The director of the Ministry of Education and Higher Education (MoEHE)’s Student Assessment Department, Ibrahim Abdullah Rashid al-Muhannadi, has confirmed that the ministry has completed all preparations for the final examinations of the second semester of the 2025-26 academic year, which will commence tomorrow.
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 centres and committees to ensure full readiness to receive students.
Al-Muhannadi told the Qatar News Agency (QNA) that the number of Grade 12 students registered for the second-semester examinations this year is 16,487 across various educational tracks.
The examinations will be conducted at 87 centres: 43 centres for boys, 41 centres for girls, and three mixed centres.
These centres, the official added, 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.
Al-Muhannadi said 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 emphasising the importance of not spreading rumours during exams, while 1,286 stressed the need to avoid intimidating or alarming classmates.
A total of 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 affirmed that the MoEHE implements a precise system to ensure fairness in grading and accuracy in results.
Graders study the answer keys in detail before marking begins, he explained, adding that 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.
The official added that the GPA (grade point average) 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.
Al-Muhannadi clarified that students retain their original certificate along with the GPA improvement certificate and can use the better result when applying to universities.
He 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 organisation.
The official 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, including helping the students 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 tomorrow (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 tomorrow and continue until June 14, with one exam per day from 8am to 9.30am.
In the preparatory stage, the exams for grades 7, 8, and 9 will begin tomorrow 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.
For the secondary level, the exams for grades 10 and 11 will begin tomorrow.
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 specialised subjects.
For grade 12 students, the written exams will begin tomorrow 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 and will be held during the morning period from 8am to 10.30am. – QNA