Brighton College Abu Dhabi
Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates. A parent’s guide to entry. Practice coming soon.
Brighton College Abu Dhabi uses the same group admissions wording as the Dubai school: an Academic Selection section, with reasoning tests, a comprehension and writing task and an interview. Entry is rolling through the year. The same policy also says it admits pupils with a range of abilities, so selection is real but not only academic.
Key facts
checked 18 October 2026
- Deadlines
No closing date is published. Entry is rolling and open all year; the school advises registering as soon as possible. In the school’s words: “Our admissions are open all year round.”
- Assessment format
Verbal and non-verbal reasoning, quantitative skills and a spatial task, plus a comprehension and creative writing task, plus an interview with the Head of Senior School or a member of the Senior Team. Overseas applicants sit an invigilated online version.
- Year 7 places
Number of Year 7 places is not published. The only capacity figure is a waiting list capped at twenty applicants, reviewed at the start of each term.
Brighton College Abu Dhabi uses CAT4.
GL, who publish it, advise against practice before CAT4. What we offer is familiarisation with the on-screen format, and nothing that claims to raise a score. Start free; then one payment of $99 for every practice set.
At a glance
Last checked 18 October 2026. Every fact is from the school’s own pages unless marked Reported by prep providers or Our view
- Selective entry
Version 9 of the admissions policy (October 2025) has a section headed Academic Selection and says every pupil entering goes through a selection and assessment process. In the school’s words: “There is a selection and assessment process for all pupils entering the College”
- Type and curriculum
Private, co-educational school for ages 3 to 18 delivering the Brighton College Curriculum, based on the National Curriculum of England and Wales, leading to GCSEs and A-levels.
- Founded
Opened in 2011. In the school’s words: “Since the College opened in 2011”
- Location
Bloom Gardens, next to Khalifa Park, Abu Dhabi (175 Das St).
- Year groups
Nursery (FS1) to Year 13. Senior School is Years 7 to 11 and Sixth Form is Years 12 to 13; Year 7 is the start of Senior School.
- Regulator rating and year
ADEK overall rating Very Good, from an inspection on 19 to 22 May 2025 (academic year 2024/25); the report says the overall rating was maintained from the 2023 inspection. About 1,900 pupils on roll.
- Entry points
Applications are open all year. Year 7 pupils join through the Senior School entry appointment (the same CAT4 appointment used for Year 2 to Year 13). In the school’s words: “Our admissions are open all year round.”
- Year 7 places
Number of Year 7 places is not published. The only capacity figure is a waiting list capped at twenty applicants, reviewed at the start of each term.
- Assessment format
Verbal and non-verbal reasoning, quantitative skills and a spatial task, plus a comprehension and creative writing task, plus an interview with the Head of Senior School or a member of the Senior Team. Overseas applicants sit an invigilated online version.
- Test name
The entry appointment is called a CAT4 entry appointment, with a written piece of work and an interview with the Head of School. The page points parents to the test publisher's site (GL Assessment) to learn about CAT4.
- Timing
Admissions contact applicants within 1 to 2 school days of the online application. CAT4 appointments run on Tuesdays at 9.00am on campus, or Mondays at 12.00 UAE time online for applicants overseas. The decision is emailed on the Friday of the same week.
- Deadlines
No closing date is published. Entry is rolling and open all year; the school advises registering as soon as possible. In the school’s words: “Our admissions are open all year round.”
- Application fee
No application or registration fee is shown on the fees page, the how-to-apply page, the application page or the policy.
- Year 7 tuition (latest published year)
AED 68,560 for academic year 2026/27, paid as AED 27,424 in the autumn term, AED 20,568 in the spring term and AED 20,568 in the summer term. Fees for 2027/28 are not published.
- Deposit
An offer is accepted by paying a deposit, but the amount for new joiners is not stated on any page read. The policy sets a deposit of 5% of annual tuition for current pupils re-enrolling, which is a different rule.
- Age rule
Year of entry follows the current Pupil Entrance Age criteria of the school and the regulator; the exact date-of-birth window for Year 7 is not published on the pages read. The school can place a child in a different year group by agreement with parents, and the policy lists exemption cases (for example transfers from 12-year programmes).
- Waiting list
Up to twenty applicants. When a seat opens, the Admissions and Academic teams choose the applicant best suited, judged on academic readiness, social integration and emotional compatibility. Families are told when they are placed on the list.
- Next open event
Whole College Open Day on Saturday 31 October 2026, 10am to 12pm; personal tours can be requested through Admissions.
- Applications per place
Not published.
The admissions journey.
Step 131 October 2026
Visit and enquire
Optional but recommended: come to the open day, or ask Admissions for a personal tour or a call back. Visiting is not a condition of applying.
Whole College Open Day on Saturday 31 October 2026, 10am to 12pm.
The policy says Admissions offer one-to-one tours, weekly open mornings and term-time Saturday open days.
Step 2Any time; there is no closing date and entry is rolling
Apply online (rolling entry)
Complete the online application form for your child. The school recommends registering as soon as possible. You receive an automated reply with next steps.
Step 1 is the online application form; step 2 is supporting documents sent by email or in person.
Admissions are open all year round. In the school’s words: “Our admissions are open all year round.”
On submitting the form parents receive an immediate automated response with next-step instructions and options to book the entry appointment.
The school recommends registering as soon as possible.
Step 3With or soon after the application
Send documents
Send your child's latest school report, a clear photo, and copies of the child's and both parents' visas, Emirates ID cards and passports. If a document is pending, upload a note saying so and carry on.
Documents listed: latest school report, photo, and copies of visa, Emirates ID and passport for the child and both parents; a pending-documents note lets the application proceed.
The school also asks the child's current school for a confidential character reference from its Pastoral or Safeguarding Lead, by email.
Step 4Admissions contact you within 1 to 2 school days of applying
Book the entry appointment
Take the call or email from Admissions and choose an appointment slot.
Admissions will contact you within 1 to 2 school days to arrange the entry appointment or advise the next step.
Step 5Tuesday 9.00am on campus, or Monday 12.00 UAE time online for overseas applicants; no fixed 2027 sitting dates are published
Entry appointment (CAT4, written piece, interview)
Bring your child to campus on the appointment day (or arrange a quiet room with camera and audio if sitting online from overseas). Your child sits the reasoning tests, the written piece and a short interview.
CAT4 entry appointments for Year 2 to Year 13 are held on Tuesdays at 9.00am on campus, with a written piece of work and an interview; overseas applicants sit online on Mondays at 12.00 UAE time.
Years 7 to 11: reasoning tests (verbal, non-verbal, quantitative, spatial), a comprehension and creative writing task, and an interview with the Head of Senior School or a senior team member.
Overseas applicants complete an online assessment, usually at their current school or, with parental consent, at home with an open camera and full audio for invigilation.
Step 6Friday of the week of the entry appointment (page); policy gives timing by term
Decision
Watch your email (including junk) on the Friday of the appointment week. The decision may be an offer, a place on the waiting list, or a decline.
A decision is emailed on the Friday of the week of the CAT4 or play session; check junk mail as well as the inbox.
Policy timing rules: Term 1 offer decisions are released at the end of the term; Term 2 decisions at the end of the month; mid-term and Term 3 decisions at the end of the assessment week, typically a Friday.
If decisions are delayed by staff absence, prospective parents are told promptly.
Step 7Refreshed at the start of each academic term
Waiting list (if no seat is free)
If placed on the waiting list, read the explanation of likelihood the school must give you and decide whether to wait or plan an alternative.
The list holds up to twenty applicants, is reviewed at the start of each term, and families are told how likely a seat is during that term.
When a seat opens, the school picks the best-suited applicant on academic readiness, social integration and emotional compatibility.
Step 8Deadline to accept is not published
Accept the offer
Read the offer letter and admission handbook, return the signed Acceptance Form, pay the deposit, then complete the ADEK eSIS registration. You then receive a start date and class assignment.
The offer letter includes the admission handbook and explains how to accept by deposit payment; on payment and completed eSIS registration the school issues a start date and class assignment email.
Parents who accept must return an Acceptance Form; the signed form also confirms agreement to the year group of entry.
ADEK eSIS registration is mandatory, can be done after the deposit, and must be complete by the child's first day; documents from some countries need attestation first.
Step 9Term dates for 2027-28 are not yet published; 2026-27 started on Monday 31 August 2026
Start in Year 7
Once the school publishes 2027-28 term dates, plan the start. New pupils are assigned a class buddy and entry results are used to prepare teachers.
Term dates shown are for academic year 2026/27 only (autumn term began Monday 31 August 2026).
Each new pupil is assigned a class buddy; entry appointments feed the teachers' preparation before the first day.
The assessment.
What the school says
Years 7 to 11: verbal and non-verbal reasoning, quantitative and spatial tasks (the policy refers to a CAT4 entry appointment), plus a comprehension and creative writing task and an interview with the Head of Senior School or a senior team member. Overseas applicants sit an invigilated online version.
Selection and assessment apply to all pupils entering. The process combines entry tests, interviews, previous school reports, character references, confidential reports, samples of work and, where relevant, consultations with specialist staff. In the school’s words: “There is a selection and assessment process for all pupils entering the College”
Years 7 to 11 sit verbal and non-verbal reasoning, quantitative skills and a spatial task, plus a comprehension and creative writing task.
The reasoning part is run as a CAT4 entry appointment (Tuesdays 9.00am on campus). The page also states a written piece of work and an interview with the Head of School, and links to the CAT4 publisher and a short video for parents who want to see the format.
The Year 7 interview explores interests, attitude to school life, personal qualities, ability to contribute to the College community and support available at home.
Overseas arrangements: Year 3 to Year 13 applicants complete an invigilated online assessment (reasoning, spatial, reading and writing) and an interview with the Head of Year or Head of School, usually at their current school or at home on camera.
Pupils may be called back to re-sit if they were upset or sick at the first sitting, or if there is an unexplained mismatch between school reports and assessment results.
Special circumstances (illness, long absence, bereavement, different education system, language or learning needs) can affect performance, and the school may ask for medical or educational psychologist evidence and samples of work.
Access arrangements: parents are asked to disclose known learning differences and share reports in advance; these go to the Director of Inclusion before a consultation. Pupils with additional learning needs may sit a specific assessment set by the Head of Inclusion, and inclusion applicants are invited to a play session with a parent and an Inclusion Team member.
Children who need English language support are given an English language screener during admissions to decide placement.
Preference is given to children of staff, children with a sibling at the College, pupils transferring from other Brighton schools, and pupils with a particular skill, talent or aptitude.
The same policy says the school admits pupils with a range of abilities and educational needs, so selection is real but not purely academic. In the school’s words: “admitting pupils with a range of abilities and educational needs”
Preparation and tutoring: no page read states a position on preparing or tutoring for the entry appointment. The only preparation pointers are links to the test publisher's information page and a video.
Parent questions.
- When can we apply for Year 7 entry in 2027-28?
The school says admissions are open all year round and recommends registering as soon as possible. It publishes no closing date, so entry is rolling. Decisions follow each entry appointment rather than a single offer day.
- What test does my child sit for Year 7?
Verbal and non-verbal reasoning, quantitative skills and a spatial task, plus a comprehension and creative writing task and an interview. The school runs the reasoning part as a CAT4 entry appointment.
- Is it really the CAT4, and when is it held?
The how-to-apply page names CAT4 entry appointments. On campus they run on Tuesdays at 9.00am. Applicants overseas sit online on Mondays at 12.00 UAE time. Fixed sitting dates for 2027 entry are not published; Admissions book a slot after you apply.
- How soon will we hear after the test?
The how-to-apply page says a decision is emailed on the Friday of the appointment week. The policy words it by term: end of term for Term 1, end of the month for Term 2, and end of the assessment week for mid-term and Term 3. Check junk mail too.
- How much is Year 7 tuition?
AED 68,560 for 2026/27, split AED 27,424 autumn, AED 20,568 spring and AED 20,568 summer. Fees for 2027/28 have not been published, and no application fee is listed on the pages read.
- What happens once we are offered a place?
The offer letter comes with the admission handbook. You return the signed Acceptance Form, pay the deposit and complete the mandatory ADEK eSIS registration. The school then sends a start date and class assignment. The deposit amount for new joiners is not published.
- How does the waiting list work?
It holds up to twenty applicants and is refreshed at the start of each term. When a seat opens, the school picks the best-suited applicant on academic readiness, social integration and emotional compatibility, and tells families how likely a seat is that term.
- We live overseas. Can my child be tested remotely?
Yes. Year 3 to Year 13 applicants overseas sit an online assessment with interview, usually at their current school or at home in a quiet room with camera and full audio on, so it can be invigilated.
- What if my child is unwell or upset on the day?
The policy allows a re-assessment if a child was upset or sick at the first sitting, or if school reports and results do not match. The reason is recorded and signed off by the Head of School or Year and the Admissions Manager.
- My child has additional learning needs or is learning English. Can they apply?
Yes. The policy welcomes applicants with mild to moderate needs, asks for reports up front, and arranges a play session with the Inclusion Team before deciding whether needs can be met. Children who need English support are screened for placement.
- Is Brighton College Abu Dhabi selective?
Every entrant goes through a selection and assessment process, but the same policy says the school admits pupils with a range of abilities and educational needs. Treat it as real selection that weighs more than a test score.
- Can practice help my child do better in the entry test?
Our view: practice is best used to make the on-screen format familiar and to reduce surprise on the day, not to chase a score. The school itself makes no statement on preparation or tutoring, and Mockplan makes no claim of raising results.
Our view
Tell me when it opens.
The school’s own pages
Always check dates and requirements with Brighton College Abu Dhabi directly. These links open the school’s site in a new tab.
- Admissions overview(opens in a new tab)
- Admissions process(opens in a new tab)
- How to apply (step by step)(opens in a new tab)
- Apply now (online form)(opens in a new tab)
- Admissions policy (PDF, Version 9, October 2025)(opens in a new tab)
- School fees 2026/27(opens in a new tab)
- FAQs(opens in a new tab)
- Book a tour(opens in a new tab)
- Open days(opens in a new tab)
- Request a call back(opens in a new tab)
- Term dates(opens in a new tab)
- Contact details(opens in a new tab)
- School policies(opens in a new tab)
- Inclusion and EAL support(opens in a new tab)
- Ratings and accreditations(opens in a new tab)
- ADEK inspection report 2024/25 (PDF)(opens in a new tab)
- Sample transfer certificate (PDF)(opens in a new tab)
Mockplan links to schools; we never ask a school to link to us, and nothing here implies endorsement. Facts last checked 18 October 2026.