The UAE announced the cancellation of 2026 International Baccalaureate (IB) final examinations and said it will use an alternative grading system for affected students. The move follows a period of regional instability and is part of broader disruptions to international exam delivery in parts of the Middle East; other exam boards including Pearson, OxfordAQA and Cambridge have also reported cancellations or changes in the region.
What this means for students: universities typically accept IB results, predicted grades or alternative assessments, but each institution and country may respond differently. Students applying to Jordanian universities, to medical schools in Georgia or to partner institutions in Turkey and Europe should immediately confirm how each target university will treat substituted or predicted IB grades when making admission decisions.
Immediate actions students should take:
- Contact your school’s IB coordinator to get the official statement on how your grades will be calculated and documented.
- Ask teachers for confirmed predicted grades and written references; collect any internal assessment evidence and coursework records.
- Notify the universities where you have applications or offers and request written confirmation of how they will accept alternative grades or evidence.
- If you need certified translations, equivalency or fast submission of documents for late applications, consider using Shatnawi for document equivalency (70 JOD service fee) and admissions support.
For applicants to Jordanian institutions: check deadlines and conditional offer terms. If you are applying through a consultancy, confirm whether your 12th-grade equivalency will be accepted in lieu of final exam certificates. Students applying through Shatnawi to partner universities should note available registration discounts (Applied Science Private University — 10% registration discount; University of Jordan — 20%; Jordan University of Science & Technology — 25%) which may help if you need to adjust plans quickly.
Longer-term options and support: students who lose the chance to sit IB exams should evaluate parallel pathways — for example, English-medium medicine and dentistry programs in Georgia (Tbilisi and Batumi) remain open to international applicants and usually accept alternative credentialing; Turkey and Egypt remain accessible options for those seeking to shift plans. Shatnawi for College Admissions & Academic Consultations can help with fast application reviews, scholarship matching, and exam-prep planning (IELTS, SAT, IB revision) to keep your timeline on track.
Stay proactive: keep digital copies of all school communications, request written confirmation from examination authorities and universities, and act fast on any requests for additional documentation. For personalised guidance, contact Shatnawi on WhatsApp at +962791888699 or visit shatnawiedu.com.