A high-achieving student’s father, Cezary Bednarski, is demanding an apology and compensation from exam board Pearson after his son, Emil, had his math GCSE result invalidated due to “cheating” allegations. Cezary Bednarski expressed his frustration, deeming the treatment of his son “worse than a criminal” over allegations of misconduct.
The controversy stems from Emil discovering a question online that later appeared on his exam paper.
A Scandalous Treatment: Accusations and Consequences
Cezary Bednarski, a well-known architect, strongly criticized the handling of his son’s case. Emil found a question while revising online, which led to allegations of cheating. After taking the exam, he was reportedly “accosted” by invigilators and subjected to a three-hour interrogation.
Cezary Bednarski is now seeking an apology and compensation from Pearson, accusing them of “gross misconduct.”
The Online Discovery and Reporting
Emil, a student at Kensington Aldridge Academy in west London, found the questionable content online the night before his exam while searching for practice papers.
Perplexed by the trigonometry question, he sought clarification from a teacher on the morning of the exam.
The teacher recognized the question from the paper and reported it to the school, triggering the investigation.
Exam Board’s Findings and Family’s Discontent
The Bednarski family finds the exam board’s findings of “malpractice” unconvincing.
Cezary Bednarski stressed that students often source practice material online and suggested that Pearson should have proactively screened for questions that could appear on their papers.
He emphasized the need for fairness in such situations and highlighted concerns about his son’s human rights.
The Unfolding Investigation and Data Breach
The situation further unraveled as questions about the source of the alleged breach emerged.
Reports indicate that questions from the math paper, taken by thousands of students on that day, may have been leaked before the exam began.
Cambridgeshire Police initiated an investigation into a data breach targeting Pearson and another exam board, OCR, earlier in the year. Both boards had exam papers extracted and sold online.
The Impact on Emil’s Education and Future
After an appeal, Emil received a Grade 5 in his math exam, equivalent to a high C or low B under the old grading system, with the paper containing the disputed question being invalidated.
Cezary Bednarski believes that if all of Emil’s math papers had been marked, he would have achieved a higher grade.
He called for a re-marking of papers for all students who took the exam while excluding the contested question.
The Ongoing Impact and Call for Accountability
Emil is now preparing to retake his math GCSE next month, with Cezary Bednarski expressing concerns about how this incident could affect his son’s education and future opportunities.
He urged Pearson to issue an apology, acknowledging their mistake and the impact on Emil’s academic and career prospects.
The Bednarski family’s ordeal underscores the importance of transparent and fair examination practices for students.