Mandatory Nov 25 In-Person Exams Set for UAE Grades 3 to 12
The UAE Ministry of Education has approved the first-term examination timetable for the 2026, 2027 academic year, scheduling assessments from November 25 to December 11 nationwide. Students in Grades 3 to 12 enrolled in government schools and private schools following the ministry’s curriculum must attend all examinations in person.
Grade 12 Private School Candidates Must Sit Exams at Public Facilities
Students in Grades 5 through 12 are required to bring their personal laptops to school to take digital assessments, while pupils in Grades 3 and 4 will sit paper-based examinations. Grade 12 pupils registered at private schools following the ministry curriculum must take all their assessments inside government school buildings under arrangements coordinated by the ministry’s school operations sector.
Grade 12 general and advanced stream candidates will take eight exams starting with mathematics on Wednesday, November 25, followed by English on November 26 and chemistry on November 27. Testing resumes on Monday, December 7 with physics, followed by Arabic on December 8, Islamic Education on December 9, social studies on December 10, and biology on Friday, December 11. Applied stream candidates will sit six subjects, starting with applied mathematics on November 25, English on November 26, applied sciences on December 7, Arabic on December 8, Islamic Education on December 9, and social studies on December 10.
Grade 12 English assessments will cover both reading and writing electronically. Arabic exams will combine a paper-based writing section with an electronic reading assessment. Under the directives, teachers are strictly forbidden from reading exam questions aloud to pupils in Grade 4 and above; Grade 3 teachers may read questions aloud but are barred from offering hints. Schools must finalize and approve all student assessment marks for Groups A and B by November 20.
