At a glance
- Year starts
- 23 Aug 2026 (10 Rabi' al-Awwal 1448)
- Mid-year break
- From 8 Jan 2027 (30 Rajab 1448)
- Year ends
- 24 Jun 2027 (19 Muharram 1449)
- Finals timetable
- Not published as of 6 Oct 2026
- Grade 12 extras
- Qudurat Dec 2026, Tahsili spring 2027
The 1448 school calendar
From the Ministry of Education's academic calendar page, checked on 6 October 2026. Dates are the start of each holiday or event.
| Event | Gregorian | Hijri |
|---|---|---|
| Start of the 1448 school year | Sunday 23 August 2026 | 10 Rabi' al-Awwal 1448 |
| National Day holiday | 23 September 2026 | 12 Rabi' al-Thani 1448 |
| Autumn break | From 20 November 2026 | 10 Jumada al-Akhirah 1448 |
| Mid-year break | From 8 January 2027 | 30 Rajab 1448 |
| Founding Day holiday | From 19 February 2027 | 12 Ramadan 1448 |
| Eid al-Fitr holiday | From 26 February 2027 | 19 Ramadan 1448 |
| Eid al-Adha holiday | From 7 May 2027 | 1 Dhu al-Hijjah 1448 |
| End-of-year holiday (after Thursday's school day) | 24 June 2027 | 19 Muharram 1449 |
The Ministry's page gives start dates only; return dates follow each break. Eid dates depend on the moon sighting.
When finals are likely in 1448
Our reading of the calendar. These are planning windows, not official exam dates.
| Exam period | Likely window | Status |
|---|---|---|
| First-semester finals | Late December 2026 to early January 2027, before the 8 January break | Timetable not yet published |
| Second-semester finals | June 2027, before the 24 June end of year | Timetable not yet published |
| Paper Qudurat (Grade 12) | 10 to 14 December 2026 (1 to 5 Rajab 1448) | Published by ETEC |
| Tahsili (Grade 12) | Spring 2027; in 2026 it ran 13 to 17 May and 5 to 9 June | 1448 dates not yet published |
Schools and local education departments circulate the official final exam schedule closer to the time. Use your school's schedule as the final word.
Why Grade 12 finals matter so much
University admission in Saudi Arabia combines the secondary school average with Qudurat and, for most programmes, Tahsili into a weighted percentage. Each university sets its own weights, but the school average is always part of it, which makes every secondary final count, not only Grade 12. Students in the specialised tracks (General, Health and Life Sciences, Computer and Engineering, Business Administration, Sharia) also sit the version of Tahsili that matches their track, so the subjects they study for finals are the same ones Tahsili tests across all three secondary years.
In practice the heaviest stretch for a Grade 12 student is December: the paper Qudurat sitting is 10 to 14 December 2026, and first-semester finals are likely only two or three weeks later. Planning revision for both at once avoids the common mistake of dropping school subjects for Qudurat and then losing marks in finals.
A revision plan for first-semester finals
- Now: ask the school for the unit list each final will cover and how term work and the final exam are weighted in your child's subjects.
- Mid-October to mid-November: a short weekly review of each finished unit, so nothing is learned for the first time in December.
- Autumn break (from 20 November): one practice paper per main subject, marked, with a list of weak units.
- Late November to 9 December: Qudurat practice for Grade 12 students, plus 20 to 30 minutes a day on weak final-exam units.
- After Qudurat to the exams: past or practice papers in exam order, starting with maths and the sciences.
How one-to-one lessons help with Saudi finals
Saudi curriculum maths and science move quickly in the secondary stage, and a student who misses one unit often struggles through the next. A tutor who teaches the Saudi curriculum follows the school's unit order and textbook, so lessons explain what was rushed in class rather than teaching something different. Before finals the tutor works through practice questions unit by unit and checks the student can solve them without help. For Grade 12, the same tutor can split lessons between finals and Qudurat or Tahsili in the weeks when they overlap. Arabic-speaking tutors are available for some subjects, ask when you book; many students in the Saudi system prefer to study maths and science in Arabic.
Check your school's schedule
Final exam timetables are issued by the Ministry and local education departments and can differ by region and school type. We will update this page when the 1448 schedule is published; until then use these windows for planning only.
Common questions
When are the first-semester finals in 1448?
The Ministry had not published the timetable when we checked on 6 October 2026. The mid-year break starts on 8 January 2027 (30 Rajab 1448), so finals are likely in late December and the first days of January.
When does the 1448 school year end?
School ends after Thursday 24 June 2027 (19 Muharram 1449), according to the Ministry's calendar. Second-semester finals fall in the weeks before.
Does the Saudi school year have two semesters or three terms?
The 1448 calendar, like 1447, is built around a single mid-year break in January, which means two semesters with finals at the end of each.
Do finals affect university admission?
Yes. The secondary school average is part of every university's weighted percentage, alongside Qudurat and usually Tahsili.
How much do Saudi curriculum lessons cost with LiveTutor?
Every lesson is $15 for 60 minutes one to one, on a weekly plan of 1 to 5 lessons billed monthly. The first lesson is a free trial, and tutor matching normally takes up to 24 hours.
Sources
Dates and figures on this page come from these official and published sources. Always confirm deadlines on the official page before acting on them.