Daijiworld Media Network - Dubai
Dubai, Nov 2: As exam season nears, the UAE Ministry of Education has issued a stern warning to students and educators alike — cheating will now carry harsh, uncompromising consequences. With the first-term central exams scheduled to begin on November 20, the ministry has launched a comprehensive “Guide to Combating Cheating and Exam Misconduct,” introducing strict penalties to safeguard academic integrity across public and private schools.
Under the new rules, students caught cheating will receive a zero in the subject, lose 12 points from their conduct record, and be enrolled in behavioral rehabilitation programmes. Meanwhile, school staff found aiding or ignoring cheating incidents could face fines of up to Dh200,000, along with administrative and legal disciplinary action.
The Ministry of Education emphasized that maintaining exam fairness is a shared moral duty — extending beyond invigilators to include students, teachers, and parents. Schools are now required to conduct awareness sessions, form internal monitoring committees, and submit real-time reports of violations directly to the ministry. Random inspection teams will also conduct surprise visits to ensure compliance.
The new directive outlines a strict list of prohibited acts, including the use of mobile phones or electronic devices, photographing or sharing exam questions online, unauthorized communication, and attempting to influence invigilators. Students found damaging their answer sheets will have their papers excluded from grading entirely.
In a strong deterrent move, the ministry extended accountability to school employees and administrators, warning that any involvement in exam misconduct would trigger not only financial penalties but also professional misconduct cases under federal regulations.
With these sweeping measures, the UAE has made its stance clear — academic honesty is non-negotiable. The government’s goal, officials say, is to ensure a fair, transparent, and trustworthy examination environment where success is earned, not manipulated.