UAE MoE Grade 12

Overview

The United Arab Emirates Ministry of Education (MoE) runs Grade 12 completion exams for students finishing school under the UAE's own national curriculum. Passing these exams, and the rest of the Grade 12 school year, is what lets a student graduate from secondary school in the MoE system.

The MoE curriculum is the standard curriculum in UAE government (public) schools, and it is also followed by a number of private schools. Most private schools in the UAE instead run other curricula — British (leading to IGCSE and then A-Levels), American (a high-school diploma, often alongside AP courses), the International Baccalaureate, Indian boards and others — each with its own separate leaving exams that are not run by the UAE Ministry of Education. This file covers only the MoE's own Grade 12 exams and certificate.

Who can apply

Grade 12 students enrolled in public schools, and in private schools that teach the MoE curriculum, sit these exams at the end of the academic year as part of normal school progression; there is no separate external registration.

From the 2025–2026 academic year, the Ministry groups Cycle 3 students (Grades 10 to 12) into four streams, chosen earlier in Cycle 3: General, Applied, Advanced and Elite. The stream a student is in decides which subjects, and which version of the Grade 12 exam, they sit.

Streams

• General stream: a broader track aimed at humanities, business administration, law, arts, social sciences and fields such as police sciences.

• Advanced stream: aimed at university study in science, engineering, medicine and pharmacy.

• Elite stream: a selective track for high-achieving students in mathematics and science, with a STEM-focused, accelerated syllabus and preparation for international academic benchmarks and competitions.

• Applied stream: a more practice-oriented track with its own exam schedule, including an Applied Mathematics paper in place of the standard Mathematics paper.

Exam pattern

The Ministry splits Grade 12 subjects into two groups.

• Group A subjects carry a numerical mark that counts toward a student's overall average, shown on the certificate as both a mark out of 100 and a letter grade. These include English, Mathematics (Applied Mathematics for the Applied stream), the science subjects relevant to the student's stream (Chemistry, Physics, Biology), Arabic Language, Islamic Education, Social Studies and Moral Education.

• Group B subjects — such as Artificial Intelligence and Technology, Arts, Physical and Health Education, Business, and a third language — are assessed through school-based work across the year and graded with a letter only. They do not carry a numerical mark and are not counted in the overall average.

For the 2025–2026 academic year, the Ministry scheduled Term 3 (end-of-year) exams for Grades 5 to 12 from 24 June to 3 July 2026. For Grade 12 students in the General, Advanced and Elite streams, the published order was:

Students in the Applied stream followed a separate schedule, starting with Applied Mathematics on 24 June and continuing to 2 July 2026. Most papers were timed around midday, and schools held them electronically on-site, except that the Grade 12 English paper was an electronic written test. Group B projects and assignments were due between 15 and 19 June 2026. Exam dates, subject order and format are set fresh each year, so check the current MoE schedule rather than assuming these dates repeat.

Marking and results

For Cycle 3 (Grades 9 to 12), a student needs an aggregate average of at least 60% across Group A subjects to pass. The reported grading scale runs from A+ (97–100) down through B, C and D bands to D- (60–62.99); an average below 60% is a fail. Group B subjects are graded with a letter only and do not feed into this average.

For the 2025–2026 academic year, the Ministry released Grade 12 results on Sunday 12 July 2026 at 10am through the student portal, with digital certificates available to print from 8pm that evening.

After the exam

Grade 12 graduates use their MoE certificate to apply to universities in the UAE and, after the usual equivalency steps, abroad.

Until November 2024, Grade 12 students in all UAE curricula also had to pass the Emirates Standardised Test (EmSAT) — covering English, Arabic, Mathematics and Physics — to be admitted to UAE universities. In November 2024, the Ministry of Education and the Ministry of Higher Education and Scientific Research jointly cancelled this requirement for Grade 12 university admission, following approval from the Education, Human Development and Community Council. Universities now set their own admission criteria rather than relying on one national test, and medical and engineering programmes have been directed to weigh a student's marks in relevant science subjects more heavily than their overall average. Individual universities or programmes may still ask for their own entrance test or interview, so check directly with the university you are applying to.

Preparation tips

• Confirm your stream (General, Applied, Advanced or Elite) early in Cycle 3, since it decides your subject list and exam paper for Grade 12.

• Focus revision on your Group A subjects first: only they carry numerical marks and count toward the 60% pass average.

• Watch the MoE's own announcements each term for that year's exact exam dates and format, rather than relying on the previous year's schedule.

• If you are applying to a UAE university, check that university's current admission requirements directly, since EmSAT is no longer a universal requirement and each university now sets its own rules.

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