The UAE Ministry of Education and schools in the Emirates have cancelled 2026 IB (International Baccalaureate) final examinations and said students will receive grades under an alternative assessment system after disruptions linked to escalating regional conflict. The decision — reported by multiple outlets — affects hundreds of students in UAE schools and has immediate implications for university applications across the Middle East, including applicants targeting Jordanian and international programmes.
What this means for students: universities typically accept IB diploma results, predicted grades, or school-certified alternative assessments. If your final IB exams in the UAE were cancelled, your school should issue an official statement and provide the alternative grade report or evidence of teacher assessment. Holders of cancelled exam entries must immediately request certified documentation from their school and the IB Coordinator; universities will need these records for admissions and for any appeal or verification processes.
Practical next steps and deadlines: contact your school’s IB coordinator and request the official grade statement and any explanatory letter from the school or local authority. Notify the universities where you hold offers — many institutions are already adjusting entry requirements and may convert conditional offers to unconditional based on alternative grades. If you are applying to Jordanian universities, liaise with admissions offices (and with Shatnawi for help) to confirm whether they will accept the alternative IB certification, and check national document-equivalency rules. If you need Jordanian certificate equivalency, Shatnawi offers a document equivalency service (70 JOD fee) and can guide submission timing to avoid missed deadlines.
Consider backup pathways: students whose grades are affected should weigh alternatives such as deferred entry, foundation programmes, or applying to universities with rolling admissions. For medical and dental aspirants, Georgia remains a reliable option: English-medium programmes in Batumi and Tbilisi with WHO/EU recognition and competitive fees (from roughly $4,000/year) are available through our counselling pipeline. Shatnawi can also assist with transfers and application fast-tracking to partner universities — for example, students applying through Shatnawi to Applied Science Private University (ASU) in Amman receive a 10% registration discount, to University of Jordan (UJ) a 20% discount, and to Jordan University of Science & Technology (JUST) a 25% discount.
How Shatnawi can help: our team in Amman can review alternative grade documents, communicate with target universities on your behalf, and prepare contingency plans — from appeals and re-marks (where possible) to switching to alternative intakes or programmes. We also provide scholarship matching, exam preparation (IELTS, SAT, AP, IB tutoring) and application support for Turkey, Egypt, Georgia and European destinations. For immediate guidance, contact Shatnawi via WhatsApp at +962791888699 or visit shatnawiedu.com to book a consultation.