Technical malfunction disrupts physics exam on first day of final assessments in UAE

Ministry of Education says problem was monitored and most cases were resolved

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Students reported that they were unable to submit their physics exam papers due to the sudden malfunction.
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Abu Dhabi: On the first day of the second semester final exams at schools following the Ministry of Education curriculum, an unexpected technical malfunction disrupted the administration of the physics exam, preventing students from submitting their answer sheets. The Ministry of Education announced that its technical teams identified and addressed most of the reported issues.

Several school administrations confirmed that students faced difficulties in submitting their exams after completing their answers due to the technical failure, which also delayed their departure beyond the scheduled exam time.

Students reported that they were unable to submit their physics exam papers due to the sudden malfunction and had to remain in the exam halls for nearly an hour after the official exam time had ended before school administrations allowed them to leave.

Issue detection

In response to media inquiries, the Ministry of Education stated that it had received several reports from both public and private schools following the national curriculum, highlighting technical failures during the physics exams.

 The ministry immediately took action to resolve the issue in collaboration with relevant entities, successfully addressing most of the reported technical glitches through the CRM system. Additionally, it provided a toll-free number (067017100) and an email address for schools and students to report any technical issues during the exam period. The ministry emphasized its ongoing coordination with partners to prevent further technical challenges in upcoming exams.

A Second Chance for Affected Students

The ministry assured that students who were unable to complete their exams due to technical issues would be identified through the system and granted a second opportunity to sit for make-up exams. These make-up tests are specifically designed for students who miss final exams due to valid reasons or face technical difficulties during the assessment process.

Mixed reactions from students

Student opinions varied regarding the difficulty of two specific questions in the written exam—one from the “Current and Resistance” unit and another on Kirchhoff’s Law for DC circuits. These questions required specific problem-solving skills.

 Many students confirmed that the exam was well-aligned with the official curriculum and structured according to the second-semester syllabus. While the questions varied in difficulty, ranging from easy to challenging and unexpected, they were generally direct and catered to different learning levels.

Exam coverage and time allocation

Most students estimated that approximately 70 per cent of the exam focused on “Electric Potential,” the third unit in the physics curriculum, while the remaining 30 per cent covered other topics from the second semester.

Regarding the exam duration, students noted that while the electronic test did not require extra time for answering and reviewing, the written section needed additional time. They pointed out that the physics exam included indirect questions that required careful analysis to determine the correct answers—a familiar challenge for most students.

The exam paper consisted of 20 questions, with 15 administered electronically and five on paper. Each question required students to perform calculations on separate sheets to determine the correct response.

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