Dubai tightens student promotion criteria for 2025–2026: New attendance and performance standards

Dubai: The Ministry of Education has approved a series of guidelines on student promotion for the 2025–2026 academic year, laying out detailed conditions on attendance, academic performance and reassessment opportunities across all school stages, according to Al Khaleej newspaper. 

The rules, contained in the ministry’s updated Student Assessment Policy Guide, divide requirements into three categories.

For grades 1 to 3, pupils will be promoted to the next grade if they complete all required assessments during at least two semesters and attend 65 percent of school days, or if they fulfill assessment requirements across three semesters. Failing to meet either condition means repeating the grade.

In grade 4, stricter rules apply: students must pass all “Group A” subjects with a minimum score of 50 percent and maintain no more than 15 days of unexcused absence, whether consecutive or separate. Failure on either count results in repeating the year.

The second tier, covering grades 5 to 8, carries similar conditions: all Group A subjects must be passed with at least 50 percent and unexcused absences must not exceed 15 days.

For high school students in grades 9 to 12, the threshold rises to a 60 percent minimum in all Group A subjects, alongside the same attendance requirement of fewer than 15 unexcused days.

The ministry also outlined rules for re-sit examinations. Students who fail to reach the minimum passing grade in any Group A subject will have one chance to retake the exam at the end of the academic year. Regardless of the score achieved, the result will be capped at 60, the minimum passing mark.

In addition, a new grade moderation policy will be applied across all elements of student records, particularly project-based learning and final evaluations. 

The ministry stressed that responsibility for fair and accurate grading rests with classroom teachers, school principals, regional supervisors and the central Department of Assessments.

The guidelines aim to ensure consistency and accountability across the education system, while balancing academic rigor with opportunities for students to recover from setbacks.