Kerala Cancels Gulf Region Exams Amid West Asia Conflict, Announces Alternative Assessment Plans
In a significant development affecting Indian students abroad, Kerala Minister for General Education V Sivankutty announced on Thursday that the Secondary School Leaving Certificate (SSLC) and Class 12 examinations scheduled in the Gulf region have been officially cancelled. This decision comes in direct response to the ongoing conflict in West Asia, which has created unsafe conditions for conducting standardized tests.
Alternative Assessment Methods for Affected Students
For the 633 SSLC students unable to appear for their examinations, results will be prepared using a combination of their performance in model or term examinations, whichever is applicable, supplemented by a specific percentage of grace marks. This approach ensures that students' academic efforts are recognized despite the cancellation of final exams.
For the 592 Class 12 students (second-year higher secondary), their marks from the first year will be carried forward to the second year. These will be combined with their Continuous Evaluation (CE) scores and practical examination marks obtained during the second academic year, providing a comprehensive assessment of their overall performance.
Eligibility Extended to Stranded Students
Minister Sivankutty clarified that students who traveled from Kerala to the Gulf region for any purpose and found themselves stranded due to the conflict will also qualify for these alternative assessment benefits. However, this provision requires strict verification procedures.
School principals must authenticate these students' original hall tickets, valid visas, and passports. Additionally, principals must certify the specific examinations missed during the students' extended stay in the Gulf region, ensuring the integrity of the assessment process.
Improvement Examinations and Result Timelines
The minister emphasized that SSLC and Class 12 students in the Gulf who are dissatisfied with their calculated results will have the opportunity to appear for improvement examinations when these are conducted in the future. This option provides students with a pathway to enhance their academic records.
Regarding result announcements, SSLC results are expected to be declared during the third week of May, while Class 12 results are projected for release on May 25. These timelines aim to provide clarity and reduce uncertainty for affected students and their families.
Strengthening School Assessment Systems
Beyond the immediate exam cancellations, Minister Sivankutty announced comprehensive reforms to strengthen the grievance redressal mechanism related to continuous assessment systems in schools. This initiative responds to complaints that some teachers award marks without fully understanding the objectives of the assessment framework.
To enhance transparency and comprehensiveness in school-level continuous assessment, all assessment scores must now be displayed prominently on school notice boards. Complaints regarding assessment practices will be examined by school-level monitoring committees, ensuring greater accountability in the evaluation process.
Study Support Programme for Underperforming Students
In a separate but related educational initiative, the minister announced a study support programme specifically designed for government school students in classes 5 to 9 who have not secured a minimum of 30% marks in written examinations. Detailed guidelines have been issued to the Director of General Education to implement this programme effectively.
The study support programme is scheduled to run from April 20 to 27, 2026. Following this intensive support period, special examinations will be conducted at the school level, after which promotion lists will be published, providing struggling students with targeted academic assistance.
These combined measures represent Kerala's proactive approach to addressing educational disruptions caused by international conflicts while simultaneously strengthening domestic assessment systems to better serve all students.
