The International Baccalaureate (IB) has cancelled the May 2026 written examinations for candidates in the United Arab Emirates and will use an alternative grading model to award final marks, according to reporting by The Times of India and related coverage. The move follows a period of extended remote learning in the UAE and public safety concerns tied to the regional security situation; IB has said it will provide guidance and support to affected students and schools.
What this means for students: awarded grades will replace the scheduled exam marks for university admissions. Universities and credential evaluators typically accept IB-awarded scores, but practices vary by country and by institution. For Jordanian students and others across the Middle East, the immediate implications include how conditional offers are handled, whether scholarship thresholds are met, and how the Jordanian Ministry of Higher Education and universities will process equivalency certificates based on alternative IB results.
Practical steps students should take now: contact your school’s IB coordinator to obtain the official statement of awarded grades and any internal assessment records; ask your coordinator to upload required documents to the IB’s candidate portal and to send predicted/awarded grades directly to universities. Immediately notify any universities where you hold offers and ask how they will treat awarded grades, scholarship criteria, or conditions that referenced specific exam scores. If you intended to sit exams to improve scores, ask your coordinator about retake windows (the IB typically schedules alternate sessions such as November) and about the appeals process.
Deadlines and administrative checkpoints: do not assume offers will be automatically honoured without documentation. Many UK, US and regional universities require official results or confirmations by specified dates — check each institution’s portal and admissions office. Jordanian applicants who need an Equivalency Certificate should prepare to submit the IB award documentation as soon as it is available; contact the Ministry of Higher Education or your target university’s admissions office for exact deadlines. If you have scholarships tied to raw exam scores, contact the awarding body immediately to verify eligibility.
How Shatnawi for College Admissions and Academic Consultations can help: our advisers can liaise with your school to obtain awarded-grade documents, review university offer conditions, and prepare applications for equivalency or scholarship reconsideration. We can also help plan contingencies such as retakes, alternative standardized tests (SAT, ACT, TOEFL) and timeline adjustments for deferred admission.
Students and families should monitor official IB and school communications closely, and contact receiving institutions without delay to confirm next steps. For personalized guidance, contact Shatnawi for College Admissions by WhatsApp at +962791888699 or visit shatnawiedu.com.