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'Confused whether to study': UAE families react to CBSE cancelling, postponing exams
CBSE announced its decision due to the regional conflict; the mode of result declaration for Class 10 students in the region will be announced separately
- PUBLISHED: Fri 6 Mar 2026, 6:03 PM
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When Sharjah resident Afra Ali Zameel first saw that CBSE had decided to cancel Class 10 exams and postpone Class 12 exams, she hoped that it was fake news. However, when her children’s teacher confirmed the development, she was disappointed. With her younger son Ayaan in Class 10 and elder son Zareb in Class 12, it was a double whammy for her.
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“My children had prepared thoroughly for the exams and had put in a lot of hard work for the subjects,” she said. “My younger one had been taking Hindi tuitions for the last year, putting in two or three hours of work because it was a hard subject for him. His results for the mock exam were good, but he had promised me that he would surprise me with the final exam results.
"I was very heartbroken that all his hard work was in vain. He, on the other hand, seems happy that he doesn’t have to study any more. My elder one is hopeful that the exams will go ahead and is continuing to prepare. These marks will be important for his university.”
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She added that she was worried about how the final grade would be calculated for her younger son. “I was planning to change his school for Class 11, and the marks of the board exams is important for this,” she said. “For mock exams, usually the marking scheme is tougher so I am not sure whether this will impact his admissions. However, currently, safety of the children is more important than anything else. So, I am glad authorities have taken this timely decision.”
It was on Thursday evening that CBSE announced its decisions to cancel the remaining Class 10 exams and postpone Class 12 exams in Bahrain, Iran, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the UAE, due to the regional tensions. According to the circular, the mode of result declaration for Class 10 students in the region will be announced separately.
Relieved, worried
Dubai resident Lekha Justin said that her son Rahaan Justin James, who is in Grade 10, was relieved when the announcement came. “Initially, he was very happy that he doesn’t have to keep studying,” she said. “But then after a while, we began discussing how the final grades will be calculated and he began to get tensed. The mock exams are usually tougher and marked very strictly. So, we are worried about how the final grade will be calculated. But I trust the CBSE board. They have been in this situation before during the pandemic. I am sure they have their own ways of finding a solution.”
Grade 12 student Neha Srijith is facing the uncertainty of when her exams will take place. Her mother Nisha said that this had cast a pall of gloom over her preparations. “She was studying hard, but this uncertainty has slowed her down,” she said. “We are still confused whether to study for the March 9 exam.”
Neha had finished two exams when the CBSE directive came. Nisha said that many of her friends were facing a stressful situation because of this. “Some of them intended to travel to India to write competitive exams after the exams finished in the last week of March,” she said. “All their plans have suffered a setback. We are hoping for a quick resolution for this issue so that our children are not in a limbo.”
