Director of the Student Assessment Department at the Ministry of Education and Higher Education (MOEHE) Ibrahim Abdullah Rashid Al Muhannadi confirmed that the Ministry completed all preparations for the final examinations of the second semester of the 2025-2026 academic year, which are scheduled to begin next Thursday.
Preparations included the development of examination questions according to approved procedures and standards, their review and approval, printing and distribution of exam papers, and the preparation of examination centers and committees to ensure full readiness to receive students.
In exclusive statements to Qatar News Agency (QNA), Al Muhannadi said that the number of Grade 12 students registered for the second-semester examinations this year reached 16,487 students across various educational tracks. He noted that the examinations will be conducted at 87 centers, including 43 centers for boys, 41 centers for girls, and 3 mixed centers. These centers comprise a total of 818 examination committees. The examination process will be supervised by 4,406 staff members, including committee heads, invigilators, supervisors, and administrative personnel.
He explained that the Student Assessment Department conducted a comprehensive survey of secondary school students before the examinations, with the aim of involving them in improving procedures and identifying the main challenges they face.
He added that the survey covered several areas, including the clarity of instructions, the usefulness of orientation sessions, the suitability of examination schedules, revision resources, levels of exam-related anxiety, psychological needs, and the support required from parents. It also gathered students’ opinions regarding grading procedures and opportunities for improving their overall academic averages.
Al Muhannadi revealed notable findings from the survey with 1,112 students emphasizing the importance of not spreading rumors during exams, while 1,286 stressed the need to avoid intimidating or alarming classmates. A further 1,741 students indicated that the diversity of correct answers during grading provides them with the greatest sense of security. Additionally, 921 students considered thorough review and verification of grades to be a key factor in ensuring confidence in the results.
Al Muhannadi stressed that there is no such thing as an impossibly difficult exam, explaining that all examinations are designed according to clear standards that assess different levels of students’ cognitive depth. He noted that many exams which some students describe as difficult actually record high pass rates and strong achievement levels.
He added that the examination development process undergoes multiple reviews and rigorous verification stages to ensure quality and compliance with approved educational standards. He also emphasized that student well-being and psychological stability are important considerations when preparing examination schedules and organizing the overall examination process.
The Director of the Student Assessment Department further affirmed that the Ministry implements a precise system to ensure fairness in grading and accuracy in results. He explained that graders study the answer keys in detail before marking begins, and that any additional correct answer identified during the grading process is communicated to all marking committees to ensure that every student receives the full marks they deserve.
He pointed out that the electronic scanning, manual review, monitoring, and auditing processes go through several successive stages before the results are approved. He emphasized that the Ministry always seeks to award students the grades they deserve, thus enhancing the reliability and fairness of the results.
He explained that the GPA improvement system allows high school graduates to retake any number of subjects during the second-round exams to raise their cumulative GPA and improve their chances of university admission. He clarified that students retain their original certificate along with the GPA improvement certificate and can use the better result when applying to universities.
Al Muhannadi offered a set of tips and guidelines for students, urging them to plan well for the exam period by creating a realistic timetable for time management and study organization. He also stressed the importance of allocating sufficient time for rest, sleep, exercise, and a healthy diet, in addition to creating comprehensive mind maps of the course topics to facilitate information retention during the exam.
He also called on parents to provide a suitable environment for studying and concentration, organize family visits during the exam period, not show anxiety in front of their children, and help them implement study plans, as well as pay attention to dietary habits and regulate sleep hours, stressing that the mind needs rest just as the body does.
According to the approved schedules, the first-cycle exams for students in grades 1, 2, and 3 will begin on June 4 with Arabic, followed by mathematics on June 7, and then general knowledge and English the following day. The written exams will conclude on June 11.
The exams for grades 4, 5, and 6 will also begin on the same date and continue until June 14, 2026, with one exam per day from 8:00 AM to 9:30 AM.
In the preparatory stage, the exams for grades 7, 8, and 9 will begin on June 4 according to the schedules approved for each grade and will continue until June 14. The exam duration is set at one and a half hours for most subjects and two hours for the English exam.
As for the secondary level, the exams for grades 10 and 11 will begin on June 4. Students in the humanities, science, and technology tracks will take their exams according to separate schedules that will continue until June 15, with time allotted between one and a half and two and a half hours for some science and specialized subjects.
Regarding grade 12 students, the written exams will begin on Thursday, June 4, with students in the literary track taking the history exam, students in the scientific track taking the biology exam, and students in the technological track taking the information technology exam. The high school exams for all tracks will continue until June 21, 2026, and will be held during the morning period from eight to ten-thirty in the morning.
