At a glance
- School year
- 31 Aug 2026 to 2 Jul 2027
- Term 1 EOT
- Expected early Dec 2026, before 14 Dec
- Term 2 EOT
- Expected before 5 Apr 2027 spring break
- Term 3 EOT
- Expected late Jun 2027
- Detailed timetable
- Not published as of 6 Oct 2026
2026-27 calendar and expected EOT windows
Calendar dates are from the Ministry of Education's unified 2026-27 calendar as reported by Khaleej Times on 4 June 2026. EOT windows are our reading of the rule that final assessments fall in the last week of each term; they are not official exam dates.
| Period | Dates | Status |
|---|---|---|
| First day of school | Monday 31 August 2026 | Published |
| October mid-term break | 12 to 18 or 19 to 23 October 2026 (school chooses) | Published |
| Term 1 end-of-term exams | Early December 2026 | Expected, not yet published |
| Winter break | 14 December 2026 to 3 January 2027 | Published |
| Ramadan (shorter school hours) | About 8 February to 9 March 2027 | Depends on moon sighting |
| Term 2 end-of-term exams | Late March to early April 2027 | Expected, not yet published |
| Spring break | 5 to 11 April 2027 | Published |
| Term 3 end-of-term exams | Late June 2027 | Expected, not yet published |
| Last day of the year | Friday 2 July 2027 | Published |
Private schools that follow other curricula have some flexibility on mid-term breaks. Always use the dates your child's school sends.
Last year's pattern (2025-26)
From the UAE Government portal's 2025-26 calendar.
| Event | 2025-26 date |
|---|---|
| Start of the academic year | 25 August 2025 |
| Winter break | 8 December 2025 to 4 January 2026 |
| Spring break | 16 to 29 March 2026 |
The portal states that all schools must complete final assessments or curriculum requirements during the last week of each term, so that students stay engaged until the final school day.
What EOT exams are and why they matter more now
End-of-term exams are the Ministry's term assessments for students in MOE public schools and private schools that follow the MOE curriculum. Students sit them in their stream: General, Advanced, Elite (Advanced Science Programme) or the Professional (applied) track from Grade 9. Grade 12 results now carry more weight than they used to, because UAE universities admit mainly on Grade 12 subject marks rather than EmSAT scores. A weak Term 1 in Grade 12 maths or physics is harder to recover from than it was a few years ago.
Each school sends families the exam schedule and an exam structure for each subject (هيكل الامتحان), listing the learning outcomes and question types covered. Ask for it as soon as it is issued: it is the most precise revision checklist you will get.
A six-week plan before each EOT
- Six weeks out: get the exam structure for each subject and tick off which outcomes your child has secure, shaky or missing.
- Five to three weeks out: work through the shaky and missing outcomes subject by subject, starting with maths and the science your child finds hardest.
- Three weeks out: complete past or practice questions in the format the structure describes, and time them.
- Two weeks out: one full practice paper per main subject, marked honestly, then fix the topics that lost marks.
- Exam week: short daily review only, early nights, and no new topics. Check the schedule each evening, since days can move.
How one-to-one lessons help with EOT exams
MOE courses move quickly, especially in the Advanced stream, and many students fall behind on one unit and never fully catch up. A tutor who teaches the MOE course can follow the school's unit order week by week, so lessons support class instead of competing with it. Before each EOT, the tutor works from the exam structure, sets questions in the same format, and spends lessons on the outcomes the student cannot yet do. Lessons are online and 60 minutes, which fits after school or at weekends; UAE time and the school day make early evening the usual slot.
Wait for the school's schedule
We will update this page when the Ministry's 2026-27 EOT timetable is published. Until then, treat the windows above as planning estimates and confirm dates with your child's school and the Ministry of Education.
Common questions
When are the Term 1 EOT exams in 2026-27?
The detailed timetable was not published when we checked on 6 October 2026. Final assessments fall in the last week of each term, and winter break starts on 14 December 2026, so expect Term 1 exams in early December.
How many terms does the UAE MOE school year have?
The UAE Government portal describes a three-term year, which MOE schools have followed since 2010-11. The 2026-27 breaks in mid-December and early April fit that pattern.
Do private schools follow the same EOT dates?
Private schools that teach the MOE curriculum follow the Ministry's assessment calendar. Schools teaching other curricula, such as British, American, IB or CBSE, set their own exams within the national calendar.
Do EOT results affect university admission?
Grade 12 results do. UAE universities now admit mainly on Grade 12 subject marks, for example 80% in maths and one science for many STEM programmes.
What does LiveTutor charge for MOE exam preparation?
Every lesson is $15 for 60 minutes one to one, on a weekly plan of 1 to 5 lessons billed monthly. Many families add a second weekly lesson in the four weeks before EOTs. The first lesson is a free trial.
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.