UK exam board Pearson Edexcel just announced a major schedule change. The board canceled the May/June 2026 exams across the UAE, Bahrain, Kuwait, and Lebanon.

This difficult decision affects several major academic qualifications. Officials completely canceled all International GCSE, International A Level, and iPLS tests for this upcoming series.

Safety Drives the Decision

Emma Whale serves as the Vice President for International Schools. She explained the reasoning behind this massive regional cancellation.

The board consulted directly with local authorities and other international awarding bodies. Whale stated that Pearson always puts student and staff safety first.

Alternative Grading Plans

Pearson currently finalizes alternative grading arrangements for all affected students. The exam board pledged to update regional schools as soon as possible.

The company boasts tried-and-tested contingency processes to handle exam disruptions. Whale promised the board will accurately match student progression to their true academic performance.

Exams Continue Elsewhere

Pearson plans to proceed with physical exams in all other unaffected countries. The board will host tests wherever officials deem the environment completely safe.

Whale called physical exams the fairest way for students to demonstrate their achievements. The organization published helpful FAQs for countries still hosting the standard tests.

Available School Support

The awarding body has already written directly to testing centers to confirm the next steps. Teams actively work on producing specific guidance for the canceled regions.

Concerned schools can contact their local Regional Development Manager today. Administrators can also easily reach out through the official Pearson customer support portal.

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