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The Times of India reported that the two-hour Maths exam was held on May 1 and 2, and the purported paper leak was discovered on May 3. The IB board holds the annual exams in three time zones.

The board acknowledged the situation, but it has not specified the country of origin for the leak. The report claimed the principals in Mumbai believe that the paper was leaked from Turkey.

The time zone difference suggested that the paper leak was less likely to benefit Indian students, but those in Hong Kong, Singapore, Europe, and the Americas might have benefitted.

The report added that this is the first instance of a paper leak in the over 55-year history of the Switzerland-based board.

The IB said on Sunday that it discovered a small number of students had engaged in “time zone cheating” and there was “no evidence” the practice was widespread. However, the Post found the materials had been downloaded more than 45,000 times, reported SMCP.

What is International Baccalaureate (IB)?

International Baccalaureate (IB) is headquartered in Geneva, Switzerland and was founded in 1968. It is a non-profit organisation governed by a Board of Governors representing cultural and geographical diversity. IB curriculum is divided into 4 programmes:

(i) Primary Years Programme for children aged 3-12

(ii) Middle Years Programme for students aged 11-16

(iii) Diploma Programme for students aged 16-19

(iv) Career- Related Programme for students aged 16-19

There are 210 IB World schools in India, with larger concentrations in New Delhi, Mumbai, Kolkata, Bangalore and Chennai.