[Twitter]] that they would sell a copy of the exam paper for £70. Pearson Edexcel launched an investigation after becoming aware that some scribbled out images of the exam paper were circulated online prior the exam sitting, and found one centre (out of thirty-eight possible suspect centres in one geographic location), who were visited at a very short notice, to have committed a serious and "possibly criminally motivated" security breach of the A-Level maths paper.

Students expressed frustration about the incident; [[BBC News]] reported that students believed the incident could have the potential to affect their results.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.itv.com/news/2019-06-14/students-furious-after-edexcel-a-level-maths-paper-is-leaked-online-just-hours-before-exam/|title=Students furious after Edexcel A-level maths paper is leaked online - just hours before exam|website=ITV News|language=en|access-date=2019-06-16}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.bbc.com/news/education-48646188|title=Investigation after A-level paper leaked|date=2019-06-15|access-date=2019-06-16|language=en-GB}}</ref> Pearson Edexcel stated that they have "well-established processes to ensure fair and accurate results" and that "grade boundaries will not be affected".<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://qualifications.pearson.com/en/subjects/mathematics.updates.html?article=/content/demo/en/news-policy/qualifications/edexcel-gcses/mathematics/statement-on-a-level-maths&pageTypes=|title=Edexcel News on Maths and Statistics}}</ref> On 17 June Edexcel stated that the compromised questions could be removed from the overall assessment, as well as undertaking additional [[Statistics|statistical analysis]] to identify irregular result patterns for particular centres or students.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.tes.com/news/police-investigating-criminal-level-maths-leak|title=Police investigating 'criminal' A-level maths leak|website=Tes|language=en|access-date=2019-06-17}}</ref>

About 60,000 students were affected in this incident.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2019/06/25/police-investigating-maths-a-level-leak-arrest-two-people/|title=Two arrested over Maths A-level leak|last=Turner|first=Camilla|date=2019-06-25|work=The Telegraph|access-date=2019-07-10|language=en-GB|issn=0307-1235}}</ref> Two men aged 29 and 32 were arrested on 24 June on suspicion of theft. The men were released under investigation while inquiries continued.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2019/jun/25/two-arrested-a-level-exam-leak-investigation-edexcel|title=Two men arrested in A-level exam leak investigation|last=Weaver|first=Matthew|date=2019-06-25|work=The Guardian|access-date=2019-07-10|last2=Adams|first2=Richard|language=en-GB|issn=0261-3077}}</ref> Ahead of results day, it was revealed that 78 students who were suspected of being at an advantage from malpractice would have their results withheld. This is the largest number of candidates to be withheld results from a single malpractice incident.<ref>{{Cite news|last=correspondent|first=Sally Weale Education|url=https://www.theguardian.com/education/2019/aug/09/a-level-maths-results-for-78-students-withheld-after-leak-of-paper|title=A-level maths results for 78 students withheld after leak of paper|date=2019-08-09|work=The Guardian|access-date=2020-03-06|language=en-GB|issn=0261-3077}}</ref> No news report on the charge or conviction status after the arrest went to the press.