Abigail Fishbourne, Principal at Ash Mount School, shares expert guidance for UAE parents navigating exam uncertainty
There is no doubt that the current exam situation has unsettled many families across the UAE.
When plans change so suddenly, particularly around something as significant as IGCSEs, A Levels or the IB, it is completely natural for both parents and students to feel uncertain. Questions come quickly: What does this mean? Will my child be disadvantaged? What happens next?
Before anything else, it’s important to say this clearly: cancelled exams do not mean cancelled futures. Things will be okay. Children will be supported.
I say this not only as a school leader, but as a parent who has lived through something very similar.
During COVID, my older daughter had her A Levels cancelled. My younger daughter experienced most of her GCSE course online, and then my older daughter’s year abroad at university was also largely delivered remotely. None of it was what we had planned, and yet, like so many young people around the world, they adapted, moved forward and are now thriving.
This generation is more resilient than we sometimes give them credit for.
Exams cancelled in the UAE: why students will not be disadvantaged
One of the difficulties in moments like these is the surrounding noise. There will always be voices, especially online, that focus on worst-case scenarios. It can be tempting to read, scroll, and absorb all of it, but it hardly ever helps.
Schools, exam boards, universities, and employers fully understand what has taken place. Just as we saw during COVID, systems adapt. Pathways remain available. Young people are not defined by a single disrupted exam season.
What matters most now is how we support children through this moment.
For many students, there may be a sense of uncertainty or even a loss of motivation. If the exam they were working towards has changed, it’s natural for them to wonder, “What am I working for?”
This is where we, as parents and educators, play a crucial role.
Learning has never been just about the exam at the end. It is a skill, one that develops over time, built layer by layer, year on year. The knowledge they are gaining now, the habits they are forming, the ability to focus, think critically and persevere, these are what will carry them forward, not a single set of exam papers.
Encouraging children to carry on, stay engaged in their learning, and take pride in their progress matters deeply, now more than ever.
What parents should do now: motivation, routine and uni offers
For those in Grade 12/Year 13 who were waiting on exam results for conditional university offers, it is worth reaching out directly to universities to understand the next steps.
In most cases, offers were made based on predicted grades or mock results, and these still stand. Universities have been through this before and will work with students to find a way forward.
Routine also becomes very important. Teenagers often resist it; that is part of growing up, but structure offers a sense of stability when other things seem uncertain.
Regular study time at a table or desk (not in bed), consistent sleep, and a healthy balance between social connection, time online and academic study all matter. In many ways, keeping a rhythm similar to a normal school day can really help.
And perhaps most importantly, stay positive. Children are incredibly perceptive. They take their cues from the adults around them. If we are anxious, they will feel it. If we are calm, measured and optimistic, they will draw strength from that.
This moment, while unexpected, does not define their future.
If anything, it is another opportunity for them to develop adaptability, resilience and perspective, qualities that will serve them far beyond school, into university and the world of work.
We have seen this before. We know how it unfolds.
And we know that our children’s futures remain strong.
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