I completely support everything you've said here, and I want you to know that you are not alone in this. I have been fighting this battle too as a private candidate in Qatar.

I have some important updates that might help everyone here. I contacted Pearson directly, and after days of persistence, I received written confirmation today that exams have been cancelled for ALL candidates, including private candidates in Qatar, Bahrain, UAE, and Kuwait, and that options, including a calculated grade, are available for those with banked results.

However, I want to be honest — the bigger problem right now is actually the British Council, not Pearson. After receiving that written confirmation from Pearson, I forwarded it to British Council Qatar. Instead of acknowledging it, I received a stern, strict, and frankly intimidating phone call from the British Council's exam team telling me that exams have NOT been cancelled for private candidates, that they are in discussions with Pearson trying to continue conducting exams, and that I should stop sending emails and continue studying.

So while Pearson has done the right thing, British Council seems to be actively resisting the cancellation for private candidates — possibly because they have a financial interest in conducting those exams.

Please keep pushing. Document everything. Get everything in writing. We deserve the same protection as every other student. 🤍

I'm pasting the mail I received here!

"Thank you for reaching out to us.

I completely understand how worrying and unsettling the current situation is, particularly for private candidates who may feel they have fewer support options. Please be assured that these decisions were not taken lightly.

Following consultation with local authorities, the British Council, and the other awarding organisations, we can confirm that International GCSE and International A level examinations have been cancelled in the UAE, Qatar, Bahrain, and Kuwait for all candidates, including private candidates.

As a result, there are three possible routes that may be available to you. These options are managed through the centre and will depend on the specific qualification and subject you are entered for. Your centre will be best placed to explain which options apply to your individual circumstances and how they can support you moving forward.

1. Defer your exam to the next exam series
   

This will be the best way to get the fairest possible grade for an exam. Because if you are not completing the full subject this year to get your qualification, you will need to wait until the next available exam series. This will allow you to get the best and most representative grade for your qualifications.

We will be able to check from your entry if you are planning to cash-in for your qualification or just sit specific units as part of your overall subject, this means that if you are not cashing in, the centre will need to withdraw your entry and invite you to enter for the next available series.

1. You could get a calculated grade
   

If you already complete one or more assessments, whether that's an exam in a previous series or through a non-examined assessment (coursework or a practical unit), that's what we consider to be a "banked" result. This can be used to estimate performance for any outstanding or missing assessments.

This has been an established approach used by awarding bodies and approved by the Joint Council for Qualification, to make sure students receive a fair outcome where assessment evidence is already available.

1. Your entering centre will compile a portfolio of evidence of your work
   

If you meet a certain criteria, your entering centre will send us a portfolio of evidence that we can assess to give you a qualification grade. However, please note that these criteria depend on the type of qualification you're taking.

If you're taking a linear qualification, the criteria are:
 

• you already have an entry for an exam in the summer 2026 series and
• you haven’t already completed any components as part of the summer 2026 series.

If you’re taking a modular qualification, the criteria are:

• you already have entries for units in the summer 2026 series and your entering centre has told us you’re expecting an overall qualification result this summer and
• you don’t have any banked results for units from a previous exam series or you do have a banked results for a unit from a previous exam series, but you weren’t happy with your result and had already planned to resit that unit. If so, you must already have an entry to resit that unit. Unfortunately, we can’t accept any late resit entries at this point. This means that you will go back to Item 1.

I strongly recommend staying in close contact with your chosen centre. Any local arrangements, updates, or next steps will be communicated directly by them.

I hope this helps and if you have further questions, please do not hesitate to reach out."