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Cheers, tears, hugs: UAE students celebrate A-level results after war affects exams
Students admitted they were nervous about results after the written exams were cancelled due to the Iran war
- PUBLISHED: Thu 13 Aug 2026, 12:13 PM UPDATED: Thu 13 Aug 2026, 2:25 PM
Yodeling, tears of joy and hugs were seen all around at the Gems Wellington Academy in Silicon Oasis as thousands of pupils across the UAE received their A-Level results today. It followed an unprecedented examination cycle in which traditional written exams were cancelled due to regional tensions.
Britny Goulet, Director of Post 16 at the school said that she was proud of her students for performing so well during the "profound" year that brought many uncertainties. Prior to the results being handed over to the students at 11am, she gave a speech hailing them for their resilience.
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She later told Khaleej Times that this is the first year that she did not prepare a speech. “I wanted it to come from the heart because it felt like such a profound year and I've never seen a group of young people, respond, react, trust, support and love in the face of the unknown,” she said. “They blew me away with their maturity and resilience."
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She added that she reminded all her students that it was not the grades on a paper that defined them. “What defines them is how they got there, what they did, their actions, their mind, their heart, their beliefs and I feel like this year more than ever, that should really resonate.”
Jhaanvi Padmanabhan was accompanied by her parents Padhmanabhan and Praveena as they picked up their results. Her parents shed tears of joy as she got a perfect score of three A*. “It was so stressful as we didn’t know what to expect because of the situation,” said Praveena. “But she got the results and with this, her admission to study medicine at the University of Glasgow has been confirmed. We got the confirmation just now."
Another student, Pierre Faried, also got the perfect score. He arrived at school with his extended family including his grandmother. His mother burst into tears and his father pulled him into a hug as they opened the envelope and got the results. “I was nervous during the exams because everything felt out of my control,” said Pierre. “But in the last few days I was really calm. And I am grateful to the school as well for handling everything really well."
British exam boards Cambridge, Pearson Edexcel and OxfordAQA cancelled all IGCSE and A-Level examinations in the UAE for the May/June 2026 series, citing safety concerns amid the ongoing US-Israel-Iran war. Instead of sitting formal exams, students were assessed through a Portfolio of Evidence process, using coursework, internal assessments and other work gathered throughout their courses.
Exceptional results across schools
Across 22 Gems Education's British curriculum schools in UAE and Qatar, a total of 2,388 students took the exams, with more than one-third entries achieving A*-A and 67 percent awarded A*-B. "These results reflect the ambition, determination, and resilience of young people who have worked tirelessly to achieve their goals, supported throughout by exceptional educators and families working together in partnership," said Dino Varkey, Group Chief Executive Officer of Gems Education.
Brighton College Al Ain recorded a 100 per cent pass rate, with 58.4 per cent of grades at A* or A and 90.9 percent at A*–B. Melanie Black, Deputy Head Whole School, said, "We are incredibly proud of our Sixth Form pupils and all they have achieved. Their results reflect years of hard work, curiosity and drive."
Brighton College Dubai achieved its strongest A-Level results to date, with 33 per cent of grades at A* and 61 percent at (A*–A). The school recorded a 100 per cent pass rate. Brighton College Abu Dhabi achieved 63 per cent of grades at (A*–A) and 84 percent at (A*–B). Thirty-one pupils achieved a clean sweep of A* and A grades.
Dubai British School Emirates Hills reported 55 per cent of A Level entries at A-A and 22 percent at A. The school also recorded exceptional BTEC outcomes, with 76 per cent of entries achieving Distinction.
Principal Brett Girven said, "More than half of A Level entries awarded A*–A, while three quarters of Level 3 BTEC entries achieved the highest grade possible. These results are a powerful reflection of our students' ambition, resilience and hard work."
Dubai British School Jumeirah Park achieved 72 per cent of A Level entries at A–A and 48 percent at A. BTEC students also excelled, with 73 per cent of entries achieving Distinction*.
Jebel Ali School marked its strongest results in recent years, reporting 54 percent of A Level grades at A-A and 22 per cent at A. The school's BTEC provision also recorded a 100 per cent pass rate.
Principal Simon Jodrell said, "The Year 13 students at Jebel Ali School have achieved an exceptional set of A Level and BTEC results, reflecting their dedication, perseverance and academic ambition."
At Horizon International School, 44 per cent of students achieved grades A*-A, whilst 84 percent of HIS students achieved A*-B grades and 95% achieved A*-C.
Repton Dubai celebrated another year of strong academic performance, with 39 percent of entries receiving A*-A grades and 73 per cent awarded A*–B grades. Students have secured places at leading universities including Columbia University, Northwestern University and University College London.
Repton Abu Dhabi students also achieved impressive results once again, with 37% of all A-Level entries awarded A*–A grades and 71% achieving A*–B grades.
At the Safa Community School, 39 per cent of students achieved exam grades of A* while 66 per cent achieved A*-A. Vice Principal Michael Davies said, “These results are a testament to the extraordinary commitment of our students and staff. Across two years, our teachers and leaders have worked tirelessly to ensure that every student's knowledge, skills and achievements were captured and presented in the strongest possible way."
First cohorts
For some UAE schools, it was a momentous year as they celebrated their first-ever A-Level graduating cohort. One such school was Repton Al Barsha that showcased their academic prowess with 50 percent of exam entries awarded A*-A grades and 87 percent of students awarded A*-B grades.
Similarly, Arcadia British School also celebrated the outstanding results of its first graduating cohort. With 48 exam entries, 13 percent were awarded A* grades and 25 percent attained A* - A grades, while 96 percent received A* - C grades.
"We are incredibly proud of what our first graduating cohort has achieved, especially during unprecedented times faced at the beginning of the year when they adapted to distance learning," said Giles Pruett, Executive Principal at Arcadia British School. "These results reflect the hard work, agility and determination of our students."
Safa British School also celebrated its first Year 13 cohort, of which 28 percent recorded A* and 97 percent receiving A*-C grades
