Cambridge O Level or A Level Certificate Lost in Pakistan: Certifying Statement, Name Errors and Verification
Lost a Cambridge O Level or A Level certificate in Pakistan? Apply for a certifying statement online, fix name errors through your school, and verify results.
If your Cambridge O Level or A Level certificate is lost, Cambridge does not print a second certificate. It issues a certifying statement instead, applied for online through its CertStat service, and Cambridge says correct applications are dealt with within four weeks. Universities accept the statement as proof of your grades.
We read Cambridge International's pages on lost certificates and on verifying results on 1 November 2026. Below are the routes for three common problems: a lost certificate, a wrong name or date of birth, and a university or employer that wants to verify old grades.
A lost Cambridge certificate is replaced by a certifying statement
Cambridge calls the replacement a certifying statement. It shows all your grades from one exam series and is accepted by universities and other institutions as proof of results. You apply online using the "Certifying Statement Application, Results and Certificates, Form 7" service at certstat.cie.org.uk.
Each statement covers a single series. So if you sat O Level papers in both November 2024 and June 2025, you need a statement for each series you want to prove. The same applies to A Level: the June 2026 Cambridge A Level results and a later November sitting are two series.
The statement leaves out some entries. Cambridge says it shows every grade except results marked "UNGRADED", "NO RESULT", "PENDING" or "TO BE ISSUED". A subject you failed or missed will not appear, which is usually what you want for admission.
| Problem | What Cambridge offers | Who applies | Time |
|---|---|---|---|
| Certificate lost or damaged | Certifying statement | You, online through CertStat | Within 4 weeks of a correct application |
| Wrong name or date of birth, certificate under 18 months old | Amendment request | Your school or exam centre | Case by case |
| Wrong details, certificate over 18 months old | Certifying statement with an amendment note | You, online through CertStat | Case by case |
| University checking results from the last 5 years | Online check on Cambridge International Direct | The university | Free |
| Results older than 5 years | Verification of Results form | The institution, employer or you | Fee per certificate |
How to apply for a Cambridge certifying statement from Pakistan
Collect your centre number, candidate number and the exam series first, then apply on CertStat. The statement can be sent to you or straight to a public institution such as a university. Cambridge says the form explains what you must do before it sends anything.
- Find your centre number, candidate number and the exam month and year. An old statement of results, admit card or school record will have them.
- Open the CertStat service from Cambridge's lost certificates page.
- Choose the series and the qualification you need proof for.
- Choose where the statement goes: to you, or directly to a university or other public institution.
- Pay the fee shown on the form and keep the confirmation.
We could not see the fee. The CertStat site loads its form only in a browser session, and Cambridge's public pages do not print the amount. Read it on the form before you pay, and pay only on the Cambridge site.
Ask your old school before you start. It may still hold a copy of your statement of results, and a school letter with your candidate number saves a lot of searching.
A wrong name or date of birth goes through your school first
If your certificate was issued in the last 18 months, Cambridge sends every amendment request back to the centre where you sat the exams. If it is older, you apply for a certifying statement and explain the amendment in the "Additional notes" box. Cambridge decides each case and does not promise the outcome.
Cambridge also says it will not replace a certificate to show a name you changed later, for example after marriage. The certificate stays in the name you had when the award was made.
The cheapest fix is before the result. Cambridge asks candidates to check the Statement of Entry once the school has made entries. If you are sitting the November 2026 papers now, check that sheet this week. Results for this series come out on 7 and 14 January 2027, and Cambridge's key dates sheet says certificates follow in mid-March 2027.
Universities can verify recent results online for free
Admissions offices can register for Cambridge International Direct and check results from the previous five years online at no charge. They need your centre number, candidate number, date of birth and the exam series, so give those with your application.
For results older than five years, Cambridge's verification of students' results page has a Verification of Results application form. Universities, students, employers and agencies such as WES can use it. Cambridge checks the result against its permanent record and emails a PDF confirmation to one named contact. It does not send the verification to the student, and it charges a fee per certificate per student, printed on the form.
Pakistani admissions often need an equivalence certificate as well as proof of grades. The IBCC O and A Level equivalence rules explain which subjects count, and the process for university degree verification works on similar lines once you reach that stage.
Watch for fake certificate services
Cambridge issues certifying statements and verifications itself, through its own site. Agents who offer a "new Cambridge certificate" in a few days, or ask you to pay into a personal account, are not part of that process.
Cambridge also keeps a page warning about online scams and fake exam papers. If a message asks for money to "release" your result or certificate, stop and ask your school or the British Council first.
Common questions
Can I get a duplicate Cambridge O Level certificate?
No. Cambridge issues a certifying statement instead of a second certificate, and universities accept it as proof of results.
How long does a certifying statement take?
Cambridge says correctly submitted applications are dealt with within four weeks of receipt.
What is the fee for a certifying statement?
Cambridge shows the fee on the CertStat application form. We could not see the amount on its public pages.
My name is spelt wrong on my certificate. What do I do?
If the certificate is under 18 months old, ask the school or centre where you sat the exam. If it is older, apply for a certifying statement and explain the amendment in the notes.
Can Cambridge send my verification to me?
No. Verification of results goes only to the third party, such as a university or employer, by email.
Does one certifying statement cover all my O Level subjects?
It covers all grades from one exam series. If you sat subjects in different series, apply for each series.
How we verified this
What we checked, where we read it, and what we could not confirm.
Last checked 1 November 2026. We read Cambridge International's lost certificates page, its verification of students' results page and its results page on cambridgeinternational.org on 1 November 2026. The four week timeline, the 18 month amendment rule, the five year Direct window and the list of excluded result types come from those pages. We could not read the CertStat form or its fee, because the service loads only in a browser session, and we did not apply for a statement ourselves.
About the author
Public Services and Education Journalist
Fajr Riaz is a journalist and content writer at Pakistan Era, based in Lahore. She covers the questions people meet in everyday life in Pakistan: how a public service works, what a change in the rules means, and where to find a reliable answer.
