No. Grade 12 students no longer need EmSAT to apply to UAE universities. On 3 November 2024 the Ministry of Education (MoE) and the Ministry of Higher Education and Scientific Research (MoHESR) announced the immediate cancellation of EmSAT for Grade 12 students seeking admission to higher education. Universities now have flexibility to set their own admission criteria. This page explains what changed, what two UAE universities ask for instead, and what to check for your child.
Correction (19 October 2026): this guide was rewritten after we re-checked it against official sources. It previously said that the decision was announced by the “Education, Human Development and Community Development Council”. The cancellation was announced by the MoE and MoHESR and approved by the Education, Human Resources and Community Development Council. It also listed EmSAT minimum scores for UAE University and AUS, and said that EmSAT “may be sufficient” for UAE universities. UAE University’s admission regulations of January 2025 do not list EmSAT at all. We have also removed the registration steps, test dates, score scales, score validity and the statement that EmSAT “still exists and is operational”, because we could not confirm them from an official source on 19 October 2026. The guide also said, in several places, that many universities still accept EmSAT scores and that EmSAT scores can strengthen an application. We found no official source for this.
What Changed in November 2024
According to the official announcement from the Emirates News Agency (WAM) on 3 November 2024:
- EmSAT was cancelled for Grade 12 students seeking admission to higher education institutions, with immediate effect.
- Universities now have flexibility to set their own admission criteria.
- Universities can admit students who do not meet English language requirements and enrol them in courses designed to bridge the gap, and can enrol students in remedial courses if they do not meet the required grades in specific subjects.
- Admission to medical and engineering programmes will place a stronger emphasis on grades in the relevant science subjects, rather than the overall Grade 12 percentage.
- The ministries advised students and parents to check the admission requirements for their chosen major directly with each university.
What Universities Ask For Instead
There is no single replacement test. Each university publishes its own requirements, and they differ by programme. Two examples, both published on the MoHESR website:
UAE University (admission regulations, January 2025). Applicants need 80% in high-school English on the MoE national curriculum certificate, or a TOEFL score (500 on the ITP or 61 on the iBT). Students who fall short can be admitted conditionally with an English bridging course. Students from other curricula who studied in the UAE do not need to prove their English if they studied an English curriculum and took English AP, or followed A-Level or IB. Native English speakers who completed high school at an English-medium school, in a country where English is the official language, are also exempt. College requirements are set by school grades or international results. For the College of Engineering, for example, the maths requirement is 80% in high-school mathematics, or SAT 555, AP 3, IB Higher Level 4 or A Level grade C. The regulations do not mention EmSAT.
AURAK (revised requirements after the EmSAT cancellation, effective Spring 2025). For full admission, students need TOEFL (500, or 61 on the iBT), IELTS Academic 5.0, the Oxford Online Placement Test (60), or 80% or higher in English in the MoE curriculum or its equivalent in other curricula. For students below the 80% threshold in their school exams, its business, engineering, computing and biotechnology programmes may use placement tests in maths and, for some programmes, the sciences.
Requirements at other universities may differ, and they can change each year. Treat these two as examples, not a rule.
Certificate Equivalency Is a Separate Step
If your child studies at a private school that does not follow the MoE curriculum, UAE University’s regulations require equivalency for their Grade 12 certificate from the MoE. Check whether your other target universities ask for it too. In November 2024 the ministries said that cancelling EmSAT would not affect equivalency requirements for most private-school curricula. The exception is the American curriculum, which requires alternative standardised tests such as SAT (Math) and TOEFL (English). The MoE publishes an equivalency guide for private schools each year, and its rules for each curriculum are the ones to follow.
What to Check Now
- Your target universities’ current admission pages, for the specific programme. Requirements differ by programme and are updated each year.
- The MoE’s current equivalency guide for your child’s curriculum, if they attend a private school.
- Subject grades. For medicine and engineering, the grades in the relevant science subjects carry more weight than the overall percentage.
- English evidence. Find out whether the university accepts a school English grade or asks for a test score, and which tests it accepts.
If a university asks for an SAT score, see our SAT tutors in Dubai page.
How This Was Made
This update was written with AI assistance. On 19 October 2026 the statements on this page were checked against the official sources listed below: the WAM announcement, UAE University’s and AURAK’s admission documents published on the MoHESR website, and the MoE’s equivalency guide. Statements we could not confirm from an official source were removed.
SOURCES
- Emirates News Agency (WAM): “MoE, MOHESR cancel EmSAT exam for Grade 12 students”, 3 November 2024
- UAE University: Student Admission Criteria Regulations, January 2025 (MoHESR website)
- AURAK: Revised Admission Requirements Due to EmSAT Cancellation, effective Spring 2025 (MoHESR website)
- Ministry of Education: Guide to Academic Certificate Equivalency, Private Schools, 2024–2025
Last verified: 19 October 2026. Admission and equivalency rules change each year. Check with the university and the MoE for the most current requirements.