What is in the Dubai College assessment? Three modules, and why some sites say four

What does Dubai College say is in the assessment?

Dubai College says every applicant sits an adaptive online assessment of approximately two hours, comprising modules in English, mathematics and non-verbal reasoning. It says the platform and the style of questions are very similar to other standard online tests such as CAT4 and GL Progress Tests, and that it provides all equipment. That is the whole of what the school publishes about the format.

The school adds that, for fairness, it cannot answer individual requests for more detail about the assessment. So the three modules above are the only description that comes from the school itself. Everything else you read about the test, here or anywhere, comes from somewhere else, and it is worth knowing where.

Why do some sites say there are four modules?

Some preparation providers sell practice for a test they call the Adaptive Admissions Test (AAT), and describe it as four modules: mathematics, English, non-verbal reasoning and verbal reasoning. One provider's AAT practice tests, for example, run four separate modules with a total duration of 2 hours and 15 minutes. That is the provider's own practice format; the school does not name the AAT or any other product.

The same provider's Dubai College page, whose page data shows it was last modified on 18 December 2024, says the school may use either the AAT or the Primary Insight (INCAS) assessment, and that the AAT was used the year before that page was written. Those are the provider's statements, not the school's. We cannot check them, and the school's current page lists three modules, not four.

So is verbal reasoning in the Dubai College assessment?

Nobody outside the school can say for certain. The school lists three modules and does not list verbal reasoning. Some providers' practice includes it, and the provider page quoted above that names the AAT for Dubai College was last modified in December 2024, while the school's current page describes the assessment on 15 November 2026. Our position is to follow what the school says and to make sure a child is not surprised if verbal reasoning questions appear.

What does adaptive mean for a child on the day?

In an adaptive test the questions respond to the child's answers: answer well and the questions tend to get harder, struggle and they tend to get easier. The school does not publish how its adaptive engine works. The practical point for a child is that hard questions are usually a sign of doing well, not badly. There is more on this in our guide to what an adaptive test is.

Is anything else assessed?

Yes, for some children. Those registered with an Arab nationality on their Emirates ID, or who study Arabic A in primary school and want to continue it, also sit a written Arabic paper of 45 minutes and an assessment of spoken Arabic. The assessment itself is also only one part of the decision; the hub page lists everything the Admissions Panel considers.

How should a family prepare for an uncertain format?

Our view: prepare for what the school says, and be calm about the rest. Short sessions in English, mathematics and non-verbal reasoning come first, because the school names them. A little verbal reasoning, enough that the question types feel familiar, costs very little and removes one possible surprise. Practice in the same three modules and a plan counted back to 15 November are on our product pages.