How should a family spend the last three weeks before the Dubai College assessment?
The assessment is on Sunday 15 November 2026, so the last three weeks start on Sunday 25 October. Our view: keep sessions short, space full mocks, drill the weakest topics between them and keep the final week light. The school says it is an adaptive online test of about two hours, taken once.
The Dubai College Year 7 assessment is on Sunday 15 November 2026. Three weeks before that is Sunday 25 October. This guide separates what the school has published from our view of how to use the time. The school’s facts come from its Year 7 frequently asked questions and its Year 7 key dates, both read on 20 October 2026. We make no prediction of any result.
What has the school said about the day?
| Detail | What the school says |
|---|---|
| Date and place | Sunday 15 November 2026, at Dubai College; keep both the morning and the afternoon free |
| Format | An adaptive online assessment of approximately two hours in English, mathematics and non-verbal reasoning |
| Equipment | All necessary equipment will be provided |
| Sitting again | Candidates may appear only once |
| Tutoring | The school does not endorse tutoring for the assessment |
| Applications | Close at 12 noon UAE time on Tuesday 27 October 2026; late applications cannot be accepted |
| Outcome | Mid-January 2027, by email |
The school also considers other evidence, among it the Year 5 report and CAT4 or other standardised results, so the assessment is one part of the process (source: the Year 7 frequently asked questions above).
How could the three weeks go?
Everything in this table is our view. A child’s own pace matters more than any plan.
| Week | Full mocks | Between mocks |
|---|---|---|
| From Sunday 25 October | One early in the week, to see where the child is | Check the application is in before the school’s 27 October deadline; short drills of 20 to 40 minutes on the two or three weakest topics, a few times a week |
| From Sunday 1 November | Up to two, with a rest day before and after | Review every wrong answer, then drill the topics that came up again |
| From Sunday 8 November, the final week | One, early in the week, and none in the last two days | Light drills only, no new topics, normal bedtimes |
| Saturday 14 November | None | A walk, a good meal and an early night; nothing on screen if the child would rather not |
| Sunday 15 November | None | Equipment is provided; leave the day clear and arrive rested |
What does a good session look like?
- Short: 20 to 40 minutes. A tired child practises mistakes.
- One purpose: a single topic, or a single full mock followed by its review.
- Reviewed: go through the wrong answers only, and ask the child to say why the right answer is right.
- Finished on something the child can do, so the last thing they remember is a success.
Why do some questions feel hard?
The school calls the assessment adaptive. In an adaptive test the questions a child sees depend on how earlier ones went, so some will feel hard. Our view is that a child who finds a question hard has not necessarily done badly, and is worth telling so before the day. Our guide to adaptive tests explains the idea.
What should a family leave alone?
- New topics in the final week. Familiar practice builds confidence; new material builds doubt.
- Two full mocks in a day, or marathons at a screen.
- Comparing mock scores with other children. Mock papers differ, and so does the real assessment.
- Treating one mock as a verdict. It shows what to practise next.
What does Mockplan add?
Mockplan is independent practice, not linked to the school. It has a free diagnostic of about 30 minutes, mocks in the format the school describes, marked straight away with a score for every topic, and a study plan counted back from the test date that keeps to at most two full mocks a week. Timings and question counts are based on publicly reported information and are not official.
Read the Dubai College guide, with every fact sourced, or see how the study plan paces the weeks.
Questions parents ask
- When is the Dubai College Year 7 assessment?
- Sunday 15 November 2026, at Dubai College. The school asks families to keep both the morning and the afternoon free.
- How long is it and what does it cover?
- The school describes an adaptive online assessment of approximately two hours in English, mathematics and non-verbal reasoning, and says it is very similar to other standard online testing programmes such as CAT4 and GL Progress tests.
- Can a child sit it more than once?
- No. The school says candidates may appear only once for the Year 7 entrance assessment.
- What does my child need to bring?
- The school says all necessary equipment will be provided. The page we read lists nothing else to bring.
- Does Dubai College recommend tutoring?
- No. The school says it does not endorse tutoring for the assessment.
- When do families hear the outcome?
- The school gives mid-January 2027, by email to parents. Its key dates page gives no offer or acceptance date.
- Does the school offer practice papers?
- The pages we read, on 20 October 2026, list no practice tests, sample papers or familiarisation sessions.
- How many full mocks fit in the last three weeks?
- Our view: up to two a week in the first two weeks and one early in the final week, each followed by a careful review. This is our view, not the school’s advice.
Sources
Facts last checked on 20 October 2026. Everything else on this page is our own view.
- Dubai College: Year 7 frequently asked questions(opens in a new tab)read 20 October 2026
- Dubai College: Year 7 key dates(opens in a new tab)read 20 October 2026
Read next
Mockplan is independent practice. It is not affiliated with, or endorsed by, any school or test publisher named on this page, and the names are used only to say what the practice is for.