Same Cambridge qualification. A fraction of the cost.

DIS is not a Cambridge registered centre. Students studying Cambridge IGCSE and A-Level with DIS sit their external examinations at approved Cambridge exam centres. In the UAE, the British Council Dubai is the primary approved centre for Cambridge examinations. DIS prepares students fully for those external papers through live taught lessons, past-paper practice, and structured coursework. The certificate a student receives is issued by Cambridge Assessment International Education directly, in the same way as any campus-based school. Parents should contact their preferred exam centre directly to confirm registration windows and fees for external candidates.

DIS students based in Abu Dhabi and across the UAE sit their Cambridge IGCSE and A-Level examinations at approved Cambridge exam centres. The British Council Dubai is the primary approved centre serving UAE students. Abu Dhabi-based families can also enquire with the British Council Abu Dhabi regarding availability for specific exam sessions. DIS provides full administrative support to help families identify and register with the appropriate centre well ahead of the May and November examination windows. Exam centre fees are separate from DIS monthly tuition fees.

Cambridge IGCSE and A-Level qualifications are internationally recognised academic credentials accepted by universities across the UAE, the wider GCC, the United Kingdom, the United States, Europe, and beyond. UAE universities, including those in Abu Dhabi, admit students on the basis of the qualification itself, not the type of institution that delivered the teaching. The certificate is issued by Cambridge Assessment International Education and carries the same standing whether the student attended a physical campus or studied with a live online school. Families should confirm specific entry requirements with their target universities directly.

DIS lessons are live and scheduled, not recorded videos. Every class takes place on a fixed timetable, Monday to Friday, Gulf Standard Time. A teacher leads the session in real time, students join with cameras on, questions are asked and answered during the lesson, and classwork is completed within the session. There is no asynchronous video library substituting for teaching. If a student misses a lesson, recordings are available for review, but the primary experience is always the live class. The DIS proprietary platform provides access to the timetable, instructor messaging, a resource library, and assignment tracking.

All DIS teachers are postgraduate-qualified and GCC-based. The teaching team numbers more than 100 instructors. Teachers hold PGCE, QTS, or equivalent postgraduate teaching qualifications and are experienced in Cambridge IGCSE and A-Level delivery. Being GCC-based means teachers work on Gulf Standard Time, understand the local academic calendar, and are available to students and parents during normal working hours. DIS does not use unqualified tutors or automated marking systems in place of qualified teacher feedback.

Al Forsan British Academy's published annual fees run from approximately AED 54,780 at Lower Secondary to around AED 65,560 at Sixth Form level, in line with ADEK-regulated British schools in Abu Dhabi. DIS charges AED 500 per month for Cambridge IGCSE-level study and AED 800 per month for Cambridge A-Level, with all subjects included in that single monthly fee. There are no per-subject charges, no term registration fees, and no uniform or transport costs. Over a Year 10 and Year 11 IGCSE cycle, the difference in total fees between the two options runs to more than AED 100,000.

Yes. DIS accepts mid-year enrolments. If your child is currently enrolled at Al Forsan British Academy and you decide to move during the academic year, DIS will assess where the student is in their Cambridge syllabus and place them into the appropriate live class groups. For IGCSE students mid-course, the DIS team will review subject choices and prior coursework to ensure continuity. There is no penalty for joining outside a traditional September start. Contact us directly to discuss the specific subjects and year group, and the admissions team will map out the transition.

DIS runs a Monday to Friday school week on Gulf Standard Time, which matches the working week across the UAE, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Kuwait, Bahrain, and Oman. Live classes are scheduled during standard school hours, typically from 08:00 to early afternoon GST, meaning Abu Dhabi students are studying at the same time their campus-based peers are in lessons. There is no late-night or early-morning compromise for GCC families. Parents in Abu Dhabi can view their child's timetable through the parent dashboard and see exactly which live lessons are scheduled each day.

Cambridge IGCSE Science subjects include a practical assessment component that is examined by Cambridge. DIS addresses this through structured practical guidance, virtual laboratory simulations, and teacher-led worked examples that prepare students for the alternative-to-practical paper, which is the written examination of practical skills. Families should note that the practical examination format for external candidates is confirmed by the exam centre at registration. DIS teachers are experienced in preparing students for this component and cover practical methodology, data analysis, and experimental design throughout the taught course.

Live DIS classes have 4 to 6 students per session. Students interact directly with their teacher and with classmates during every lesson. They collaborate on problems, debate essay arguments, and work through past papers together in a small group setting. What DIS does not provide is a physical school yard. However, finishing live classes in the early afternoon means DIS students in Abu Dhabi have genuine time for in-person football academies, swimming clubs, community activities, and family evenings. Many parents report that their children form stronger friendships within the smaller DIS class groups than they did in larger campus classes.

Cambridge IGCSE and A-Level qualifications are the same credential regardless of where the student studied. If a family decides to return to a brick-and-mortar British school in Abu Dhabi or elsewhere, the DIS academic record, predicted grades, and completed coursework all transfer in the same way as records from any other school. DIS provides formal academic transcripts and reports that admissions offices at physical schools can assess for year-group placement. Students mid-IGCSE who return to a campus school will have completed the same Cambridge syllabus content and can continue without restarting the course.

DIS students need a reliable internet connection, a device with a camera and microphone (a laptop or tablet is ideal), and access to a quiet space during lesson hours. The DIS proprietary platform runs in a standard web browser and does not require specialist software installation. A stable broadband or 4G connection is sufficient for live lessons. Abu Dhabi residential internet infrastructure is generally well suited to live video classes. DIS recommends a laptop over a phone for the best learning experience, particularly for IGCSE and A-Level subjects involving diagrams, written work, and on-screen resources.