Support for students affected by the conflict in the Middle East

In Bahrain, United Arab Emirates, Kuwait and Qatar exams in schools for the May/June 2026 series have been cancelled and will not go ahead as planned. 

This applies to both Ofqual-regulated and Pearson self-regulated qualifications and reflects guidance and decisions taken in response to the current situation by the local relevant authorities, with the safety of students and staff placed first. 

Our priority is to ensure that you can continue to progress to your next steps and receive an overall grade and certification that is valid, trusted and fair. 

In other countries in the region we're working closely with your school and local authorities to understand local circumstances. Our aim is for exams to go ahead as planned where it’s safe and possible to do so. Exams remain the fairest and most reliable way for students to demonstrate what they’ve achieved, and we’re supporting schools as they prepare for the May/June 2026 exam series.  

Your grade will be awarded using our established contingency arrangements. These arrangements are designed to support your progression and maintain the integrity of our qualification.  

The approach used will depend on your individual circumstances, including whether you are expecting your final grade this summer, and whether you have already completed or “banked” assessments earlier in your course. 

As part of these contingency arrangements, your school may be asked to submit appropriate evidence of your performance, such as completed mock examinations or other assessed work. 

We have shared detailed guidance with your school so they understand which approach applies to you. 

Your school may be asked to submit evidence of your performance, such as mock exam papers or other assessed work completed during the course. 

Your school may already have enough evidence. If not, they may ask you to complete an additional assessment under exam-style conditions, either in school or at home. 

This helps make sure that your final grade is based on clear evidence and reflects your achievement as accurately as possible.

Where possible your school should continue to complete coursework, practical work and speaking assessments. 

Schools have been given extra flexibility with deadlines, and we are supporting them to make sure you are not disadvantaged if your learning has been disrupted. 

If you’re unsure what this means for a particular subject, your teacher will be able to help you.

No, if you're expecting your final grade this summer and you've already completed coursework, a controlled assessment or a practical exam that would count towards it, your school will submit your work as normal so it can be used as evidence towards your overall qualification grade.

If you're unsure what this means for a particular subject, your teacher should be able to help you.

No. A decision has now been made, and exams will not go ahead in Bahrain, United Arab Emirates, Kuwait and Qatar for the May/June 2026 series. 

We know it’s important for you and your school to have certainty. Keeping arrangements consistent means everyone understands what’s happening and can focus on the next steps without uncertainty. 

We're working closely with local authorities and delivery partners, such as the British Council, to explore the options available and we'll provide an update with more guidance as soon as we can. 

Ofqual has confirmed that special consideration is the main way students can receive grades where exams are cancelled for regulated qualifications. This means awarding organisations such as Pearson, cannot use teacher judgement or mock exams for Ofqual‑regulated GCSEs and A levels. Therefore, if you have already completed part of your qualification (such as coursework or a speaking assessment), this can be used to award a grade. 

If you’ve already been entered for May/June 2026, and your qualification doesn’t have a coursework orf speaking component you have two options available to you. 

Option 1: Defer exams 
You can choose to defer and take your exams in the next available series, which is likely to be May/June 2027. 

Option 2: Transfer to an international qualification 
It may be possible for you to transfer your entry to an international equivalent qualification, i.e. an International GCSE or International A level. In this instance, your grades will be awarded using a Portfolio of Evidence based on the programme of study you have been following, which might include past papers, class tests or other relevant work from your course.  

This evidence would be used to assess you against content and standards aligned to the original Ofqual-regulated GCSE or A level that you entered for, but you will be awarded an International GCSE or International A level qualification. 

What should I consider before choosing an international route? 

• International GCSEs and International A levels are not regulated by Ofqual. Your certificate will clearly state that it is an international qualification and will not include the Ofqual logo. 
• If you have a university offer that specifically requires a GCE A level, you must check with your university whether an International A level is acceptable.
• Pearson International qualifications are widely recognised worldwide and we’re working with UCAS to make UK universities aware of these arrangements. 

If you’re unable to sit an exam because of school closures, travel restrictions, or other serious disruption outside your control, you won’t be disadvantaged. 

We have established processes to support students when exams are disrupted. These are designed to make sure you can still progress to your next steps with a grade that fairly reflects your performance. 

Your school will work with us to explain your situation and understand what options are available for your qualification and circumstances.

We’re keeping in close contact with your school, and they will provide us with details of any disruption that you have faced, so we can take this into account and ensure that you will not be disadvantaged.   

If something outside of your control affects your performance at the time of your exam, special consideration may be applied after the exam. This could include things like illness, bereavement, or disruption during the exam. 

Special consideration must be applied for by your school. You can’t apply for this directly. 

If approved, it may result in a small mark adjustment or a calculated grade. It doesn’t guarantee a change to your final result. 

After your exam, we can confirm whether special consideration was applied. However, we’re not able to share details of any adjustment that may have been made. 

If you’re moving to a new school, we have processes in place for you to be able to transfer your exam entry to your new school. Your school(s) will work with us to make this happen.