Topic · 4 pieces · Updated October 2026

Curricula in Dubai schools

Four curricula account for most private schools in Dubai: British, International Baccalaureate (IB), American and Indian CBSE. They look alike at the entrance, a class of three- or four-year-olds, and differ at the exit: British schools lead to IGCSE or GCSE and then A levels (or, at some schools, the IB Diploma), IB schools to the IB Diploma, American schools to a High School Diploma awarded on credits, often with AP exams, and CBSE schools to the Class X and Class XII board examinations.

The age of a child is the same in every curriculum; only the class name changes, and a British school counts one year higher than an American or Indian one. Indian CBSE schools start the school year in April and count age on 31 March; the others start in late August or September and count age on 31 December.

KHDA lists each school under the curriculum it is registered with, and a school registered with two appears on both lists. Ratings describe the schools that teach a curriculum, not the curriculum itself. Fees differ by curriculum and by year group, so compare the same year group across schools.