185 Teaching Days Ahead: Here is Your 2026-27 UAE School Calendar Breakdown
Pupils return to classrooms across the UAE tomorrow, August 31, 2026, marking the start of a 37-week academic year. If your children attend public schools or private schools following the Ministry of Education curriculum, their upcoming year packs 185 teaching days and an early slate of assessments starting within days of arrival.
The schedule forms part of a three-year academic plan released by the Ministry of Education covering school years through 2028, 29, giving parents and administrators predictable term dates, official holidays, and testing blocks well in advance.
Term 1: Initial Assessments and Winter Break
The first term spans 13 weeks and delivers 67 teaching days before the winter holiday. Testing starts almost immediately after students settle into their classrooms.
The Arabic Baseline Assessment is scheduled from September 7 to October 2, running alongside diagnostic examinations set for September 7 to 18. Pupils will then sit for the Standardised Proficiency Assessment from October 5 to 30.
A mid-term break offers relief from October 12 to 16. During this period, administrative and teaching staff will participate in specialized training from October 12 to 14 before taking their own two-day break on October 15 and 16.
Exam schedules ramp up significantly in November. Mock exams are set for November 18 to 20, followed immediately by the first round of end-of-term examinations from November 25 to 27. Following the National Day holiday break from December 2 to 4, examinations resume from December 7 to 11.
Pupils begin their winter break on December 14, extending through January 1, though any students needing first-term make-up examinations will sit for them between December 14 and 18. Teachers and administrative personnel begin their winter break a week later, on December 21.
Term 2: Eid Al Fitr and Spring Break
Classes resume for the second term on January 4, 2027. Families will receive first-term report cards shortly after returning, with results scheduled for release between January 6 and 8.
Term two covers 12 weeks and 60 teaching days. Students will receive an official holiday for Eid Al Fitr from March 8 to 12. School-based final assessments take place from March 22 to April 2, leading directly into a one-week spring break running from April 5 to 9.
Term 3: TIMSS Testing and Final Exams
Pupils and staff return together on April 12, 2027, for the third and final term, which consists of 12 weeks and 58 teaching days.
This final term carries several major evaluation blocks. The main Trends in International Mathematics and Science Study (TIMSS 2027) will run from April 19 to May 14. A second session of the Standardised Proficiency Assessment is slated for May 3 to June 11.
Final preparations begin with mock examinations from June 14 to 18, leading into the mandatory end-of-year exams from June 21 to 30.
July 2, 2027, marks the official final day of the academic year for pupils. Make-up examinations take place from July 1 to 6, and end-of-year results will be announced between July 7 and 9.
To support institutional performance, specialized training sessions for teachers and administrative staff are distributed across four distinct windows throughout the academic calendar: during the preparatory week before pupils return, and in dedicated blocks during October, December, and July.
