Same Cambridge qualification. A fraction of the fees.

DIS is not a Cambridge registered centre. Students sit Cambridge IGCSE and A-Level exams via approved Cambridge exam centres such as the British Council Dubai. This is the standard arrangement for independent and online Cambridge students across the GCC. The resulting qualification is identical to that issued to students at any registered campus school.

DIS students based in Abu Dhabi and across the UAE sit their Cambridge papers at the British Council Dubai and other approved Cambridge exam centres in the region. The exam setting is fully invigilated, the papers are the standard Cambridge papers, and the certificates issued are indistinguishable from those of campus-school candidates. Families are advised to register with their preferred exam centre ahead of the relevant entry deadline.

Yes. Cambridge IGCSE and A-Level qualifications are recognised by all major UAE universities, including NYU Abu Dhabi, the University of Birmingham Dubai, and Khalifa University. The qualifications are also accepted by UCAS in the UK, Common App for the US, and university admissions offices globally. The awarding body is Cambridge Assessment International Education, not DIS, so the recognition status is independent of the delivery model.

DIS runs a Monday to Friday timetable on Gulf Standard Time, so class hours align with the normal Abu Dhabi school day. Live lessons are scheduled in real time, not recorded for later viewing. Students log in at their scheduled period, join a live session with a qualified teacher and a small group of peers, and follow a structured timetable that mirrors a campus school day.

All DIS teachers are postgraduate-qualified and GCC-based. The teaching team includes over 100 instructors with PGCE, QTS, or equivalent postgraduate qualifications, and the majority have direct experience teaching Cambridge IGCSE and A-Level syllabuses. Teachers are based in the Gulf region, which means they teach in the same time zone as their students and are familiar with the GCC education context.

Emirates National School Abu Dhabi charges AED 61,820 per year at IGCSE level and AED 68,030 per year at A-Level, based on published ADEK-regulated fees. DIS charges AED 500 per month for the full Cambridge IGCSE programme (AED 6,000 per year) and AED 800 per month for A-Level (AED 9,600 per year). All subjects are included in both DIS figures. The annual saving at IGCSE level is over AED 55,000.

DIS issues a full academic transcript including the subjects studied, grades achieved, and predicted grades where applicable. This document is formatted to meet the requirements of Cambridge-based admissions processes and can accompany a transfer application to any physical British curriculum school in the UAE or internationally. Mid-year transfers are handled on a case-by-case basis, but DIS records are designed to be portable and compatible with standard school registration requirements.

DIS live classes run with 4 to 6 students per session. This is considerably smaller than the typical Year 10 or Year 11 classroom at a physical British curriculum school in Abu Dhabi, where class sizes of 24 to 28 are standard. The smaller group means more direct teacher interaction per student, more frequent oral participation, and faster feedback on written work.

Yes. DIS accepts enrolments throughout the academic year, not only at the September start. This is particularly useful for families relocating to Abu Dhabi mid-year, students who have left a physical school during the year, or those who decide to transfer after receiving a renewal fee letter from their current school. A 20-minute call with the DIS team is the fastest way to confirm year-group placement and subject continuity.

Cambridge IGCSE science subjects include a practical component. DIS addresses this through a structured approach that combines live online practical demonstrations, guided home experiments using standard household or low-cost lab materials, and, where required, in-person practical sessions arranged through approved examination centres. Students are fully prepared for the Cambridge practical assessments. Specific arrangements vary by subject and year group, and the DIS academic team can advise on the approach for each science subject at enrolment.

Students need a stable broadband connection (10 Mbps or above is sufficient), a laptop or desktop computer with a webcam and microphone, and a modern browser. Tablets can be used for viewing but a keyboard device is recommended for active participation in lessons and written assignments. DIS's proprietary platform is browser-based and does not require any specialist software downloads. Most families in Abu Dhabi already have the required setup at home.

Social development at DIS happens through two channels. Within live classes, students work in small groups of 4 to 6, participate in real-time discussion, collaborate on problems, and build familiarity with the same cohort across multiple subjects. Outside the platform, many DIS families in Abu Dhabi find that the time recovered from the school run is redirected into in-person activities, sports clubs, and community groups. The school does not replace in-person friendships, but it does free up considerably more time for them.