After the Council for the Indian School Certificate Examinations (CISCE) officially called off all remaining 2026 ICSE (Class 10) and ISC (Class 12) examinations for centres in the UAE amid a widening US-Iran war, affected students in the region are reportedly wondering how the assessment will now be carried out.
“CISCE will prepare results for UAE candidates using an alternative assessment mechanism, the details of which will be announced later,” chief executive and secretary Dr Joseph Emmanuel told HT.
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The decision was conveyed through a circular on March 12, Thursday, to heads of all CISCE-affiliated schools in the UAE. This came after successive postponements of exams originally scheduled between March 2 and 14, as the war broke out with US-Israeli attacks on Tehran on February 28. The latest circular cancelled all remaining examinations through April 6.
“Further, after the declaration of the [results], candidates from UAE who are not satisfied with the marks awarded to them will be given an opportunity to appear for the Year 2026 Improvement Examination,” the council’s communique added.
The announcement triggered what one principal described as “mixed emotions”, speaking to UAE-based news outlets.
Nargish Khambatta, principal and CEO of GEMS Modern Academy, told Gulf News the decision is welcome as it “puts the ‘to travel or not to travel’ saga at rest”. But she flagged concerns: “Many Grade 12 parents are understandably anxious about university admissions and conditional offers, particularly as students often rely on their final examinations to strengthen their scores.” She called the phrase ‘alternative assessment mechanism’ “ambiguous”.
“Clear guidelines about how results will be computed, how moderation will be ensured, and when results are likely to be announced will help reduce speculation and anxiety,” she said.
Lata Nakra, Principal of JSS International School, Dubai, was quoted as saying: “It has brought some kind of calm amid the uncertainty. The well-timed spring break will give everyone the much-needed pause.”
However, Khyati Agarwal, a Class 12 student at GEMS Modern Academy, reportedly said: “We trust that the Council will implement an alternate system in the best interests of all students without affecting university admissions.”
The CISCE is not alone in taking this step. The Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) separately cancelled all Class 10 examinations and has so far postponed Class 12 papers across the Middle East/West Asia region for the same reason.
(with inputs from Sanjay Maurya)
