Saudi king orders all second-semester exams be moved forward

Saudi students sit for their final high school exams in the Red Sea port city of Jeddah. (File/AFP)

• Royal decree applies to exams at all levels, from school and university to technical and vocational
• It ensures examinations will conclude before Eid Al-Fitr holiday

RIYADH: Saudi Arabia’s King Salman on Thursday ordered this year’s second-semester exams at all levels to be moved forward from their scheduled dates so that they conclude before the start of the Eid Al-Fitr holiday, the Saudi Press Agency (SPA) reported.
The royal order applies to all stages of school and university education, and to technical and vocational training. It reflects the king’s “keenness to achieve educational gains for students, which will be positively reflected in their results and the level of their performance in tests,” according to SPA, and was based on a proposal by Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman.
Exams for elementary pupils will begin on Tuesday, April 13, and their break from school will start on April 23. Exams for middle and secondary-school students will begin on Sunday, April 18, and their break will start on April 30.
“Public and private universities and institutions and the Technical and Vocational Training Corporation are to determine the dates for their exams, provided that all exams end before the start of the Eid Al-Fitr holiday,” SPA reported. 
Eid Al-Fitr is expected to begin on or around May 12.

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