UAE students, schools react to CBSE Class 12 assessment scheme: Will internal marks reflect true potential?

Dubai: More than 10,000 CBSE Class 12 students in the UAE are processing a mix of relief and unease after India's Central Board of Secondary Education announced an alternative assessment scheme to replace board examinations cancelled across seven Middle Eastern countries due to the ongoing regional conflict.

The new policy, announced on March 27, uses school-based assessments — quarterly tests, half-yearly exams and pre-boards — to compute final marks for subjects that could not be examined in Bahrain, Iran, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and UAE.

For theory papers carrying 80 or 70 marks, the best score from these three internal assessments will be considered. For subjects with theory components of 60 marks or fewer, only the final pre-board result counts. While school leaders have broadly acknowledged the policy's structure, students and some principals have raised pointed concerns about whether internal marks can fairly represent what students are capable of.

Mixed feelings

For Grade 12 commerce student Devarshi Chaube, the announcement brings a particular sting. "Throughout the year, many of us struggled to adjust to the syllabus and its depth, and our early performance did not match the standards set by the school. By the time we finally understood the concepts and felt confident, we did not get the opportunity to demonstrate our true potential in the final board examinations," he said.

He urged CBSE to factor in the well-known gap between pre-board and final board performance and called for practical subjects that are assessed in the presence of external examiners to carry greater weightage.

Prisha Lala, a Grade 12 science student, said: "I was well prepared for the exam and hoping to get into the high 90s. I could solve the board papers very easily and it seems like a missed opportunity." She is now anxious about submitting final marks to a university that requires 98 per cent for admission. "I'm not sure how things will work out now."

Grace Maria Manoj from Abu Dhabi said: "It is no secret that school examinations for Grade 12 tend to be difficult, to help motivate students to study more vigorously for the final examination, but the reality of taking the score of one of the school exams (in some cases) can put a dent in any student's mood."

She also flagged uncertainty around the alternative examination mentioned in the CBSE circular. "Nothing much is known about it: when the exam would be conducted, where and how it would take place, and especially when the marks would be declared."

Admission fears

The concern goes beyond grades. Some students are now approaching universities directly to request entrance tests or alternative evaluations. "We want institutions to understand that our internal marks alone do not capture the improvement, effort, and performance we would have demonstrated in the final board examinations," Chaube said. Some have already reconsidered which universities or countries to apply to.

Ananya Meenakshi from Dubai said a board examination would still be the most appropriate solution. Barring that, she called for a school-level final examination as a fair alternative, with moderation applied to ensure scores better support university admissions.

Schools call for review

Some schools have made detailed institutional pushback. One has come from Ambassador School Sharjah, whose principal Arogya Reddy submitted a formal representation to CBSE.

The letter argues that a significant proportion of senior students, often 60 to 70 per cent, are applying to universities in the US, UK, Canada, Australia and New Zealand, where internal assessments serve a formative function, not a certifying one.

"Empirical evidence across cohorts consistently indicates that students outperform their school examination averages by a significant margin — often in the range of 15 to 25 per cent — in board examinations," the letter states.

The representation also raises a procedural concern: that answer scripts from internal assessments are returned to students as part of the learning cycle and are not retained as secure archival records suitable for external audit. The school called on CBSE to explore proctored assessment models used by other global examination bodies.

Among its suggestions, the letter mentions the option of students appearing at designated centres in India, noting that parent communities have indicated a willingness to consider this under structured conditions.

Board responds

Dr Ram Shankar, Professor and Director of the CBSE Regional Office and Centre of Excellence in Dubai, said the board had consulted widely and that student welfare had been the central consideration throughout. "The board has discussed this issue with all stakeholders and experts concerned. On the basis of concerns, issues and context, we have put the interest of students on top, and accordingly we have come up with this provision," he said.

He emphasised that the school-based scheme applies only to subjects where students could not appear. "For subjects where students have appeared, we are taking those marks and grades into consideration."

Dr Shankar acknowledged receiving representations from schools but said the broader mood among principals was positive. "One or two concerns may be there, and we can clarify. The maximum number of principals with whom I have discussed feel that it is wonderful — they appreciate and welcome the initiative."

On the alternative examination, he said details would follow as the situation develops and urged students and parents to rely only on official CBSE channels for updates.

“If any clarification is required, the CBSE office is there. Interpretation is very important, and sometimes what appears to be a concern is really about clarity. We always welcome suggestions, but the board takes decisions considering many factors,” he added.

Where students, schools agree

Not every voice is critical. Heera Subhash, a Grade 12 science student, called the "best of three" approach reasonable. "Since school assessments can vary in difficulty and evaluation, averaging scores might unfairly reduce a student's marks. Choosing the best score allows a student's true potential to be reflected," she said.

Manasvi Dhoot, also in Grade 12, said she was grateful CBSE acted with student safety in mind. "Exams in schools are conducted similar to the board pattern, so taking the best and highest mark will help students calculate their percentage and try to achieve their aims."

Punit MK Vasu, CEO of The Indian High Group of Schools in Dubai, described the scheme as "a thoughtful, structured and student-centric response to an unprecedented situation," noting that unlike during the COVID pandemic, this crisis involved exams that were partially conducted and partially cancelled, making a uniform solution impossible. "CBSE has managed to formulate a policy that is largely fair and reliable, as it is based on conclusive, documented evidence — namely, students' own performance records." He acknowledged that students in subjects with a smaller theory component may feel disadvantaged if they had a difficult pre-board day.

Dr Thakur S Mulchandani, School Director and Principal at Sunrise English Private School in Abu Dhabi, described the policy as a "very positive measure" that balances fairness, reliability, validity and transparency for students across the Gulf.

What happens next

Schools must upload marks between April 6 and April 13 via the CBSE online platform. Once submitted, no corrections are allowed. Supplementary examinations are scheduled for July 2026 for students who do not meet qualifying criteria, and re-evaluation options remain available after results are declared.

For now, thousands of students across the UAE are in a holding pattern: grateful the decision came quickly, but watching their university deadlines approach with a growing sense of urgency.