Students in grades 5 through 12 at government and private schools following the Ministry of Education curriculum began sitting makeup examinations for the end of the third and final term of the 2025–2026 academic year. The exams are scheduled to run from yesterday through 9 July, amid assurances from school administrations that examination committees got under way in an organised atmosphere and that students encountered no technical problems during the tests.
Parents told Al Bayan that they were forced to postpone their summer holiday travel plans and incurred significant financial costs to modify their flight and accommodation bookings, so that their children could sit the makeup mathematics examination in particular — after the children had been unable to sit the original exam due to a technical failure that struck one of the country's private schools during that subject's examination period.
The parents confirmed that the decision to delay travel was driven by a desire to protect their children's opportunity to complete the academic year's requirements and to ensure their final results were not affected, noting that altering travel arrangements at this time of year was costly, especially with the holiday season under way and booking prices elevated.
They said their children had been ready to travel immediately after the end-of-year examinations concluded, but that the scheduling of the makeup exam required them to remain in the country until it was completed.
While acknowledging the importance of makeup examinations in safeguarding students' rights, the parents called for greater readiness of technical systems during final examinations to prevent a recurrence of such situations and the psychological and financial burdens they place on families.
School administrations in Dubai confirmed that the number of students sitting makeup exams at their schools was limited, restricted to cases involving officially approved absences or exceptional circumstances.
They noted that their schools had not experienced any technical faults or problems during the end-of-year examination period, which was reflected in the low numbers of students who needed to sit makeup exams.
They explained that the schools' success in providing devices, preparing networks, and deploying technical support teams within examination rooms helped enable students to sit their final exams on schedule without any obstacles, adding that the first day of makeup examinations passed smoothly, with no cases of malfunction or delays in accessing the electronic platforms recorded.
By contrast, the administration of one private school implementing the Ministry of Education curriculum stated that the number of students registered for the makeup mathematics examination was high compared with other subjects, as a result of a technical failure the school experienced during the original exam for that subject. This necessitated re-examining the affected students in accordance with approved procedures to ensure equal opportunity and protect students' rights.
The administration noted that the makeup mathematics exam was held in stable conditions, after full verification of the electronic systems' readiness and the deployment of technical and administrative support teams inside examination rooms, confirming that all students were able to complete the exam without any new faults or technical observations being recorded.
It added that the school took care to inform parents of the makeup examination timetable and required procedures to ensure students arrived on time and completed the exams before the announcement of final results.
Government schools, in circulars addressed to parents, emphasised the need to refrain from arranging or confirming travel outside the country before completing all examinations and results are announced, clarifying that makeup exams are being held between 6 and 9 July, while end-of-year examination results will be announced on 12 and 13 July.
The schools urged parents to instruct their children to adhere to approved timetables and not to leave the country before confirming that all academic procedures relating to exams and results have been completed, in order to protect students' interests and avoid any delays that could affect their educational progress.
The schools explained that makeup exams are designated for students authorised to sit exams remotely — whether inside or outside the country — students absent with an officially approved excuse, and students who experienced a technical fault during the sitting or submission of electronic examinations.
They confirmed that remote examination — whether inside or outside the country — will only be permitted in specific cases, including: accompanying a patient within the country with an approved report, receiving treatment within the country with an approved medical report, accompanying someone abroad in an official capacity, receiving treatment abroad from an official body, or carrying out an approved official assignment.
The schools stressed that travel for personal or recreational reasons does not constitute grounds for approval to sit exams remotely, calling on parents to complete the required official documents for each case and ensure they are approved before the examination date.
They affirmed that these procedures aim to guarantee fairness and equal opportunity for all students, ensure examinations are completed with transparency and accuracy, protect students' academic progress and final grades, and avoid any delay in announcing results or loss of students' rights.
For their part, students who sat the makeup exams confirmed that procedures for entering examination rooms and accessing electronic platforms were straightforward and well-organised, and that they encountered no technical problems during the exams.
They noted that the presence of technical support teams inside the schools gave them a sense of reassurance and helped them focus on their answers, particularly in the mathematics and social studies subjects.