Three years ago, our students came to us with a conundrum. They were receiving a world-class education at Alsama Project, yet knew that when they graduated, they would have no fair way to prove what they’d learnt. Our first instinct was simple: surely they could sit one of the many curriculum-agnostic exams out there. But one by one, obstacles appeared. The content was rooted in outdated American curricula irrelevant to a displaced teenager’s life; the fees were prohibitive; or the exams required years of formal coursework our students never had. That got us thinking: surely they’re not the only ones? And we were right. Globally, at least 500,000 teenagers face the same barrier – talented, educated, ready for the real world, yet unable to evidence their abilities like their formally educated peers. We spoke to universities and uncovered the challenge on their side too: reviewing a non-formally educated applicant takes twenty times longer. Why? Because nothing existed that allowed these young people to demonstrate their worth on a level playing field. Universities told us how excited they were that someone was finally building a tangible solution aligned with the UN “15 by 30” goal – not a pipeline or a short course, but a true certification. A curriculum-agnostic exam that tests skills, knowledge, and academic rigour in a displaced teenager’s context, while giving admissions teams what they need in theirs. That’s why we created the G12++ – to give young people a fair chance.
The G12++ is a digital, curriculum-agnostic, Grade 12-equivalent assessment designed specifically for refugee and displaced youth with a disrupted education. We understood that displaced teenagers who had not had access to a high-quality, continuous education, would not find it useful to memorise Western curricula for exams like the SAT, where information is either outdated or not relevant to many displaced teenagers’ daily experiences and context. So, rather than requiring memorisation of a national curriculum, the G12++ measures capabilities through questions that test critical thinking and applied problem-solving. This model has been intentionally built to recognise the capabilities of displaced youth with untraditional, disrupted education pathways.
In practice, the G12++ examines 5 topics: Applicable Maths, Scientific Thinking, English as a 2nd Language, Arabic as a 1st Language (, and Life Success Skills. These are tested to international 12th grade standards and are modular in order to adapt to different contexts. For example, test-takers living in a region that does not speak Arabic as a 1st language are able to sit the module of their 1st language.
The G12++ is a digital assessment that uses QuestionMark software – as long as the test-taker can temporarily access a computer for 5 hours, they will be able to sit the G12++.
The first beta-test of the G12++ was sat by 200+ students in Lebanon, Syria, China, Jordan, Greece and the UK in September 2025.
Over the past two years, Alsama has rapidly built and proven the G12++ as a credible, globally relevant innovation. In 2024, we developed a prototype exam with professional test-writers and over 20 academics, secured partial SkillsBuilder accreditation, established an international Advisory Board, and built an initial ecosystem of universities, NGOs, and donors. In 2025, we digitised the G12++, embedding AI to ensure scalability, and secured MoUs with 5 universities offering conditional places to G12++ graduates.
In September 2025, we delivered the first G12++ beta-test across 6 countries with 200 youth. Results demonstrated proof of concept: refugee students with only six years of education performed within the same range as test-takers with uninterrupted, paid schooling, and outperformed them in English. Independent psychometric analysis confirmed international reliability standards and 0% item bias.
By February 2026, the G12++ will launch, with formal validation underway with Ecctis (UK) and Arizona State University (USA). The first G12++ cohort will enter university or employment in 2026.
Over the next 2-3 years, Alsama aims to scale the G12++ to NGO and education partners, reach 5,000 test-takers per year by 2030, and prepare for handover to an international assessment agency. By 2040, the G12++ will serve 50,000 displaced youth annually as the global certification for refugee education.
There are 2 ways people can engage with G12++ innovation – either as employers who would recognise the G12++ as proof of a student’s academic level or as partner centre who wish to administer the exam.
Employers:
Any employer who would accept the G12++ as valid hiring criteria should contact the G12++ team at Alsama Project. We welcome employers supporting equitable opportunities for students who have experienced disrupted education pathways.
Partner Centres:
Organisations that wish to deliver the G12++ begin by contacting the G12++ team at Alsama Project to register their interest. Registration for the G12++ is scheduled to open in 2028.
Following an initial expression of interest, the G12++ team will assess the organisation’s suitability, including their student profile, staffing, safeguarding measures, technological and invigilation capacity. Centres that meet the required standards formalise the partnership through a MoU (Memorandum of Understanding) and become accredited G12++ centres.
The G12++ is available to students enrolled at accredited partner centres. Eligible students must demonstrate a B2 level of English, hold any form of documentation and be able to use a computer.
Please contact: g12@alsamaproject.com
