Hundreds of Indian school pupils in the Middle East will have crucial grade 10 and 12 exams postponed due to the continuing Iran missile attacks across the region.
India’s Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) said on Sunday: “Students and schools are informed that, due to the current situation in parts of the Middle East – Bahrain, Iran, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the UAE – examinations scheduled for Monday, March 2 for both Class 10 and Class 12 are postponed.”
The tests are the Indian equivalent of GCSEs and A-levels, respectively. The education board said new dates will be announced later.
The curriculum is popular among the Indian community, with more than 100 CBSE schools in the UAE. The exams are critical, with grade 12 results determining the universities pupils will be accepted into, while grade 10 tests often influence the subjects pupils may take in high school.
The Indian board said it will review the situation on Tuesday, March 3, to decide on whether examinations scheduled from March 5 onwards will proceed.
Meanwhile, the UAE denied reports that final exams for the continuing academic year had been cancelled. The UAE Education Ministry urged parents and pupils to rely only on official channels for accurate updates.
UAE schools will switch to remote learning from Monday until Wednesday amid sustained Iranian missile strikes across the region.
