From university offers to retakes and UCAS Clearing, here’s your complete guide to the next steps after results day
For thousands of students across the UAE, Monday, July 6, could be the day that shapes the next chapter of their academic journey.
After two years of coursework, internal assessments and months of anticipation, International Baccalaureate (IB) Diploma Programme (DP) and Career-related Programme (CP) candidates will finally receive their May 2026 results.
While many will be celebrating university offers, others may find themselves exploring alternative routes such as remarks, retakes or UCAS Clearing.
This year’s results carry added significance for many students in the UAE after final IB examinations across the country and other Gulf states were cancelled because of regional security concerns during the US–Israel–Iran conflict.
Instead, the International Baccalaureate Organisation (IBO), in consultation with the UAE Ministry of Education, awarded grades using its Non-Exam Contingency Measure (NECM), an established assessment process used when exams cannot safely take place.
Here’s a complete guide to what students and parents should know before IB Results Day.
When will IB results be released?
Students who sat the May 2026 IB examinations can access their results on Monday, July 6 through the official IB candidate portal. Results become available from 12pm GMT (4pm UAE time), while schools receive them a day earlier.
To log in, students will need the personal code and PIN issued by their IB coordinator. The IB advises candidates to keep these details ready in advance, as heavy traffic on results day can sometimes slow access.
For UAE students heading to university
For many UAE students holding offers from UK universities, results day is closely linked to the UCAS admissions process.
In most cases, IB results are sent directly to UCAS and participating universities, provided students have authorised this through the IB system. Universities then begin confirming whether applicants have met the conditions of their offers. If permission has not been granted, the process could be delayed.
Students are advised to:
US university admissions: Historically non-conditional offers
Unlike UK universities, which usually issue conditional offers based on final IB scores, most US universities admit students using a broader profile that includes the following:
Decisions are typically made between March and April, before final IB results are released. Final IB results still matter. Once admitted, students are expected to maintain a consistent academic standard. Universities may review or reconsider an offer if there is a sharp drop in grades, the IB Diploma is not awarded, or overall performance declines significantly. However, small differences between predicted and final scores rarely affect admissions, with each case reviewed individually.
Understanding your IB score
The IB Diploma is marked out of a maximum of 45 points.
Students can earn up to 42 points across six subjects, with a further three bonus points available through Theory of Knowledge (TOK) and the Extended Essay (EE). Achieving the perfect score of 45 remains exceptionally rare, with fewer than one per cent of candidates reaching it globally.
To earn the diploma, students generally need at least 24 points, although entry requirements vary widely between universities.
40 points or more may strengthen applications to some of the world’s most competitive universities.
Admission requirements, however, differ by institution and course.
Missed your offer? You still have options
Results day does not always bring a straightforward answer.
If a student narrowly misses the conditions of a university offer, institutions may still decide to admit them, particularly if the shortfall is small. Others may defer a decision while reviewing applications.
Where an offer is not confirmed, students can consider UCAS Clearing, which enables applicants to apply for available university places between July and October.
Students who believe their grades do not accurately reflect their performance can also discuss requesting an Enquiry Upon Results (EUR) — commonly known as a remark — through their IB coordinator. Alternatively, individual subjects can usually be retaken during the November examination session.
What do ‘P’ and ‘N’ mean?
Some students may notice letters instead of final grades.
A ‘P’ indicates that a result is still pending, while an ‘N’ means a grade could not be awarded because assessment requirements were incomplete.
In either case, students should contact their IB coordinator immediately to understand the next steps.
© Khaleej Times
Twitter