UAE student grades to undergo four levels of review under new assessment policy
Schools must run moderation checks across all grades and subjects under the new policy
Dubai: Student grades in UAE schools will undergo four levels of review, moderation and quality control under the Ministry of Education’s assessment policy for the 2026-2027 academic year, in a system intended to make marking more accurate, fair and consistent.
Responsibility begins with the teacher at classroom level, before moving to the school principal, the school cluster director and ultimately the ministry’s General Education Examinations and Assessment Department at system level.
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The approach is designed to prevent the accuracy of grades from depending solely on an individual teacher or school and to identify differences in how student performance is judged across classrooms and schools.
The ministry’s assessment guidance describes grade moderation as a central quality-assurance measure and requires schools to conduct comprehensive reviews covering all grades and subjects.
Teachers’ marking to be compared
The checks will examine whether teachers are applying the same assessment standards and marking procedures consistently.
Teachers will also take part in professional discussions intended to establish a shared understanding of assessment criteria, while their marking results will be compared to identify differences and improve consistency in awarding grades.
School administrations must organise regular grade-moderation sessions, creating a formal process for teachers to review assessment practices, discuss marking standards and ensure students’ work is judged on a consistent basis.
The policy is intended to reduce discrepancies that could arise when teachers interpret assessment criteria differently or use different approaches to marking.
The process will not stop at school level.
School Operations Sector teams will coordinate field visits to schools within the same cluster to assess whether comparable standards of quality, accuracy and fairness are being applied.
The four-stage structure moves responsibility for grading quality progressively outward, from the classroom to the school, then the cluster and finally the wider education system.
The ministry said the process is intended to strengthen the credibility of student grades and identify and address variations in assessment before they become embedded in results.
