UAE Class of 2026 Celebrates Exceptional A-Level Results Amid Wartime Disruption

Pupils across the UAE are celebrating a year of outstanding A-level results, bringing to an end a tumultuous period for the class of 2026. Schools and colleges across the country on Thursday praised their learners for their resilience after exams were disrupted – with many cancelled – because of the war in Iran.

Classes were forced to revert to remote learning in early March at the outbreak of the war, with many international pupils returning to their home countries to finish the academic year. Emergency protocols were activated as Iran launched waves of attacks on the Emirates and overseas pupils moved off campus to hotels before being helped to leave the country. There was great uncertainty about how their final grades would be awarded without sitting in-person exams. In the end, grades were awarded using a combination of evidence gathered throughout the pupils’ courses and from internal exams.

Emmet Glackin, head teacher at Safa Community School in Dubai, spoke of the strength of her pupils and staff. “As a school leader in Dubai, I was incredibly proud of the resilience and patience our students demonstrated as information continued to change around them, as well as of our incredible teaching staff, who guided and supported them every step of the way,” she said.

Brighton College Dubai celebrated its strongest A-level results to date, with pupils securing places at universities in the UK and around the world. Sixty-one per cent of all the school's grades were marked A*-A, with 87 per cent at A*-B. Head teacher Simon Crane said he was proud of the results after a tough year. “It was record-breaking results for the college and they achieved above all expectations,” he told The National.

Molly Elizabeth Williams, from England, got an A in business and A* in psychology. She came with her parents to receive a hard copy of the results and they all burst into tears after checking her marks. Ibrahim Tanner, from India, got A* grades in biology and chemistry, and an A in maths, hoping to go to the UK to study medicine. Meanwhile, Deven Katedia, 17, from Tanzania, scored three A*s in biology, chemistry and maths and plans to study medicine at St Andrews University in Scotland.

Tracy Crowder-Cloe, head teacher of Repton School Abu Dhabi for the 2026-2027 academic year, was immensely proud of the pupils, given the challenges of the past six months. Thirty-seven per cent of entries were awarded A*-A grades, with 71 per cent achieving A*-B grades. Repton pupils secured offers from leading universities around the world, such as Wageningen University & Research and the University of Groningen in the Netherlands, and the University of Manchester in the UK.

Repton pupil William Church, 18, shared his relief after getting into his university, while Repton head boy Johann Nicholas Francisco achieved an A* in business, an A in geography and an A in history, and will continue his studies at the University of Wollongong in Dubai.