Egypt's Supreme Council of Universities announced on Tuesday that the end-of-year exams for senior students at all universities and learning institutes will be held starting 1 July, with university councils to determine the proper schedules and dates for each college.

The exams, held typically on 1 June every year, had been delayed by the SCU over the coronavirus outbreak.

The council said in a statement that due to the pandemic, the current academic year will be extended until mid-September to give colleges the opportunity to conclude the exams, which are set to last till after 30 July.

Students who do not wish to take this year's exams due to the outbreak have the option to postpone their exams to the next academic year.

Due to the suspension of air traffic amid the pandemic, senior students who are studying the Egyptian curriculum abroad can take the exams on the first round of tests that will be held after the flight ban is lifted.

The SCU has instructed all universities to adhere to the preventative measures suggested by the World Health Organization.

Egypt has implemented unprecedented measures over the past three months in a bid to curb the spread of the respiratory disease that has so far killed 2,278 and infected 56,809 nationwide.

Egypt has suspended school and university classes since March as part of the sweeping anti-virus measures.

Except for the final-year university students and senior high-school (Thanwya Amma students), Egypt had canceled the exams at universities and schools nationwide and replaced them with either a research paper or online exams.