The code postpones the issuance of the certificate for review and accreditation… and does not mean failure

A number of students asked some questions about the appearance of one of the two guide signs

And (-) next to the result during the issuance of the end-of-year certificate, as some believed that the symbol may indicate failure or the presence of a defect in monitoring grades, while the Ministry of Education clarified, in the frequently asked questions guide for student results, certificates and tests for the end of the 2025-2026 academic year, which Emirates Today viewed, that the symbol is not related to the student’s academic level or the result of his success, but rather indicates that some grades or procedures related to the academic record are still under review and electronic accreditation, and therefore it is not possible to issue the certificate or Print it until it is completed and officially approved, meaning that the code does not mean failure, and the student may actually be successful, but the electronic system only postpones the issuance of the end-of-year certificate until all stages of auditing and approval are completed, ensuring that it comes out with an accurate official document free of any incomplete data.

The signs “*” and “-”

A number of school principals, including Muhammad Al-Hassan, Khaled Abdel Hamid, and Samer Sarhan, explained that the appearance of the symbol

It means the presence of grades or academic data whose accreditation procedures have not yet been completed, which temporarily prevents the issuance or printing of the electronic certificate, without this having anything to do with the student failing or requiring him to take a retake test.

On the other hand, the appearance of the symbol (-) in front of one of the subjects means that the student is required to take the retake test in that subject according to the timetables approved by the Ministry of Education, and reflects the academic status of the subject, and is not a defect in the electronic system.

A number of school department directors, who preferred not to mention their names, confirmed that the electronic certificate becomes available for printing as soon as all grades and data associated with the student’s record are approved, as the symbol disappears.

Automatically once the electronic accreditation procedures are completed.

They explained that the appearance of this symbol does not change the student’s result, nor does it affect his success, but rather represents a regulatory procedure that ensures that a study certificate will not be issued before all data is completed and finally approved.

They called on parents to follow up on the condition of their children through the student portal, to rely on the official clarifications issued by the Ministry of Education and schools, and not to be led by the explanations circulating on social media platforms.

For their part, a number of students, including Alaa Abdel Qader, Mahmoud Ali, Shaima Abdullah, Alia Al-Husseini, and Hamda Al Ali, confirmed that what worries students most when announcing the results is not the result itself, but the appearance of unfamiliar symbols that are difficult to interpret in the first moments.

They explained that when a student sees the word “pass” or “fail,” he immediately realizes his academic status, while the symbol appears

Or any other symbol that opens the door to a wide range of guesses, and leads many students and parents to believe that there is an error in the result or a defect in the electronic system.

They added that including the student portal with a simplified explanation of the meanings of the symbols, or sending awareness messages in conjunction with the announcement of the results, would dispel anxiety and reduce the great pressure that schools and technical support centers are experiencing as a result of repeated inquiries.

Digital transparency

Educational expert, Amna Al-Mazmi, believes that the real source of concern does not lie in the symbol itself, but rather in the lack of knowledge of its meaning, which leads many students and parents to link it to failure or an error in the result, even though it does not reflect the student’s academic level and does not determine his academic fate.

She emphasized that raising awareness of the meanings of symbols used in electronic systems contributes to reducing misinterpretations, enhances the confidence of students and parents, and significantly reduces the volume of communications and inquiries that schools receive after announcing the results.

Monitor all grades

For her part, educator and specialist in educational information systems, Reem Mahmoud, explained that issuing the end-of-year certificate goes through several successive digital stages, starting with completing the monitoring of all grades, then reviewing and approving them electronically, before making them available for printing.

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She pointed out that the system prevents the issuance of any certificate if one degree or academic information remains under accreditation, in order to preserve the integrity of the data, stressing that the appearance of the symbol

It reflects a high level of digital transparency, because it makes it clear to the student that the certificate is still in the accreditation stage, rather than issuing an incomplete document or amending it later.

Educators and experts recommended not dealing with the symbol

As an indicator of failure, they stressed the importance of waiting for the completion of grade approval procedures if the reason is organizational, and following up on the status of the result through the student portal, and communicating with the school administration if the code continues to appear for a period exceeding the usual period, or when there is a need to inquire about the status of the academic record.

They emphasized the necessity of not trying to obtain the end-of-year certificate before the symbol disappears and all data is approved, because the certificate does not become available until all electronic procedures are completed.

They agreed that the student’s result is no longer measured only by the word “pass” or “fail,” in the era of electronic certificates, but has also become linked to the state of data accreditation within digital systems. And while the symbol raises