The UAE is home to schools following a wide range of curricula — British, American, IB, Indian (CBSE and ICSE), French, German, and many others. Each curriculum tradition uses different entrance assessments, and understanding which test applies to which type of school can save families significant time and anxiety. This guide maps the major curriculum types to their entrance assessment processes and explains what to expect at each.
British Curriculum Schools: CAT4 and GL Assessments
As covered in our CAT4 guide, British-curriculum schools predominantly use the CAT4 for admissions screening and internal setting. Entry assessments typically include:
- CAT4 (cognitive ability): The primary admissions assessment. Usually administered as a standalone session of 2–2.5 hours.
- Progress in Reading Assessment (PiRA) or similar: A standardised reading age assessment given alongside CAT4 to assess English literacy level independently of cognitive ability.
- Progress in Understanding Mathematics Assessment (PUMA): A mathematics achievement assessment corresponding to the English National Curriculum level for the applicant's year group.
- Writing sample: Some schools ask for a brief piece of writing (fiction or non-fiction) to assess written English ability.
Key schools using this approach include GEMS Wellington, JESS, Dubai British School, and most other KHDA Outstanding-rated British schools.
American Curriculum Schools: ERB and ISEE
American-curriculum private schools in the UAE — including American School of Dubai (ASD) and American Community School of Abu Dhabi (ACS) — typically use assessments from the Educational Records Bureau (ERB). The most common ERB assessment used for admissions is the ISEE (Independent School Entrance Exam, the same test used by US independent schools) or the IQAS (Independent Qualifications and Assessment Service) battery.
The ISEE for these schools is identical to the US version: verbal reasoning, quantitative reasoning, reading comprehension, mathematics achievement, and an unscored essay. The score is compared against a norm group of independent school applicants worldwide.
Some American-curriculum schools also accept SSAT scores. Both the ISEE and SSAT can be sat in the UAE at designated test centres in Dubai and Abu Dhabi.
IB Schools: Academic Record and Assessment
International Baccalaureate schools vary in how they assess admissions. Schools offering the IB Primary Years Programme (PYP) to the IB Diploma tend to use one of two approaches:
At primary level (PYP), many IB schools focus primarily on previous school reports, teacher references, and sometimes a brief sample of the child's work. No standardised test required.
At secondary level (MYP and DP), some IB schools administer a bespoke entrance assessment or use the CAT4/ISEE to evaluate academic readiness for the IB curriculum.
For IB Diploma entry (Year 12), schools typically require strong IGCSE or equivalent results (5+ subjects at grade B/6 or above) rather than a separate entrance test. The IB Diploma is a demanding programme and schools use IGCSE or MYP grades as the primary evidence of readiness.
Indian Curriculum Schools: Board-Aligned Testing
CBSE (Central Board of Secondary Education) and ICSE schools in the UAE — serving primarily the large South Asian expatriate community — use admissions processes aligned with their respective Indian board curricula. Entrance tests, when used, are typically school-designed assessments in English, Mathematics, and sometimes Science, pitched at the year group's expected knowledge level.
These schools do not typically use CAT4 or ISEE. Academic selection is primarily based on previous school performance and subject knowledge tests. Fees at CBSE/ICSE schools are generally significantly lower than British or American schools, making them a popular choice for Indian expat families seeking a recognised Indian curriculum with university pathway options in India.
Preparation Across All School Types
Regardless of which school type and assessment format applies to your child, the foundational preparation is the same: strong verbal reasoning, mathematical reasoning, and reading comprehension skills transfer across all assessment formats.
Using a standardised adaptive assessment (like Eduentry) before applying gives you a baseline score on the same scale (mean 100, SD 15) used by CAT4, ISEE, and most other standardised admissions tests. This tells you whether your child is likely to be competitive at their target schools and which specific areas need the most preparation work before the admissions assessment.