Updated 29 October 2026

IGCSE and A level exam series and results days in the UAE

When each exam board runs GCSE, IGCSE and A level exams for UAE schools, when results come out, and what happened to the 2026 exams.

The main exam series is May/June, with results in August (OxfordAQA moves to late July in 2027). Cambridge and Pearson also run autumn series, with results in the new year for Cambridge.

In 2026, the May/June exams in UAE schools were cancelled by Cambridge, Pearson and OxfordAQA, and grades were awarded from evidence of students' work.

Exam series by board

Which board and series your child sits is decided by the school, subject by subject. Check the options booklet or ask the exams officer.

Board and qualification	Exam series
Cambridge IGCSE and Cambridge International AS & A Level	June series (held in May and June) and November series (held in October and November)
Pearson Edexcel International GCSE	May/June and November
Pearson Edexcel International AS/A Level	January, May/June and October
OxfordAQA International AS/A Level	May/June; an October/November series for all subjects from 2028, and a January series for biology, chemistry, physics, maths, further maths and economics from 2029
UK GCSE and A level (for example AQA, Pearson Edexcel)	May/June (reformed A levels: all exams in the summer)

Cambridge also runs a March series in India only. Exam start times are set by region: Cambridge gives each centre morning and afternoon 'Key Times' based on its location and publishes timetables by administrative zone, so use the timetable your school gives you rather than one found online.

Results days

Board and series	Results
Cambridge, June series	Mid-August. In 2026: AS & A Level on 11 August, IGCSE on 19 August
Cambridge, November series	Mid-January
OxfordAQA, May/June 2027	AS and A level: 28 July 2027. International GCSE: 4 August 2027
UK A levels	August (13 August in 2026)

Pearson publishes its own results dates for each series on its website, and your school will confirm the dates and how results are collected.

Upcoming dates in the table are from the boards' own pages, checked October 2026. For the next series, always check the board's current key dates.

What happened to the 2026 exams in the UAE

On 2 April 2026, all three international boards told UAE schools that the May/June 2026 exams would not go ahead, because of the regional conflict. Gulf News reported the three announcements the same day.

Cambridge

Cambridge cancelled its June 2026 series in Bahrain, Kuwait, Qatar and the UAE for Cambridge IGCSE, O Level and International AS & A Level. Grades were awarded through a portfolio of evidence: the school submitted three substantial pieces of work per student per subject (six for A level students who had not taken the AS). Once moved to the portfolio route, students could not switch back to exams. Cambridge has asked universities to recognise these grades as equivalent to grades achieved through exams.

Pearson Edexcel

Pearson cancelled its May/June 2026 exams in schools in Bahrain, the UAE, Kuwait and Qatar, covering both its International qualifications and its UK (Ofqual-regulated) GCSEs and A levels. International GCSE and International A level grades were awarded through Pearson's contingency arrangements, using evidence such as mock exams or other assessed work. For UK GCSEs and A levels, special consideration was the main route; students could also defer to the next series (Pearson said this was likely to be May/June 2027) or move to the International version. Pearson says printed certificates may be delayed, and it can send official confirmation of results to a university on request through the school.

OxfordAQA

OxfordAQA cancelled all International GCSE and International A level exams in the UAE for May/June 2026, as reported by Gulf News. Students with results banked from earlier units could use them, and schools submitted evidence of performance for the rest. Students not finishing their qualification that year were to be deferred to a future series.

For the next series, check with your school whether exams are running normally. The boards' Middle East pages are updated when the situation changes.

Related guides

For what the grades mean, see GCSE and IGCSE grades explained and A level grades and UCAS points. For how results feed into applications, see university from a UAE British school.

Questions parents ask

When are IGCSE exams in the UAE?

The main series runs in May and June. Cambridge also runs a November series (in October and November), and Pearson offers International GCSEs in May/June and November. Which series your child sits is decided by the school. Exact dates are on each board's timetable and your child's statement of entry.

When is IGCSE results day?

For the May/June series, results come out in August. In 2026 Cambridge released AS and A Level results on 11 August and IGCSE results on 19 August. Cambridge's November series results come out in January. OxfordAQA has moved earlier: in 2027 its AS and A level results day is 28 July and its International GCSE results day is 4 August.

Were IGCSE exams cancelled in the UAE in 2026?

Yes. On 2 April 2026, Cambridge, Pearson Edexcel and OxfordAQA cancelled their May/June 2026 exams in UAE schools. Grades were awarded from portfolios of evidence (Cambridge), the board's contingency arrangements (Pearson), and banked results plus school-submitted evidence (OxfordAQA).

Are 2026 portfolio grades accepted by universities?

Cambridge has asked universities to recognise its June 2026 portfolio grades as equivalent to grades from exams, and says they reflect the same standards. Pearson can send official confirmation of results directly to a university on request through the school.

What time do IGCSE exams start in the UAE?

Each board sets start times by region. Cambridge, for example, gives each centre morning and afternoon 'Key Times' based on its location, and publishes timetables by administrative zone. Your school's exams officer will give your child the exact times.

Can my child resit an IGCSE or A level?

Resits are taken in a later exam series, and the school has to enter your child. International boards offer more series than reformed UK A levels, which are summer-only: Pearson's International A levels have January, May/June and October series, and Cambridge runs June and November. Ask the exams officer which series the school offers.

Sources