Student results via the Noor system: The Ministry of Education clarifies the absence procedure and the date for grades

Public schools in Saudi Arabia concluded their end-of-term written exams for the first semester on Thursday, under close monitoring by the Ministry of Education to ensure the smooth operation of the educational process according to the approved schedules. The Ministry issued urgent and strict directives to school administrations in all regions and governorates, emphasizing the need to expedite the recording and verification of grades through the "Noor" electronic system, in preparation for announcing the final results for students before the end of the school day.

Noor System and Digital Transformation in Education

The complete reliance on the Noor system for monitoring and announcing results is part of the Saudi Ministry of Education's digital transformation strategy, which aims to automate educational processes and facilitate accurate and transparent access to academic data for parents and students. This system is a cornerstone of the Kingdom's digital education infrastructure, connecting all schools to a central database that ensures standardized procedures and rapid processing, reflecting the significant development witnessed in the education sector in line with the goals of Saudi Vision 2030.

Mechanism for dealing with absences and those who have dropped out

As part of organizing the assessment process, the Ministry established specific guidelines for addressing the situations of absent students. The instructions clarified that students who have stopped attending classes during the current semester will have their status recorded as "absent" in the electronic system, instead of being "dismissed," a step aimed at preserving their academic records and giving them an opportunity to rectify their situation in the future.

Regarding the distribution of marks for absentees, the regulations clearly define the differences:

• Absence with an acceptable excuse: The student is given the opportunity to take an alternative exam worth 40 marks, while retaining the full coursework grade of 60 marks.
• Absence without excuse: Attendance marks are deducted, and the student is tested out of 60 marks (including quizzes and finals), while only 40 marks are retained for the rest of the assessment tools.

The debate about grade improvement has been settled

The Ministry of Education has firmly rejected any individual attempts to retake exams to improve grades, stating unequivocally that no student who has already taken the end-of-term exam will be allowed to retake it, regardless of the reasons or justifications. This measure aims to ensure fairness and equality among all students and to guarantee the credibility of educational results and outcomes.

The audit and review committees are currently working at full capacity to ensure that the results are error-free before they are officially made available, allowing families and students to see the fruits of their labor during the first semester and prepare for the next semester with a clear vision.