UAE Ministry of Education: 5 rules for make-up exams for grades 3–12

The UAE Ministry of Education has set out a series of regulatory requirements for the make-up examinations of the first semester of the 2025/2026 academic year, designated for students in grades 3 through 12, to ensure discipline in the assessment process and uphold fairness among all candidates.

Five requirements

In its examination guidelines shared via its social media channels, the ministry stated that the five requirements focus on administering the make-up exam only to students who were absent with an accepted excuse from the first-semester final exams, or those who experienced technical issues during the test.

It added: “The data of absent students or those affected by technical issues must have been previously entered by the school administration into the approved absence and technical-fault reporting portal, and officially validated by the School Operations Sector or the relevant educational authority.”

Student data verification

The ministry added: “Schools must verify the accuracy and validity of the data of students taking the exams remotely, review their identification documents, and obtain approval from the educational sector before allowing them to sit for the test.”

The ministry stressed the importance of implementing all procedures outlined in the Examination Management and Administration Manual without exception, to ensure unified execution across all schools. It also emphasised the need to notify targeted students and their parents of the scheduled make-up exam dates, confirming that no alternative opportunity will be granted to those who miss these dates.

Exam schedule

In line with these requirements, the Ministry of Education attached the official schedules for the make-up exams for grades 3–12, reaffirming its commitment to providing a fair opportunity for students who were unable to take their exams on the original dates due to valid circumstances or technical failures.

According to the exam schedule, the examinations will commence on Monday, December 8, with Grade 12 students (General, Advanced, and Elite tracks) taking the Physics exam in the morning between 9am and 10.30am, followed by the Social Studies exam for all tracks between 10.30am and 11.30am on the same day.

English and chemistry

On Tuesday, December 9, Grade 12 students will sit for the English Language exam from 9am to 10.30am, which includes both the electronic written component and the electronic reading component. This will be followed by the Chemistry exam for the General, Advanced, and Elite tracks from 10.30am to 11.30am.

The exams will continue on Wednesday, December 10, with the Mathematics exam for the General, Advanced, and Elite tracks from 9am to 10.30am.

Arabic and Islamic Studies

On Thursday, December 11, Grade 12 students in all tracks will take the Arabic Language exam from 9am to 10.30am, followed by the Islamic Education exam from 10.30am to 11.30am.

Students will conclude the make-up exam period on Friday, December 12, with the Biology exam for the General, Advanced, and Elite tracks in a unified session from 9am to 11am, marking the final day of the first-semester make-up exams.

The Ministry of Education had previously announced the dates and regulations for the make-up exam window for the first semester of the 2025–2026 academic year for students in grades 3 through 12 across all tracks — General, Advanced, Elite, and Applied — in public schools and private schools that follow the Ministry’s curriculum. The exams are scheduled to take place from 8 to 12 December.

Two Targeted Categories

According to the Ministry guidelines, the make-up exams are intended for two categories of students:

      1.    Those who were absent from the final exams with an accepted excuse.

      2.    Those who encountered verified technical issues through the IDH platform.

In-Person Exams

The Ministry underscored the requirement for all students to be physically present at their schools to take all exams, including both paper-based and electronic assessments.

Private School Students

It also confirmed that students in private schools following the Ministry curriculum must sit for their exams at public schools, in coordination with the respective institutions.

English and Chemistry Details

The Ministry noted that the Grade 12 English exam consists of two fully electronic components, while the Chemistry exam includes the provision of a printed periodic table for students in the General and Advanced tracks, and an electronic version via the Swift Assess platform for those in the Elite track.