UAE Ministry of Education launches comprehensive assessment for 14,000 educators ahead of 2025–2026 academic year
Project to assess professional competencies, identify skill gaps among public school staff
The Ministry of Education has launched the “Professional Competency Assessment Project for School Staff” for the 2025–2026 academic year. The initiative targets 14,059 teachers, school leaders, and support staff, and will run until July 10.
The project aims to assess professional competencies and identify skill gaps among public school staff, based on nationally approved competency frameworks. This evaluation serves as a preparatory step for building tailored professional development plans for the upcoming academic year, ultimately enhancing the quality of educational outcomes for 2025–2026.
According to the Ministry’s official website, the targeted participants are distributed across various educational levels:
10,865 from kindergartens and Cycle 1 schools,
911 from career progression schools, and
2,283 teachers seeking status adjustments.
The assessments are being conducted across 28 centers in 10 geographical locations throughout the UAE.
36 questions in 75 minutes
Each participant answers 30 to 36 questions within 30 to 75 minutes, distributed over three daily sessions between 8:30 AM and 2:00 PM. The assessment process is overseen by 66 assigned proctors, with dedicated IT specialists stationed at each center to ensure technical readiness and uninterrupted execution.
The field implementation of the project began on June 30, 2025, and continues until July 10. The School Operations Sector in Abu Dhabi has completed assessments across its three regions:
Abu Dhabi City: Four centers for 1,981 staff,
Al Dhafra: One center for 358 participants,
Al Ain: Six centers for 1,776 staff.
Assessments in Dubai and the Northern Emirates started on July 2 and will also run until July 10. This phase includes:
Six centers across Dubai and Sharjah for 6,813 participants,
Two centers in Ajman and Umm Al Quwain for 786 participants,
Two centers in Ras Al Khaimah for 1,165 participants,
Six centers in Fujairah and the Eastern Region to assess 1,180 participants.
To ensure effective implementation, the Ministry has mobilized five key sectors: Professional Development, School Operations, Digital Transformation, Support Services, and Regulatory and Licensing.
These sectors are tasked with six main responsibilities: question development, center scheduling, real-time technical support, logistical coordination for proctors, handling violations, and implementing disciplinary actions.
Four core competency domains
The assessment is based on four core competency domains that reflect the multifaceted role of educators within school and community settings:
High Ethics and Responsibility
Focuses on values and human aspects of the profession, such as promoting mental health and well-being, upholding professional ethics, and fostering cultural awareness.
Competent Educator
Emphasizes effective teaching practices, including curriculum integration, educational methods, formative assessment, lifelong learning, research skills, differentiated instruction, and effective school leadership.
Future Builder
Encourages educators to instill innovation, technological adaptability, foundational pedagogical principles, global awareness, and future readiness in students.
Community Contributor
Highlights the educator’s social role through building professional learning communities, fostering partnerships with parents, and establishing strategic collaborations.
Standardized licensing tests for Arabic Language Teachers
The Professional Licensing Department at the Ministry of Education has introduced standardized evaluation criteria for licensing tests of Arabic language teachers for non-native speakers (Grades 3–12), as part of its efforts to improve teaching standards and instructional quality.
According to the department’s comprehensive guide, the exam includes 135 questions, with 60% assessing language proficiency and 40% evaluating teaching skills.
The Ministry noted that all licensing exams conducted thus far target six main educator categories:
School Leadership (across all levels),
Arabic for Non-Native Speakers (Cycle 2 and 3),
Special Education (all cycles),
Computer Science – Python (Cycle 2 and 3),
Islamic Studies (Cycle 2 and 3), and
Business Administration (Cycle 2 and 3).
The Ministry emphasized that the licensing guide focuses on preparing specialized educators capable of scientifically and professionally enabling students to acquire Arabic as a second language. The test is designed to assess both linguistic and professional skills in an integrated manner, taking into account the unique needs and diverse linguistic and cultural backgrounds of non-Arabic-speaking learners.
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