Minister of Education Launches Competitive Exams for Tuition-Free Seats in Yemeni Universities

Sana’a | University Media Center*
*Saturday, June 13, 2026 (27 Dhu al-Hijjah 1447 AH)*

Mr. Hasan Al-Saadi, Minister of Education and Scientific Research, today officially launched the competitive proficiency exams for tuition-free university seats at the Electronic Testing Center (ETC) within the Faculty of Dentistry at Sana’a University. A total of 6,981 male and female applicants are competing for these fully funded placements for the upcoming 1448 AH (2026/2027) academic year.
Minister Al-Saadi, accompanied by Prof. Mohammed Al-Bukhaiti, Rector of Sana’a University, and Prof. Mohammed Ali Shukri, Vice Rector for Student Affairs, inspected the progress of the examination process. On the opening day, 3,328 applicants took their proficiency exams in Chemistry, Biology, and English, competing for coveted placements across various medical disciplines.
The delegation was briefed by Prof. Ibrahim Luqman, Undersecretary of the Higher Education Sector and Chairman of the Technical Committee, alongside Dr. Abdullah Amin, Director of the Electronic Testing Center. They outlined the organizational measures implemented to facilitate a smooth experience for the students, noting that testing session schedules were organized across three distinct shifts running from 9:00 AM to 3:00 PM.
The officials highlighted that the ETC underwent significant capacity expansions this year. With the addition of new computer terminals, the center’s total capacity has reached 1,090 workstations, enabling it to accommodate more than 1,000 students per testing session.
The Technical Committee further clarified that competitive examinations for the remaining 3,653 applicants seeking seats in Engineering, Computer Science, Administrative Sciences, and the Humanities would take place on Sunday across four shifts. Additionally, Monday’s sessions have been explicitly reserved for late applicants traveling from out-of-province districts who completed their digital registration but faced payment delays, ensuring equal opportunity for all eligible candidates.
During his tour, Minister Al-Saadi commended the high level of preparation and organization governing the competitive testing process across public and private Yemeni universities. He explained that these tuition-free seats are strictly designated for ten resilient and aggression-affected categories. He emphasized that the selection criteria remain entirely transparent and merit-based, calculated by weighing the proficiency exam score at 60 percent and the high school GPA at 40 percent, allowing students to review their final scoring metrics immediately upon completion.
Prof. Luqman added that the national tuition-free seat initiative has effectively addressed the historical challenges faced by top-performing students following the suspension of foreign scholarships due to the ongoing conflict, offering them seamless access to preferred specializations locally.
Corroborating this, Prof. Mohammed Al-Bukhaiti highlighted the robust technological infrastructure of the Sana’a University testing facility. He noted that the examination system is fully automated, utilizing a randomized question bank to generate multiple distinct exam models, which enables students to access their finalized test results instantly after finishing their papers.
Finally, Technical Committee member Mr. Omar Al-Ansi concluded that the automated framework ensures absolute precision and objectivity as applicants compete for more than 4,000 available free seats distributed across public and private higher education institutions nationwide.