Kuwait schools cut second short test for most grades

If your child is in grade 4 or higher this year, they will now sit only one short test per subject instead of two. That’s the short answer. For students who already sat both short tests before this decision, the ministry will count whichever mark is higher, so no one loses out.

This comes on the back of a busy few weeks for Kuwait’s schools, from 20 new rules on money, photos and social media to the recent ban on cash, gifts and unapproved events. This latest move is about something closer to the report card: how your child’s grades actually get calculated.

So what exactly changed?

Kuwait schools usually give students short tests through the term, on top of the bigger midterm and final exams. Until now, most grades sat two short tests per subject. The ministry has now dropped that to just one short test for the current academic year, for a specific set of grades.

The change covers the intermediate stage (roughly middle school), the secondary stage (high school), and also grades 4 and 5 of primary school. Younger primary pupils, in grades 1 to 3, are not affected. They will keep sitting two short tests, each worth 5 points, the same as before.

What happens to marks already given?

Some students had already taken both short tests in a subject before the ministry made this call. For them, the ministry says it will count the higher of the two marks. The aim, according to the ministry, is to protect the benefit of the learners and to keep things fair between students who sat one test and those who already sat two.

This matters because it means no student is penalised just because their school had already run both tests before the new rule arrived. Whichever score was better becomes the one that counts.

Why is the ministry doing this?

The Ministry of Education says the move unifies assessment procedures across schools and applies the provisions of the comprehensive education regulation. In plain words, the ministry wants every school following the same marking system this year, so students across Kuwait are judged by the same rules, not a mix of different approaches from school to school.

Earlier rule changes this year have focused on behaviour and money inside schools. This one is different, it’s about how grades themselves are worked out, which has a direct effect on report cards and overall results.

Who does this affect?

This touches a large slice of Kuwait’s school population: every student in the intermediate and secondary stages, plus those in grades 4 and 5 of primary school. That includes both public and likely private school students, though the source does not specify whether private schools must follow the same rule, so that’s worth confirming with your child’s school directly.

Parents of younger children in grades 1 to 3 don’t need to change anything. Their short-test system stays exactly as it was, with two tests worth 5 points each.

What this means for parents and students in Kuwait

For families, this likely means less test pressure through the term for older children, since there’s one less short test to prepare for in each subject. For students who were anxious about an upcoming second short test, that pressure is gone for this year, for the grades covered.

It also means teachers and schools need to adjust their internal schedules and marking plans quickly, since this applies to the current academic year, not a future one. If your child’s school hasn’t communicated how this change applies to their specific subjects, it’s reasonable to ask the school directly for clarity, especially around how the higher-mark rule for already-tested subjects will actually be applied.

You can follow more local news in Kuwait as the ministry continues to update rules this term, including the recent move to reopen evening school clubs on 8 November and the KD 54,000 in school awards announced this week.

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