When IGCSE and A Level exams are cancelled, exam boards grade students on evidence the school submits, not on teacher predictions. In May/June 2026, Cambridge cancelled exams in Bahrain, Kuwait, Qatar and the UAE and graded three pieces of evidence per student, marked by Cambridge examiners. Pearson’s evidence was likewise reviewed by its own examiners.
Which IGCSE and A Level exams were cancelled in 2026?
Only the May/June 2026 series was cancelled, and only in parts of the Gulf, plus Lebanon for Pearson. Final exams did not stop everywhere. Tes reported on 2 April 2026 that the three British boards had cancelled in overlapping sets of countries, and Cambridge’s list grew after that date.
| Board | Countries | Qualifications | How grades were awarded |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cambridge International | Bahrain, Kuwait, Qatar, UAE | IGCSE, O Level, AS & A Level | Portfolio of evidence: three substantial pieces per student, marked by Cambridge examiners |
| Pearson Edexcel | Bahrain, Kuwait, Lebanon, UAE | International GCSE, International A Level, iPLS | International Contingency Grading: evidence reviewed by Pearson examiners, who determined grades |
| OxfordAQA | Bahrain, Kuwait, UAE | International GCSE, AS and A Level | School-submitted work, with a 12 June deadline |
Sources: Cambridge, Pearson, Tes. The IB also cancelled May 2026 exams in Bahrain and the UAE, grading on coursework and teacher predictions. Pearson’s country list is as reported by Tes on 2 April 2026; Pearson’s own page for students names Bahrain, the UAE, Kuwait and Qatar, so the final list may differ from Tes’s.
What happens to grades if IGCSE exams are cancelled?
The board still awards the grade, using work the school has collected. Under Cambridge’s portfolio of evidence, schools submitted three substantial pieces of evidence for each student, with a rationale document. Submission deadlines were aligned with the June 2026 exam timetable so examiners could mark them at the same time.
Pearson’s International Contingency Grading asked centres to “submit evidence of student performance for review by our examiners, who will determine grades”. Its preferred evidence was “a full set of past papers (for example, Paper 1 and Paper 2)” sat “under exam conditions, or as close as possible”. Predicted grades counted only as “supporting context rather than as grades to be awarded”.
Results came out on the normal days. Cambridge issued AS & A Level results on 11 August 2026 and IGCSE and O Level results on 18 August. By then the cancellations had affected almost 30,000 Cambridge students.
What did schools learn about assessment evidence?
The schools that coped were the ones whose everyday assessment already met the boards’ standard. Four lessons stand out.
- Evidence has to exist before the crisis. Both boards wanted work completed under exam conditions. A mock sat in a hall with a full past paper counts; a take-home worksheet does not.
- Full papers beat topic tests. Pearson named a complete set of papers as its preferred evidence. Mocks that cover whole components are worth far more than short quizzes.
- Predictions are not evidence. Neither board awarded a teacher’s predicted grade. A defensible predicted grades policy still needs marked scripts behind it.
- Records must be retrievable fast. Cambridge’s first deadline, for English subjects, was 20 May. Schools had weeks, not months, to find, scan and justify each student’s best work.
How should schools plan for exam contingency?
Treat every mock series as potential board evidence. That means full papers, exam conditions, marking against the official mark scheme, and scripts stored where the exams officer can find them. Cambridge has published a portfolio of evidence page for November 2026, so the route remains live. Schools should not assume the next series is unaffected. Setting mock grade thresholds consistently also matters. Our guide on how to set grade boundaries for mock exams covers that.
How schools do this with AI Buddy
AI Buddy keeps a dated, per-student record of every mock and practice paper. Each record shows the questions attempted, the marks awarded and the topics missed, so evidence can be exported instead of rebuilt from memory. Teachers set full-paper mock exams from 200,000+ past-paper-style questions, and AI Buddy marks them instantly. Heads of department then see cohort results by paper and topic. Teacher judgement and the board’s rules still decide what gets submitted; AI Buddy keeps the record complete.
Frequently asked questions
What happens if IGCSE exams are cancelled?
The exam board awards grades from evidence the school submits, such as full past papers sat under exam conditions. In 2026, Cambridge and Pearson examiners marked or reviewed that evidence themselves.
What is the Cambridge portfolio of evidence?
It is Cambridge’s contingency route: three substantial pieces of evidence per student, submitted with a rationale document and marked by Cambridge examiners. It was used for June 2026 in Bahrain, Kuwait, Qatar and the UAE.
Were predicted grades used when exams were cancelled?
No. Pearson treated predicted grades only as supporting context, and Cambridge’s route relied on marked work, not forecasts.
How should a school do exam contingency planning?
Run mocks as full papers under exam conditions, mark them to the official mark scheme, and store scripts so they can be retrieved within days.
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Sources
- Tes, A level and IGCSE exams cancelled across Middle East (2 April 2026)
- Cambridge International, June 2026 exams in the Middle East: guidance for universities
- Cambridge International, Portfolio of evidence and Portfolio of evidence submission deadlines
- Pearson, Arrangements for International GCSE and International A Level exams
- Tes, Cambridge International A levels exam results released (11 August 2026)