The May/June AS and A'Level examinations, previously cancelled in February, will now be conducted according to schedule across the Maldives.

The Ministry of Education had previously announced the cancellation of the AS and A'Level exam series as Pearson UK had determined it was not feasible to conduct the examinations across countries in light of the global Covid-19 pandemic. A teacher-based assessment had been proposed as an alternative to grade students, which the Ministry of Education has now determined is not a feasible alternative in the Maldivian context.

In a press held on Tuesday, Deputy Minister for the Ministry of Education Mohamed Ihusan had confirmed that the Edexcel examinations would be conducted in the Maldives, with students receiving the Edexcel qualification following successful completion of the examinations. He further revealed that while a teacher-based assessment had been proposed as an alternative mode of grading for students following the worldwide cancellation of the exam, the Ministry of Education had dewtermined that this was not a feasible option for Maldives.

Deputy Minister Ihusan announced that five meetings had been conducted with Edexcel representatives, where the Ministry of Education had advocated for students in Maldives to be able to sit the exam. Following this, a decision had been made to allow Edexcel AS and A'Level examinations to continue as preciously scheduled in the country, with as-yet unseen question papers.

Under the present arrangement, school students sitting the AS and A'Level examinations in the Maldives this year will be required to register for the exam before 11 March 2021. The Education Ministry also stresses that unlike previous examinations, no opportunity will be given to students to register after the close of the deadline.

Minister of Education Dr. Aishath Ali had confirmed that the May/June Edexcel AS and A'Level examinations will be conducted in the Maldives as previously scheduled. The Education Ministry has also revealed that students will be receiving the results of their exams on 10 August later this year.

Minister Dr. Aishath Ali went on to affirm that equal opportunity to sit the exams would be given to those students who were positive for Covid-19, in addition to those who were in quarantine as the October/November AS and A'Level examinations of 2020.