UAE announces first-term exam dates for Grades 3 to 12

The UAE Ministry of Education has unveiled the schedule for first-term exams for the 2026-2027 academic year, with students in Grades 3 to 12 required to attend school in person for the exams, which will take place from November 25 to December 11. The examination timetable applies to both government and private schools that follow the ministry's curriculum. Exams will be conducted on paper, electronically, or through a combination of both, depending on the subject and grade level.

For Grade 12 students in the general and advanced streams, the exam schedule kicks off with mathematics on November 25, followed by English on November 26 and chemistry on November 27. The exams resume on December 7 with physics, Arabic on December 8, Islamic Education on December 9, and social studies on December 10. The two streams conclude their exams with biology on December 11.

Grade 12 students in the applied stream will commence their exams with applied mathematics on November 25, English on November 26, and applied sciences on December 7. They will then take Arabic, Islamic Education, and social studies exams on December 8, 9, and 10, respectively. The general and advanced streams will sit eight subjects, while the applied stream will take six.

All examinations require mandatory in-person attendance, and students must bring their personal laptops to school during the examination period. Grade 3 and 4 students will take paper-based exams, while Grades 5 to 12 will undergo a mix of written and electronic tests, depending on the subject. For Grade 12 students in private schools following the ministry's curriculum, all exams must be taken at government schools, as per arrangements coordinated by the ministry's school operations sector.

In Arabic exams, the writing component will be conducted on paper, while the reading assessment will be electronic. Teachers are prohibited from reading centrally prepared questions aloud to students, except for those in Grade 3. They may read questions but must refrain from providing hints or guidance that could reveal the answers. The ministry has set November 20 as the deadline for schools to finalize and approve student assessment grades for all subjects in Groups A and B before the first-term exams commence.