We sat the UAE's Emsat and agree pupils are better off without it

Emsat experiences ranged from nerve-racking bookings to life-changing results

Hala Nasar three years ago in front of the main building at the American University of Sharjah (AUS), where she studied journalism and pursued a minor in theatre. Photo: Hala Nasar

The cancellation of the Emirates Standardised Test (Emsat) came as a relief for many pupils, parents and educators across the UAE who said the exam was inhibiting academic progress.

Although Emsat was no longer mandatory as of last year, many universities still used it for their admissions process. As a result, would-be students often found it challenging to gain acceptance into their chosen programmes without a minimum Emsat score. This continued reliance on the test by many institutions meant pupils still faced significant pressure to achieve high scores.

Here, two reporters at The National who took the exams explain why they are glad to see the back of the Emsat.

Long commutes and added stress

Hala Nasar was 17 years old when she took the Emsat. She recalled the challenges of commuting to sit the test as there were limited places nearby.

"I remember travelling from Dubai to Ajman six times to sit Emsat exams for all the subjects I was taking. Commuting on weekends with random timings was really stressful, especially since these exams coincided with schoolwork," she said.

While Ms Nasar's high Emsat scores exempted her from university entrance exams, she believes the standardised test was not suitable for everyone.

"I also know of a student who had wanted a career in medicine, but due to a low Emsat score she had to change plans and now studies communications. Some pupils either have to change their plans or spend a lot of time retaking exams."

Juggling priorities

Nour Ibrahim, who also took the Emsat at 17, described it as a significant hurdle.

Nour Ibrahim, captured two years ago at the female campus of UAE University in Al Ain, where she pursued a double major in mass communication and political science.

"I had to juggle final exams, university applications, and Emsat prep. My weekends were spent travelling to test centres in Dubai, Sharjah, Al Ain, Abu Dhabi, and even Ajman," she said. "I even had to carpool with some of my classmates because the centres were so far, and no one was available to drive me", Ms Ibrahim said.

She struggled to book Emsat slots, which often filled up quickly. “Most of my exams were during my end-of-year finals, adding to the stress.”

Emsat’s content posed further challenges. “I took all subjects, including computer science, which covered coding and Python – topics I wasn’t familiar with,” she said. Despite these hurdles, Ms Ibrahim secured direct admission to university, skipping foundation courses.

She said some students are hoping that the cancellation might work retroactively.

"I know an Emirati woman who wanted to pursue a degree at Liwa College but she had to pause her studies after failing to meet the required English score of 1,100 on the Emsat.

"She said she hopes they cancel Emsat for earlier batches too, so she can finish.”

Introduced in 2017, the Emsat was designed to align educational standards and assess pupils' readiness for further education in the UAE. Pupils applying to universities outside the Emirates were not required to sit the test.

The Ministry of Education’s move marks a change in application procedures for Grade 12 pupils applying to higher education institutions.