London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Thursday, Oct 23, 2025

College admission becomes tougher as UAE students are caught up in A-Levels results fiasco

College admission becomes tougher as UAE students are caught up in A-Levels results fiasco

Parents shocked to see final grades much lower than those predicted after exams were axed

While many students in the UAE received favourable A-Level results last week, several others found themselves at the receiving end of a controversy as A-Level grades of students took a severe beating globally.

After receiving downgraded results, parents and students said their university prospects for the coming September semester have been ruined as they felt that getting admission into any decent higher-education institute will be very difficult with such dismal grades.

Adding to the confusion are the ever-changing announcements by United Kingdom education bodies on how the downgraded results would be reviewed or be subject to appeals.

What is the controversy?


Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, exams for the A-Levels (Advanced Levels), administered by various examination boards in the UK, were cancelled globally in June.

Some students, alongside A-Levels, had also selected subject exams under AS-Levels (Advanced Subsidiary) and IGCSE (International General Certificate of Secondary Education).

The school-leaving qualifications used for university entrance are internationally recognised. Outside of the UK, they are mainly administered by Cambridge Assessment International Education (also known as Cambridge International or just ‘Cambridge’).

Instead of sitting for exams in the May/June cycle, grades were calculated by a computer programme using predicted grades and ranks for each student and for each subject as provided by schools to the examination boards. The algorithm also used the school’s historical performance in the exams, as well as global performance statistics.

This “statistical standardisation” model, meant to check “teacher bias” or “grade inflation” has resulted in more than one-third of predicted grades marked down in England alone. In a few cases, the final mark is down by two grades or more.

In an update, Cambridge has said on its website: “We have been looking carefully at how to act on your feedback and at the same time make sure schools, universities and employers continue to trust our qualifications. On Tuesday, 18 August, we will let you know the actions we will take.”

‘Our plans have collapsed’


Imad Al Qaddoumi, a Jordanian father in Sharjah, said his son’s grades were severely marked down. For his AS-Levels, his predicted grades were A, B, C, but the awarded grades were two Us (Maths and IT) and C (Chemistry).

“This is unfair, there is no university that will accept these grades, in the US, Jordan or here. Our plans have collapsed. My son faces loosing half a year of what should have been his new university life — and that too in the rosiest scenario. It could be worse, it could take even longer,” said Al Qaddoumi.

“Based on all the evidence provided by the school to Cambridge, his grades should have been much higher. There is no transparency, we don’t know how or why the results were so low. And I cannot appeal on an individual basis, that’s the protocol right now.”

Offer rejected


Shaurya Chandrawanshi, who graduated from a UK school in Dubai, said the highly-selective London School of Economics has now rejected a conditional offer to him because he received one grade lower than expected.

He said his predicted grades were three A*, but he received two A* and one B.

“The university said I cannot come in unless my appeal is successful, but I highly doubt it will be. And, as things stand right now, students cannot appeal to Cambridge individually. It has to be done unanimously as a batch, as a whole, from the school. But even if one student in that batch is happy with his or her grade, why would that student appeal?” Chandrawanshi added.

“The highest grade anyone got in History from my school — we just started offering the subject this year — is a D. The vast majority have got Us, but on what basis? There is no historical data of our school-wide performance in that subject.”

He said a lot of his friends were considering taking a gap year from university because of being marked down.

‘There must be a review’


Hussain El Sayed Ismail, an Egyptian father in Sharjah, said his son’s predicted grades were A*, B, C, C, but the awarded grades were E, D, B, B.

“I had already paid for application for him to an American university in the UAE before the [final] results, based on his school performance. Now, how can he enter any university with these grades? It’s not his fault the grades are low,” Ismail said.

“There must be a review of all his grades. We, parents, have to raise our voices for our children’s future. Schools were asked to send their evidence for students’ predicted grades, which they did. Was that evidence afterwards just pushed aside, why were the grades so low?”

‘We feel cheated’


Another Egyptian parent, Mohammad Faruq Mohammad Sultan, said he was “shocked” to receive his son’s grades at his British school in Dubai.

“We were expecting A*, A, A but got B, B, C. After all the hard work, this is what we got. We feel cheated. Mistakes have been made in the results’ process, it’s a global issue. I only want to see what was agreed upon – that the students’ evidence-based predicted grades will carry due weight. I’m not asking for anything more than this,” Sultan added.

“These must be a review and an appeal process put in place as soon as possible. This is about our children’s future and their confidence in the education system.”

August 14 update: What is Cambridge saying?


“Since we released our results on 11 August, we’ve been listening to the feedback and suggestions from our schools and students. We know schools have been pleased that we were able to provide grades in challenging circumstances.

“We have also heard your concerns about some aspects of our process, and we understand the real anxieties Cambridge students are facing at the moment.

“We have been looking carefully at how to act on your feedback, and at the same time make sure schools, universities and employers continue to trust our qualifications. On Tuesday, 18 August, we will let you know the actions we will take.”

The August 12 update regarding appeals:


“Schools can make different sorts of appeals to us, and students can take our exams in October and November, with extra subjects available and alternative arrangements to support schools with social distancing and safe reopening.”

Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
US Administration Under President Donald Trump Reportedly Lifts Ban on Ukraine’s Use of Storm Shadow Missiles Against Russia
‘Frightening’ First Night in Prison for Sarkozy: Inmates Riot and Shout ‘Little Nicolas’
White House Announces No Imminent Summit Between Trump and Putin
US and Qatar Warn EU of Trade and Energy Risks from Tough Climate Regulation
Apple Challenges EU Digital Markets Act Crackdown in Landmark Court Battle
Nicolas Sarkozy begins five-year prison term at La Santé in Paris
Japan stocks surge to record as Sanae Takaichi becomes Prime Minister
This Is How the 'Heist of the Century' Was Carried Out at the Louvre in Seven Minutes: France Humiliated as Crown with 2,000 Diamonds Vanishes
China Warns UK of ‘Consequences’ After Delay to London Embassy Approval
France’s Wealthy Shift Billions to Luxembourg and Switzerland Amid Tax and Political Turmoil
"Sniper Position": Observation Post Targeting 'Air Force One' Found Before Trump’s Arrival in Florida
Shouting Match at the White House: 'Trump Cursed, Threw Maps, and Told Zelensky – "Putin Will Destroy You"'
Windows’ Own ‘Siri’ Has Arrived: You Can Now Talk to Your Computer
Thailand and Singapore Investigate Cambodian-Based Prince Group as U.S. and U.K. Sanctions Unfold
‘No Kings’ Protests Inflate Numbers — But History Shows Nations Collapse Without Strong Executive Power
Chinese Tech Giants Halt Stablecoin Launches After Beijing’s Regulatory Intervention
Manhattan Jury Holds BNP Paribas Liable for Enabling Sudanese Government Abuses
Trump Orders Immediate Release of Former Congressman George Santos After Commuting Prison Sentence
S&P Downgrades France’s Credit Rating, Citing Soaring Debt and Political Instability
Ofcom Rules BBC’s Gaza Documentary ‘Materially Misleading’ Over Narrator’s Hamas Ties
Diane Keaton’s Cause of Death Revealed as Pneumonia, Family Confirms
Former Lostprophets Frontman Ian Watkins Stabbed to Death in British Prison
"The Tsunami Is Coming, and It’s Massive": The World’s Richest Man Unveils a New AI Vision
Outsider, Heroine, Trailblazer: Diane Keaton Was Always a Little Strange — and Forever One of a Kind
Dramatic Development in the Death of 'Mango' Founder: Billionaire's Son Suspected of Murder
Two Years of Darkness: The Harrowing Testimonies of Israeli Hostages Emerging From Gaza Captivity
EU Moves to Use Frozen Russian Assets to Buy U.S. Weapons for Ukraine
Europe Emerges as the Biggest Casualty in U.S.-China Rare Earth Rivalry
HSBC Confronts Strategic Crossroads as NAB Seeks Only Retail Arm in Australia Exit
U.S. Chamber Sues Trump Over $100,000 H-1B Visa Fee
Shenzhen Expo Spotlights China’s Quantum Step in Semiconductor Self-Reliance
China Accelerates to the Forefront in Global Nuclear Fusion Race
Yachts, Private Jets, and a Picasso Painting: Exposed as 'One of the Largest Frauds in History'
Australia’s Wedgetail Spies Aid NATO Response as Russian MiGs Breach Estonian Airspace
McGowan Urges Chalmers to Cut Spending Over Tax Hike to Close $20 Billion Budget Gap
Victoria Orders Review of Transgender Prison Placement Amid Safety Concerns for Female Inmates
U.S. Treasury Mobilises New $20 Billion Debt Facility to Stabilise Argentina
French Business Leaders Decry Budget as Macron’s Pro-Enterprise Promise Undermined
Trump Claims Modi Pledged India Would End Russian Oil Imports Amid U.S. Tariff Pressure
Surging AI Startup Valuations Fuel Bubble Concerns Among Top Investors
Australian Punter Archie Wilson Tears Up During Nebraska Press Conference, Sparking Conversation on Male Vulnerability
Australia Confirms U.S. Access to Upgraded Submarine Shipyard Under AUKUS Deal
“Firepower” Promised for Ukraine as NATO Ministers Meet — But U.S. Tomahawks Remain Undecided
Brands Confront New Dilemma as Extremists Adopt Fashion Labels
The Sydney Sweeney and Jeans Storm: “The Outcome Surpassed Our Wildest Dreams”
Erika Kirk Delivers Moving Tribute at White House as Trump Awards Charlie Presidential Medal of Freedom
British Food Influencer ‘Big John’ Detained in Australia After Visa Dispute
ScamBodia: The Chinese Fraud Empire Shielded by Cambodia’s Ruling Elite
French PM Suspends Macron’s Pension Reform Until After 2027 in Bid to Stabilize Government
Orange, Bouygues and Free Make €17 Billion Bid for Drahi’s Altice France Telecom Assets
×