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Thousands of pupils across the UAE and other countries in the Middle East are facing further educational upheaval due to the Iran war, after critical A-Level and GCSE international examinations were cancelled.
Leading UK education boards have confirmed in recent days that summer exams for school-leavers and university hopefuls would be scrapped, possibly putting academic aspirations on hold.
Pearson, a board that sets international GCSE exams in more than 80 countries, has halted exams due to be held in May and June for schools in the Emirates, Bahrain, Kuwait and Lebanon.
Cambridge International Education has also decided against holding the international exams, with schools asked to compile portfolios of pupils' work to help decide final grades.
Oxford AQA said in an update on its website on Thursday that it had not made a final decision on whether exams would go ahead in a number of countries, which include Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, UAE and Iraq.
But it said it was putting contingencies in place to support pupils if - as is expected - alternative assessments to exams were required.
Mehreen Arfaz was in the middle of a revision session when she found out that the summer tests she was preparing for would not take place.
The Year 11 pupil at Cambridge International School in Dubai had spent weeks working through mock papers on schedule, even as the conflict unfolded.
"She kept up her preparations until the announcement came," her father, Arfaz Iqbal, told The National. "She had a plan."
His reaction to the cancellation was initially one of disappointment. "I know – and she agrees as well – that she did not put in her full efforts for her mock exams. She said that she didn’t ‘lock in’ as much as she would have liked.”
That said, he’s confident she’s done enough to access the subjects she wants next year. "Given the current circumstances, I am happy that they are all safe and getting to go ahead with their education."
Meanwhile, Mehreen feels relief. “She was disappointed in the beginning but now she is happy that the load is off her shoulders,” said Mr Iqbal. “We still don’t know how the final grade will be calculated, so we are waiting to hear more about it.”
That tension – between relief and unease – describes the mood across UAE school communities this week, as families absorb the implications of a decision that will reshape how an entire cohort of pupils enters further education.
Disrupted studies and sleep
For pupils preparing for high-stakes exams, the past five weeks have been tough, said Nadia, a parent of an A Level pupil and representative of Sixth Form parents at Kings' School Al Barsha.
"Many are dealing with disrupted sleep due to middle-of-the-night emergency alerts, mental fatigue, and heightened stress. Online learning is not a substitute for the structure and environment A-Level pupils need in the weeks before their exams."
Her son, who holds a conditional offer from Boston University, felt the cancellation as both a release and a new source of worry. "He expressed a mix of relief and uncertainty. Relief from the immediate pressure, but also anxiety around how grades will be determined and what this means for university entry."
Across her school community, she said, the reaction has been one of "cautious acceptance". Parents understand why the cancellation is necessary. What they want now are answers about what comes next.
What happens to grades
Cambridge International Education has directed UAE schools to follow a portfolio route for the June 2026 series, under which schools submit curated evidence – including mock examinations, formal assessments, and coursework – for marking and grading.
Pearson Edexcel has confirmed it is finalising its own alternative arrangements with the aim of providing a grade "that reflects their performance" of pupils throughout their academic journey.
Oxford AQA said on its website that pupils will be able to use results from previous tests held during their studies to provide an overall grade for individual subjects.
In instances where pupils do not have previous grade units to take into account, schools will be asked to "provide evidence of performance for each student".
Mr Barney Durrant, headmaster of Brighton College Abu Dhabi, said all exam boards' criteria differed slightly, but the broad approach was consistent. "Most refer to a portfolio of evidence that the school will submit to exam boards in order for them to ascertain the appropriate grade level for pupils," he said.
"In some cases, we are still awaiting some clarity as to the minor detail of what that portfolio constitutes, but there is still scope for pupils to add to that body of evidence."
His advice to pupils is to continue on the same track. "Our advice for all pupils is to continue working as hard as they can to give themselves the best possible opportunity to achieve the grades they deserve." Any future assessments – whether taken in person when schools reopen or online – could still feed into the portfolio being compiled on their behalf.
Varun Jain, chief executive of UAE university guidance service UniHawk, echoed the message.
"Students should not interpret the cancellation of examinations as a reduction in the rigour expected of them," he said. "The knowledge they have built, and the effort they continue to invest in assessments and coursework will form the direct basis for the grades they receive."
The university question
The concern weighing most heavily on families is whether cancelled A-Level exams will affect university places. For pupils with unconditional offers – particularly from US institutions – the impact is likely to be minimal, said Mr Jain. But those holding conditional offers from competitive UK universities face more uncertainty.
"Institutions such as Oxford, Cambridge, Imperial College London and UCL, as well as highly competitive programmes such as Medicine and Dentistry, attach significant weight to final A-Level grades," he said. "For these pupils, it will be essential that schools submit comprehensive and credible evidence portfolios."
Fiona Cottam, principal of Dubai’s Hartland International School, said they were already working to protect pupils' outcomes before the announcement.
"We have so much evidence and data to support grades that there really should be no challenges to outcomes," she said. Schools with expert counsellors were in direct contact with admissions offices globally, and organisations including BSME and COBIS are meeting with UCAS in the UK next week "to ensure that our young people are treated fairly in these difficult times", she confirmed.
New York University Abu Dhabi also moved to reassure prospective pupils this week, stating that admission status would not be affected and that the university "will continue to accept official results issued through alternative assessment pathways".
The Covid comparison
For school leaders, the disruption carries an unavoidable echo of 2020, but there is one major difference, said Mr Durrant. "This is not affecting all pupils globally and so we are not all in the same boat," he said. "Exam boards will offer special consideration towards pupils who have been affected by this situation and aim to address this inequality."
The Covid experience, however, made exam boards better prepared, he added. "They have experience from Covid and are cognisant of the best and fairest way to cater for those who cannot take exams."
Mr Jain agreed that the precedent was instructive. "The Covid-19 period, when similar alternative grading arrangements were universally accepted by universities, provides a strong basis for confidence."
