Honest students are being assured they will not lose out

Police at Harrow in north-west London are investigating what they described as a burglary at a local college.

Edexcel said the investigation involved the theft of exam papers from a secure store.

The developments came after a newspaper obtained a biology A-level paper due to be taken by students on Friday.

The exam went ahead as scheduled because, Edexcel said, it was too late to make changes.

'Horrendous breach of trust'

Earlier in the week another newspaper had obtained maths and chemistry papers, and last Sunday questions from one of those maths papers were posted on the internet.

Our examiners have already identified students' papers which show irregularities indicating cheating Edexcel

In all, therefore, five stolen papers were known to be in circulation.

A spokesperson for Edexcel said on Friday evening: "We are aware that following the theft of examination papers from an examination centre's locked store, a small number students have been allowed to cheat.

"Clearly this is an horrendous breach of trust and we hope that, on conclusion of the police inquiry, criminal charges follow.

"Our examiners have already identified students' papers which show irregularities indicating cheating which fit into the profile of our suspicions. Their marks will be suppressed and grades withheld pending further enquiries."

Not identified

She said Edexcel was continuing to work closely with the police on this matter.

We don't think it's going to affect the overall integrity of exams or the grades that will be given Frank Wingate Edexcel

Neither the exam board nor the police have identified the college at the centre of their inquiry.

Earlier, Edexcel's chief spokesman, Frank Wingate, said: "As far as we can see from the confirmed evidence it is a localised matter.

"We don't think it's going to affect the overall integrity of exams or the grades that will be given."

Asked about suggestions that future papers were also being offered for sale, Mr Wingate said the board would deal with the facts, not "rumour or innuendo".

I think if you really wanted to get a paper it wouldn't be difficult Student whistleblower

The student who gave Friday's biology paper to the Daily Telegraph said he had already notified Edexcel, but went to the press as well because he feared the issue might be swept under the carpet and cheats would "slip through the net".

He told BBC News: "I have spoken to at least 11 people in 11 different schools or colleges and each of them know about the papers that they can get from someone."

Some of these were in central London, Finchley in north London and in east London.

"I think if you really wanted to get a paper it wouldn't be difficult at all," he concluded. "I think it's disgusting."

Prosecution

In similar circumstances three years ago - again involving A-level papers in that area of London - police dropped their inquiry after concluding there was no evidence of a crime.

I cannot think of a worse situation Head teacher Peter Woods

But Edexcel pointed out that two years ago, a teacher in south London was prosecuted and jailed for having stolen GCSE exam papers.

Mr Wingate said any students who came across exam papers were dealing with stolen property and should notify their teachers immediately.

The exams watchdog, Qualifications and Curriculum Authority (QCA), said it took any allegations of cheating very seriously.

"We have confidence that Edexcel is dealing with the issue and will ensure that contingency plans are put into place so that all learners get a fair deal."

Concern

This confidence is not shared by everyone.

A head teacher in north-west London, Peter Woods of Haydon comprehensive in Pinner - which is not involved in the inquiry - said: "Frankly I'm appalled. I cannot think of a worse situation."

Some of his students have said they knew of maths and chemistry papers being readily available.

Angry students e-mailing BBC News Online have said they fear they will lose out if grades are raised because some people do better than expected through cheating.

But the QCA said: "No student will be disadvantaged due to the fraudulent actions of someone else, and we will be monitoring the situation very closely.

"The thousands of pupils who have sat exams this summer and are still taking exams can have confidence that this is a localised issue and that they will receive the grades that they deserve."

The Department for Education and Skills said the issue was one for the QCA to comment on.

A selection of your comments we have received:

I am a college student from one of the Harrow colleges which could be in question. It is disgraceful that students would go to these lengths to gain an unfair advantage, but I also believe that the college should have had more safety precautions in place to prevent this happening. I feel so let down by the system and can only hope that these cases are taken as lessons, so future students need not go through the same situation.
HK, London

This is a national disgrace. My son is sitting the leaked biology exam this afternoon. How can the exam board possibly guarantee that it is fair? My son read the Daily Telegraph article this morning and was shattered to realize that some candidates will have been able to prepare for the exact questions while others, like him, will not. We feel powerless, betrayed and unfairly disadvantaged.
Graham Shelton, Oxford

How can you tell whether someone cheated just from their predicted grade versus actual grade? They may just have finally got their act together and done some work!! And so how will you catch the cheats but not penalise the workers? (I know: I got Es for my mock A-levels which shocked me into doing some work - and ended up with As and Bs! Under this review, I'd have been investigated for cheating).
Helen B, Herts

We sat the chemistry unit 4 and 5 yesterday and we are very concerned that the grades boundaries will be raised due to the theft of the papers. We do not think its fair that this issue should affect everyone who didn't have the intention to cheat and could be discriminated against because of a small contingent of students
Valentine van Wonterghem and Nadia Kelina, Kent

I am just at the end of first year College. When I was in Year 10 I had a mock science exam. Couple of days before I looked up on the OCR website for practice papers. Downloaded one and it was the same as the actual mock.

Seeing the answers couple of days before doesn't give you much of an advantage as you've got to remember the answers and working so you get the full marks. I didn't get full marks in that exam. You've still got to learn an awful lot to achieve. I'm not saying I condone looking at the answers before hand. Just that it's not the end of the world for students who may be upset over this.
Tom, Devon

How is it possible that innocent candidates are not affected by this? I think the only fair thing to do is to ask all candidates to resit the leaked exam. Whatever assurances the QCA or exam boards come up with the reality stands, the grades are not transparent of students' performance.
Imran Ali, London

Students shouldn't worry about the grade boundaries - they are set based on the quality of the answers from students with approximately the same total numerical score, and cannot be affected by 'rogue' scripts which score higher than the quality of the answers suggests they should.

The worst that could happen is that the cheats succeed in getting a higher grade than they deserve, but this absolutely would not stop anyone else from getting the grade they have earned, and there are very effective processes in place for awarding bodies to identify the cheats and deal with them.
Colin, Leeds

The exam board says they will look for students who get more marks than expected; have they considered this situation... Anyone can cheat/collaborate in home and class work so getting consistently good marks throughout an academic year without knowing what you are doing is possible. Past papers set by teachers can be looked up online, sustaining high predicted grades in the run-up to exams. Everyone knows (in my school anyway) that the mock paper will be the one set earlier that year (in January) so again, the answers can be looked up.

At this point your teachers think you are fantastic and have submitted a very high score for your prediction - but you still don't really know what you're doing. Now all that remains is for someone to secure you a look at this summer's paper for you to get the undeserved high grade without suspicion. I'm not saying I'm aware that anyone has actually done this, but as an A-level student myself, it seems perfectly feasible.
Richard, Sussex, UK

Like many other maths A-level students, I've worked consistently hard throughout the last year to make sure I achieve my maximum potential in the summer examinations. Needless to say I am absolutely livid that a number of students have gained access to the paper before the rest of the country; giving them a totally undeserved advantage. ... Edexcel's priority should not be finding the cheats, but organising a resit as soon as possible. ... True, if a mere five or six people gained access to the paper then of course the effect of their cheating would be virtually zero, but the point is no-one can know. Is it not feasible that someone could have e-mailed the paper to their friends or even printed it out and faxed it?
Milly, Kingston-upon-Thames

I have just completed the last of my six A-level maths exams. For the last six weeks I have lived maths 20 hours a day, seven days a week. I am mentally and physically exhausted. When I receive my grade, no matter what I have achieved I will know that it's my grade and I earned it. A cheat will receive a grade but it will not be a true reflection of their own efforts.
Lee Lewis Herrington, Warwickshire