If you didn't know, today was O-level results day.

In general, things looked good, with this year having the highest pass rate since 1995.

Amidst the good news though, there was absolutely shocking news.

32 papers, 20 from Nan Hua High School, and 12 from Hong Kah secondary, had gone missing.

The missing papers were for A-Maths Paper 2.

The make-up results are to be compiled using this really complicated explanation.

"Cambridge Assessment and SEAB took into consideration the 32 candidates’ performance in the other Additional Mathematics Paper 2, which makes up 44% of the final grade, relative to the entire cohort’s overall performance in the subject.

To check for consistency in the affected candidates’ overall performance in Additional Mathematics, Cambridge Assessment and SEAB also considered the candidates’ school preliminary examination results. It is important to note that the derived final grade is not simply a rebasing of Paper 1 from 44% to 100%."

Paper 2 makes up about 56 percent of the total score.

Of the 32 affected students, three would receive a failing grade under this new marking system.

However, MOE noted that almost all the affected candidates had been awarded better or the same grades as compared to their preliminary examinations.

How were the papers lost

This reminded one of last year's incident, where 238 "A" Level Chemistry exams were stolen.

But here's the thing, this time, it wasn't even a nefarious scheme where someone knowingly took the papers.

This is what happened.

A Cambridge examiner was on his way to the North of England on November 21, 2018 with the papers in tow.

While on the crowded train, he had his bag mistakenly taken by another passenger.

That's it.

They couldn't retrieve the bag, and the search is still ongoing.

What about the kids?

The 32 students affected will be given two options.

Either take the new grade, calculated by the aforementioned method, or sit again for the exams.

They will then take the better of the two grades, and that will be their final grade for paper 2.

For those who wish to sit again for paper 2, the paper is on February 15, 2019.

This is basically a month from now.

The results for the make-up examination will be released at the end of February.

Reactions

While the exam plans are rather detailed, the underlying source of discontent judging from most comments can be summed by this.

Most were perplexed as to why we still send the papers over to Cambridge.

Although some did try and explain why we do.

Perhaps they could send the the markers to us?

Or if not, at least let technology help a bit?

The papers are now very much lost, and even with some really good suggestions on where to find them...

It's probably a lost cause.

The issue of how they got lost in the first place on a train though is a real sticking point. Unless...

But at the end of the day, the most important thing to take note of is the students themselves, and how it will affect them.

All the best to the students involved.

Image collated from MOE and Cambridge Assessment International Exams FB Screenshots from Today and CNA's Facebook