CAT4 and Nord Anglia International School Dubai admissions

NAS Dubai's entry requirements page sets out the assessment by year group. It states that all students wishing to attend must sit an admission assessment, that dates are arranged throughout the school year, and that each application is considered individually, taking into account academic ability, behaviour and any additional learning needs.

• Early Years to Year 1: nursery or school report, a recommendation form if applicable, and a short assessment video. No CAT4.
• Years 2 to 4: latest school report, recommendation form, a reading video and a writing sample, reviewed by the Primary School Team. No CAT4.
• Years 5 and 6: an online CAT4, plus the same documents as Years 2 to 4, reviewed by the Primary School Team.
• Years 7 and 8: an online CAT4 and online Maths and English assessments, with the latest report, recommendation form and an online reading sample video, reviewed by the Secondary Leadership Team.
• IGCSE (Years 9 to 11): an online CAT4 and online Maths and English assessments, with the latest report and recommendation form.
• IB Diploma and A Levels (Years 12 and 13): a paper-based CAT4, English and Maths assessment, followed by a meeting with the IB or A Level team.

NAS Dubai offers year-round placements for qualifying students, but some year groups have limits. The entry requirements page explains that the IGCSE course runs for three years and normally starts at the beginning of Year 9. Year 10 entry is considered case by case and no later than the end of the first half of Term One (October). Year 11 entry is not normally considered, and new students are not normally accepted into Year 13.

For Sixth Form, the page says applicants are expected to have grades A* to B in seven subjects at IGCSE level or equivalent, with others considered case by case. Overseas Sixth Form applicants are assessed on their current school's assessments. Successful students are either offered a place or placed on a waiting list.

The NAS Dubai admissions page describes five steps: make an enquiry; visit (a personalised virtual tour and a discovery meeting with the admissions team); submit an online application with supporting documents and the application fee; arrange a time for your child to take the online admissions assessment; and accept the enrolment offer. Older students take the assessment online, while younger children submit video evidence.

The school says it aims to send the assessment outcome within one week, after which parents have a few days to respond.

NAS Dubai does not publish CAT4 score thresholds. What it does publish is who reviews the evidence: the Primary School Team for Years 2 to 6 and the Secondary Leadership Team for Years 7 and 8, with Sixth Form applicants meeting the IB or A Level team after their assessments. CAT4 is therefore read alongside reports, recommendation forms, reading and writing samples and, from Year 7, curriculum-based Maths and English assessments.

That mix is helpful for families. CAT4 gives the school a picture of how a child reasons with words, numbers, shapes and space, while the Maths and English papers and school reports show what they have already learned. A child whose CAT4 profile is uneven, for example strong spatial reasoning with weaker verbal reasoning, is not judged on one number.

From Year 5 your child will meet CAT4 directly, and from Year 7 they will also sit Maths and English assessments, so preparation should cover both. For CAT4, aim for familiarity: understanding the question types, reading instructions carefully and working steadily against an on-screen timer. For Maths and English, the best preparation is secure, age-appropriate skills in the curriculum your child already follows. If your child has additional learning needs, share this early, since the school says these are taken into account.