The IB has announced special measures for students affected by disruption in the Middle East. Here's what transfer, deferral, refunds, and future examination options mean in practice.
The May 2026 IB examination session has become a source of uncertainty for many students across the Middle East. Following disruption in the region, the International Baccalaureate has confirmed a series of support measures for affected schools and candidates, including options to transfer examination registration, defer exams, or withdraw from the session.
Importantly, the situation is not a blanket cancellation across the whole Middle East. In its latest update, the IB stated that May 2026 examinations are expected to proceed in much of the region, while decisions about whether exams can safely take place may be made by national or local authorities. In exceptional cases where exams cannot be conducted safely and no other mitigation is possible, the IB's Non-Exam Contingency Measure, or NECM, may be applied.
The IB's first statement set out several measures for schools and students affected by the current situation. These include an extension of coursework deadlines from 15 March to 15 April, updated teacher guidance through the Programme Resource Centre, possible Inclusive Access Arrangements, and several options for students whose assessment plans have been disrupted.
The most important point for students considering retakes or alternative exam arrangements is this: the IB says students may transfer registration to another IB World School, defer May 2026 examinations to a later session at no extra cost, or withdraw from the May 2026 session with a full refund. These measures apply to IB schools across Bahrain, Iran, Iraq, Israel, Jordan, Kuwait, Lebanon, Oman, Palestine, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates.
This means that, for affected students, a later examination session may be possible without an additional IB deferral cost. However, this should not be confused with a normal paid retake after results are released. A deferral is a formal arrangement linked to adverse circumstances, while a retake is normally a later attempt to improve or complete results.
Not exactly. The official wording points to deferral at no extra cost, not an automatic free retake for every student. Under the IB's Adverse Circumstances Policy, deferral of external assessment is one of the mitigation measures available when students miss one or more assessment components because of adverse circumstances. The same policy states that, where a subject is deferred, the registration and fees for the subject concerned are carried forward to the future session.
That is the strongest documentary basis for saying affected students may be able to sit a later session without paying the IB registration fee again. Students should still confirm the exact arrangement with their IB coordinator, because schools handle registrations and may have their own administrative processes.
For ordinary retakes, the IB's retake guidance is different. Candidates can retake a subject in a future examination session at any IB World School offering the Diploma Programme or Career-related Programme, but the school is not required to accept retake candidates. The IB also says students should contact the coordinator at the school where they wish to register to confirm retake fees, because IB World Schools are independent and responsible for their own fees.
In exceptional cases, the IB says government authorities may decide to apply the Non-Exam Contingency Measure. This is described by the IB as a safety-led, last-resort approach for situations where exams cannot be conducted safely and no other mitigation measures are possible. Under this route, students may receive results based on externally assessed coursework and teacher-predicted grades, using IB standards and quality assurance processes.
For students, this means there may be three different paths depending on their country, school and personal circumstances:
The IB has also stated that its Recognition team is in contact with universities worldwide and that, based on past practice, it expects results from the non-exam route to be widely understood and accepted.
Students who want to sit exams in a later session, transfer their registration, or plan a retake should speak first with their current IB coordinator. The IB's own guidance confirms that candidates may retake subjects in future examination sessions at an IB World School offering the DP or CP, but only if that school is willing and able to register them.
IB Retakes can support students who are exploring their options for future examination sessions, including students affected by disruption in the Middle East. Depending on eligibility, subject availability, deadlines and school acceptance, students may be able to arrange their examination route through an approved IB World School or retake centre.
However, students should act quickly. Transfer, deferral and retake arrangements are not automatic, and the correct route depends on whether the student is deferring due to adverse circumstances, transferring registration before the session, or registering for a normal retake after results.
Students and parents should contact their school directly to confirm which arrangement applies in their location. The IB has specifically advised parents and students to speak to their school, because decisions may vary between countries, regions and individual schools.
Students should ask their coordinator four questions:
The key message is that affected students do have options. The IB has provided flexibility, including transfer, deferral and refund routes, while the standard IB retake system remains available through IB World Schools that accept retake candidates. For students who still want to sit written examinations, or who want to plan a later attempt, IB Retakes can help them understand the next steps and prepare for the examination session that best fits their situation.
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