UAE Announces Standardised Tests For Some Students To Assess Skill In Core Subjects

(MENAFN- Khaleej Times)

Under the national testing system, the Ministry of Education announced a new standardised proficiency test to measure core subjects' skills for grades 4 to 11 in public schools.

The test aims to assess students' most important skills and identify their weaknesses. The test targets the core subjects of Arabic, mathematics, and English. The first phase is expected to include 26,000 students.

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“This initiative focuses on assessing students' core competencies and identifying areas of weakness. It enables teachers to address learning gaps and provides the Ministry with a comprehensive view of students' proficiency in these critical subjects.

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Tests will be administered at the beginning of the first semester and again at the end of the third semester, allowing interventions to be data-driven and effective, Amna Al Saleh, Acting Assistant Undersecretary for the Curriculum and Assessment Sector at the Ministry of Education, told Khaleej Times, on the sidelines of a press conference held on Tuesday announcing the preparations for the 2025-26 academic year .

New weighting distribution

She explained the new assessment distribution and weightings for 2025-26

• Grades 1–2: Assessment will be based solely on school-based evaluation, taking into account the unique developmental characteristics of this early educational stage.

• Grade 3: Assessment will be equally divided between school-based evaluation and centralised assessments (50 per cent each). Term weightings will assign 35 per cent to the first and third terms and a lower weight to the second term due to its shorter duration.

• Cycle 2: Assessment distribution will be 50 per cent centralized assessments, 40 per cent formative assessments, and 10 per cent activity-based evaluation. Term weightings will be evenly divided, with 35 per cent for the first and third terms and 30 per cent for the second term.

• Cycle 3: Assessment will primarily focus on centralised assessments (60 per cent). Term weightings assign 40 per cent to the first and third terms and 20 per cent to the second term.

Project-Based Learning and Assessment (PBLA)

The conference highlighted the adoption of the second phase of the PBLA system was highlighted, which now includes all second-cycle students in public and private schools following the Ministry's curricula. This follows the success of the first phase, which reached 127,500 students across 350 schools.

These updates aim to provide a clear, data-driven understanding of student performance at all levels, enabling both teachers and the Ministry to implement targeted interventions and support students' learning journeys effectively.

Centralised tests at the end of the second semester have been cancelled and replaced with summative school-based assessments. Centralised testing will continue only in the first and third semesters. The revised system is designed to improve the school calendar, diversify assessment tools, enhance teaching quality, promote student well-being, and adjust class weightings in line with updated educational policies.

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