**What happened:** Education authorities in the United Arab Emirates announced the cancellation of the May 2026 International Baccalaureate (IB) final examinations for students in the UAE. The IB organization has said it will implement an alternative grading mechanism for affected candidates and is offering support services and guidance to schools and students while the Middle East security situation remains unstable.
The IB’s move follows similar decisions reported across the region and has been confirmed in media coverage and statements relayed to schools. WhichSchoolAdvisor and other education outlets reported that IB is reassuring students and providing channels for queries; major outlets such as The Times of India and Tes noted the cancellations and the extraordinary circumstances behind them.
Why this matters to students in Jordan and the wider Middle East: many universities—both regional and international—use final IB results to confirm admissions offers, award scholarships, and complete enrolment steps. Interruptions to the exam schedule or a switch to a non-exam grading model can delay final certification, complicate equivalency and accreditation processes used by the Jordanian Ministry of Higher Education, and affect scholarship deadlines or conditional offers that explicitly require exam results.
Practical steps students should take now: contact your school’s IB coordinator immediately to request the official school statement about the cancellation and details of how internal assessments, predicted grades, and course records will be handled; obtain copies of Internal Assessment marks, Extended Essay feedback and teacher predicted grades; notify the admissions offices of any universities where you hold offers and ask how they will consider alternative/awarded grades. Also, apply for or expedite any national equivalency (معادلة الشهادة) with Jordan’s وزارة التعليم العالي if you intend to study in Jordan—these processes can take several weeks.
Shatnawi for College Admissions and Academic Consultations can help students interpret IB communications, liaise with universities and the Ministry of Higher Education, and prepare documentation for admissions or scholarship appeals. For immediate guidance, students can contact Shatnawi by WhatsApp at +962791888699 or visit shatnawiedu.com to arrange one-on-one assistance.