CAT4 and DESS and DESC admissions

DESS runs two primary schools for ages 3 to 11, DESS Oud Metha and DESS Academic City, and one secondary school for ages 11 to 18, which its website calls DESS College. One admissions page and team cover all three, and the page carries a dated update on availability (it said “information updated on Monday, 5th October 2026” when we checked).

Demand is the main constraint. For DESS Oud Metha, the page says demand often exceeds the number of available places, so applications may be considered for waiting-list positions in the first instance. For DESS Academic City, applications for 2027/28 were open for FS1 to Year 4, while Years 5 and 6 were closed because of extensive waiting lists. The school also says 2027/28 will be its final year of planned capacity growth in FS1 to Year 3 at Academic City.

CAT4 appears in the list of documents the admissions page asks families to upload for each child. Alongside a birth certificate, passport copy and photograph, the primary list includes:

• The most recent end-of-year academic report.
• The most recent term or mid-year academic report.
• A CAT4 assessment from within the last 12 months, if available.
• Reports from outside agencies, such as speech and language therapy, occupational therapy or an educational psychologist, if applicable.

The admissions page is specific: “CAT 4 results are only required for Primary School applications, if available. If your child has not completed a CAT 4 assessment within the last 12 months, they may be required to attend a Taster Session (for local applicants).” Applicants from overseas may instead need a reference from a member of staff at their current school.

The page does not describe what a Taster Session involves, and DESS does not publish a CAT4 score threshold or explain how CAT4 results are weighed against reports. Ask the admissions team what to expect if your child is invited.

Many children at Dubai schools will already have a CAT4 on file. Under KHDA's external assessment framework, Dubai schools test cognitive abilities in Grades 3, 5, 7 and 9 (Years 4, 6, 8 and 10 in UK-curriculum schools), as well as new students without existing data, according to Khaleej Times. Check the date of your child's latest CAT4, because DESS asks for one from the last 12 months.

DESS states that Year 6 students at DESS Oud Metha are guaranteed a place in Year 7 at DESS College, and that Year 6 students at DESS Academic City are guaranteed a Year 7 place “in accordance with our admissions policy”. With two Year 6 cohorts moving up, the page says all Year 7 places for 2027/28 are expected to be filled by current DESS Year 6 students. If any of them decline, the vacancy goes to a suitable applicant from the existing Year 7 2027/28 waiting list, and the school says it will announce on the page if Year 7 applications open.

When we checked, the page also said application forms were not available for Years 7 to 10. It does not describe an entry assessment for these year groups, so it does not say whether CAT4 would be used. Ask the admissions team before assuming either way.

Sixth Form applications for 2027/28 were open when we checked. The Sixth Form application form lists end-of-year and mid-year reports among the documents to upload, but not CAT4. Because of the volume of applications and limited availability in some subjects, the school says it may not be possible to shortlist everyone. Shortlisted applicants are invited to interview, and the admissions page says those selected will be contacted no later than Friday 5 March 2027.

The form says families hear the outcome within 7 to 10 days of the interview, and that admission is at the discretion of the school. Applications not shortlisted at first are kept on file and may be reconsidered if more interview places become available. The form also links to the school's Minimum Grade Criteria and option blocks, so check those for your child's subjects.

For a primary application, the CAT4 DESS sees will usually be one your child has already sat at their current school, so the first job is administrative: request the report and check it is less than 12 months old. If your child will sit CAT4 at their current school before you apply, calm familiarity with the question types and the on-screen format is enough. GL Assessment, which publishes CAT4, advises against extensive practice.

If no recent CAT4 exists and a Taster Session is offered, the most useful thing is a settled, confident child. Strong school reports also matter, since both report types are on the document list.