Pearson Edexcel and Cambridge cancel exams in UAE: Know new grading rules, results and more

Following the ongoing regional conflict in the Middle East and the effects of the US-Israel-Iran war, numerous boards across the Gulf have cancelled examinations for students and stuck to alternative evaluation methods for the assessment of their results. Now, UK boards have also cancelled exams for students in UAE. UK exam board Pearson Edexcel announced on Thursday that all international GCSE, International A Level, and iPLS qualifications would be cancelled for the May/June 2026 series. This decision is applicable in countries including UAE, Bahrain, Kuwait and Lebanon, as per an announcement made by Emma Whale, Vice President, International Schools. She shared that the decision was taken in consultation with local authorities and other international awarding bodies considering the current situation. They wanted to place the safety of the students and staff as their top priority. Schools will be working with the board to submit portfolios of students' work which will be used for marking and grading. This will help ensure that the students receive certification for their efforts without sitting formal exams. It also aids in their academic progress without them having to lose out on the efforts made throughout the year. Cambridge International Education also announced that schools in the UAE will not conduct traditional exams for the June 2026 series. Decided in coordination with the UAE Ministry of Education, the changes affect students taking Cambridge IGCSE, Cambridge O Level, Cambridge International AS & A Level, and the Cambridge IPQ. The Cambridge curriculum, Cambridge Assessment International Education is one of the most widely offered international systems in the UAE with over 120 schools in the UAE offering the programmes. The Cambridge schools will also implement a portfolio-based grading route. Schools will be required to compile a student's coursework and internal assessments for submissions and they will be graded on the basis of these. Each portfolio will consist of three substantial pieces of evidence per subject, and students will receive official Cambridge certification, recognised by universities worldwide. Previously, exams for IB and Indian boards such as CBSE and CISCE had also been cancelled in the emirate, considering the consistent geopolitical tensions surrounding the region. The uncertainty of these examinations had numerous parents and students in a state of anxiety over their academic future. However, the announcement of cancellations arrived as a welcome relief.