What a child in Dubai or Abu Dhabi can sit locally, what still needs a flight, and which dates have passed.
Book a Free Consultation13+ entry from the UAE is the route by which a child at a school in Dubai or Abu Dhabi competes for a Year 9 boarding place at a UK independent school. ISEB’s invigilation-centre map, read on 4 October 2026, lists UAE centres including the British Council in Dubai and Abu Dhabi. Charterhouse’s international Year 8 route for September 2027 entry closes registration on 19 October 2026.
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Leading Tuition provides specialist 13+ entrance exam tuition across all stages — ISEB Common Pre-Test preparation in Year 6, Common Entrance subject coaching in Years 7 and 8, and school-specific scholarship support. Tuition is delivered online via a high-quality video platform, meaning our specialist tutors are accessible to families regardless of location.
Book a Free Consultation Message us on WhatsAppDulwich College gives its Year 9 windows as birth dates. For entry in September 2027 its page says “For boys born between 1 September 2013 and 31 August 2014”, and for deferred entry in September 2029 it says “For boys born between 1 September 2015 and 31 August 2016”. A boy entering Year 9 in September 2027 is in Year 8 in 2026-27, and one entering in September 2029 is in Year 6. The cohort between them, born 1 September 2014 to 31 August 2015, is our arithmetic: Year 7 in 2026-27 and Year 9 entry in September 2028. Which intake a school places a child in is the school’s decision, so ask it in writing.
The UAE grade label is a separate matter, and the Ministry of Education’s change for 2026-27 is narrow. Its news item of 17 December 2025 is about one stage: “The Education, Human Development and Community Development Council has approved an update to the student age cut-off date for Kindergarten and Grade 1 admissions.” It says: “Beginning with the 2026–2027 academic year, the official age cut-off will shift to 31st December of the admission year for all schools and kindergartens whose academic calendars begin in August or September. Previously, the cut-off date was 31st August.” “The decision will apply to new student admissions for the 2026–2027 academic year only and will not affect students currently enrolled, who will continue under the admission rules in place at the time of their original registration.” And “Schools that begin their academic year in April will continue to apply the 31st March cut-off date under their existing system, with no change.” For younger cohorts and other systems’ year groups, see which UK year group; 11+ entry from the UAE is on 11 plus from Dubai to London.
Each date below is set against Sunday 4 October 2026: passed means the date fell before it and ahead means it falls after it.
| School | What its own page gives | On 4 October 2026 |
|---|---|---|
| Dulwich College | Registration closes “Monday 2 November 2026, midday”; the written papers and online reasoning tests are on “Saturday 9 January 2027”. It adds: “Candidates sitting the examinations overseas may be asked to sit a paper based reasoning test.” | Ahead: 2 November 2026, then 9 January 2027. |
| Charterhouse, international Year 8 route | Final registration date for September 2027 entry: 19 October 2026. For registrations between 1 September and 19 October 2026 the testing window is 23 October to 3 November 2026, and candidates “take the tests virtually from any location with Wi-Fi, within a given testing window”. The Assessment Day for that group is 17 November 2026, and “If a candidate is studying at a school outside the UK and is unable to come to Charterhouse for one of the assessment days, interviews can be arranged to take place virtually.” | Ahead: registration to 19 October 2026; testing 23 October to 3 November 2026; Assessment Day 17 November 2026. |
| Oundle School | On its 13+ page: “All overseas applicants sit the Oundle Entrance Examination in November of Year 8”. For a child in Year 8 in 2026-27 that would be November 2026 (our reading). Its international-pupils page has this text under its own label: “13+ Entry Entry at 14+ is also available on a limited basis, places permitting. Entry is by written examination in January before entry in September.” | Unconfirmed: the two Oundle pages give different months and entry ages. Ask Oundle which applies to a UAE child. |
| Wycombe Abbey | “The registration deadline for 11+ and 13+ is 1 June in the calendar year prior to entry. Registrations for 2027 entry are now closed.” For the Year 8 stage it says: “The Assessment Day takes place at Wycombe Abbey, in the January of the proposed year of entry (when your daughter is in Year 8).” | Registration passed: 1 June 2026 on our reading of its rule. Assessment Day ahead, in January 2027. |
| Brighton College | In its overseas admissions timeline: “Registration for 13+, 14+ and 16+ entry will close at the beginning of the September before entry.” For September 2027 entry the September before entry is September 2026 (our reading). | Passed, on our reading: the beginning of September 2026. |
| School | What its own page gives | On 4 October 2026 |
|---|---|---|
| Charterhouse, international Year 7 route | Final registration date for September 2028 entry: 30 September 2026. “If you have missed these deadlines, please consider our Year 8 route or contact our admissions team for further help and advice.” | Passed on 30 September 2026. |
| Sevenoaks School, Later Decision | Timetable for Year 9 entry in September 2028: closing date 1 November 2026; ISEB tests from 1 September to 27 November 2026 if not already taken in Year 6; second-stage assessments at international locations in March and April 2027, and at Sevenoaks on 13 April 2027. | Ahead: 1 November 2026, then 27 November 2026. |
| Uppingham School | “The majority of pupils applying for a place at Uppingham sit pre-tests during September to December of Year 7.” | Ahead: the window runs to December 2026. |
Year 8 now, with a date ahead?
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Book a Free Consultation Message us on WhatsAppA passed date is not always the end of the route. Eton calls its dates strict “unless a boy is specifically applying for the King’s Scholarship or Music Awards”, Charterhouse points to its Year 8 route, Winchester and Tonbridge ask families to get in touch, and Harrow states a limit for late applicants from overseas schools. Write to the school and ask what it will do for a child at a UAE school.
Leading Tuition provides specialist 13+ preparation across all stages: ISEB pre-test coaching, Common Entrance subject tuition, and support for school-specific assessments and interviews. Our specialist tutors build structured programmes tailored to your child's target school and current ability level. Tuition is delivered online via a high-quality video platform, meaning our specialist tutors are accessible to families regardless of location. We will go through the schools one at a time and tell you where preparation actually changes the outcome — including where it does not. The 13+ tuition page sets out which schools decide the place in Year 6 and which confirm it with Year 8 papers. How a London lesson hour reads on UAE clocks has its own page, and the other 13+ routes for families abroad are on the 13+ from overseas hub.
ISEB’s toolkit for families says: “Yes, it is possible for applicants to take the ISEB Pre-Tests overseas. For overseas applicants, parents should ask the child’s current school if they can invigilate the ISEB Pre-Tests. If the pupil’s current school cannot accommodate the test, please contact ISEB for support in sourcing an approved non-school invigilation centre.” The same page carries an interactive map of invigilation centres. Read in a browser on 4 October 2026, its UAE entries include British Council, Dubai; British Council, Abu Dhabi; The Aquila School in Dubailand; and Jumeirah English Speaking School Dubai.
A listing on the map does not book a seat. ISEB’s support portal says: “Parents and guardians should always confirm that their child can take the tests with the invigilation centre before selecting them during registration.” It also says: “Unfortunately, a parent or guardian cannot add a venue as a new invigilation centre.” For a school that is not on the map, ISEB says: “If there are none in your area, contact ISEB for support sourcing an approved invigilation centre.” The ISEB Pre-Test itself, its format and results are covered on our ISEB Pre-Test guide; the process abroad is on the ISEB Pre-Test abroad page.
The sitting window is set by the school, and it lands in the UAE autumn term. ISEB says: “Each senior school has a different deadline for when they want tests completed.” “The Common Pre-Tests can be taken between August and May of each academic year.” Harrow says: “All standard applicants should sit the ISEB CPT between 1 October and the end of November in Year 6.” “All Late Applicants should sit the test as soon as possible after registration.” Eton sets the Pre-Tests “during October or November”, Benenden “between 1 October and 31 October”, and Sevenoaks’ Later Decision applicants take theirs between 1 September and 27 November 2026 (if not already taken in Year 6). On the Ministry of Education’s calendar for schools following its curriculum, students start on “31 August 2026” and the winter break runs “14 December - 01 January 2027”. KHDA says of Dubai’s calendar: “The academic calendar is issued by the UAE Government and all private schools in Dubai must abide by the dates specified in the approved academic calendar.” A British or IB school may set its own days inside that calendar, so ask the school for its dates before booking a sitting.
Choosing between the Pre-Test, UKiset and a school’s own papers?
Leading Tuition provides specialist 13+ preparation across all stages: ISEB pre-test coaching, Common Entrance subject tuition, and support for school-specific assessments and interviews.
Book a Free Consultation Message us on WhatsAppAfter the Pre-Test the schools part company. Each row below gives one sentence from the school’s own page, with the entry it concerns; the whole process for a family abroad is on the video interviews, which entrance test and ISEB Pre-Test abroad pages, so it is not repeated here.
One reading is ours. Where a school puts the interview or assessment day in the UK, a UAE family needs a flight in the school year: Winchester’s interview week, 11 to 15 January 2027, is the second week after UAE students return on “04 January 2027” on the Ministry’s calendar. That does not replace a written answer from the school.
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UKiset is the other route an overseas child is pointed to. Its own site says: “UKiset can be taken anywhere in the world through online invigilation. If you have specific requirements or you are unable to sit the test at home, it is possible to arrange the test at one of our approved test centres.” At registration “You will be required to upload the candidate’s picture and provide a copy of their current government-issued passport.” UKiset sets out its fee on UKiset’s own page. What the test measures and how it is scored is on our UKiset explained guide.
What a UK school does with a UKiset report is the school’s decision. The sentences below are each school’s own, with the entry or page they belong to; 16+ rows are left out.
Read together, the rows show a report used as a precursor (Eton), a request at the earliest stage (Oundle), an additional requirement (Rugby), a replacement for CAT4 (Stowe) and an optional extra (Wellington). A family should ask each school which of those applies before paying for a sitting.
Common Entrance is the Year 8 stage. The right-hand column sets ISEB’s 2026-27 dates against the Ministry of Education’s calendar for schools following its curriculum; a private school may set its own days, so the school’s calendar decides.
| ISEB 13+ session | Dates (ISEB) | Where it lands in the UAE year |
|---|---|---|
| Autumn 2026 | 2 - 6 November 2026, listening and speaking and written | First term, before the winter break from 14 December 2026 |
| Spring 2027 | 25 - 29 January 2027, listening and speaking and written | Second term; students return on 4 January 2027 |
| Summer 2027 | Listening and speaking 17 - 22 May 2027; written 7 - 11 June 2027 | The Ministry lists “15 - 18 May 2027 Eid Al-Adha Holiday”, which overlaps the first two days (17 and 18 May) of the listening and speaking window; the school year ends on 2 July 2027 |
ISEB names the venues. “All pupils taking the CE examinations must do so at a registered and approved examination centre.” They are a current school, a senior school or an “approved educational or governmental independent exam venue, known as a ‘non-school venue’, such as a British Council”.
Schools describe what they expect of a child at an overseas school. Harrow says: “An applicant at a school that does not prepare for CE at all, for example a state-maintained school or an overseas school, who has been offered a place at Harrow will be expected to sit CE examinations in three subjects in June of Year 8 as a minimum”.
Eton’s 2027 King’s Scholarship prospectus writes a time zone into a rule. It says: “The examinations for UK candidates will take place on Thursday 22 April, Friday 23 April and Monday 26 April. Boys at schools overseas in time zones more than two hours ahead of the UK will sit the examinations within the following 24 hours, at the equivalent UK times.” Our working, not Eton’s: the UAE’s standard offset is UTC+4 with no daylight-saving rule (the IANA time zone database), and UK clocks go forward on 28 March 2027 (GOV.UK’s clock-change table), so late April is UTC+1 in the UK and three hours behind the UAE. That is more than the two hours the sentence names, but whether a Dubai school falls in the group is Eton’s to confirm in writing. For lesson hours see How a London lesson hour reads on UAE clocks.
For a child in Year 7 now, Common Entrance falls in 2027-28, and ISEB says: “ISEB is reviewing the examination timetables during the 2026-27 academic year following feedback from prep schools and will publish the timetables for the 2027-28 academic year in due course.” Syllabus and papers are on our Common Entrance guide, and the overseas side is on Common Entrance overseas.
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Book a Free Consultation Message us on WhatsAppGOV.UK sets the frame for a child who needs a visa. “You can apply for a Child Student visa if you’re between 4 and 17 years old and you want to study at an independent school in the UK.” “You must have an unconditional offer of a place on a course with a licensed Child Student sponsor.” “You need a CAS before you can apply for your visa.” And “The earliest you can apply for a visa is 6 months before you start your course. You’ll usually get a decision within 3 weeks.” For a stay outside term with someone who is not a parent, GOV.UK lists “a nominated guardian - you can only live with them for up to 27 days in a row”. The steps are on our Child Student visa page, and guardians are on educational guardians.
The organisers’ pages disagree on dates, so each is quoted as read on 4 October 2026.
Check with the organiser before booking travel.
Yes. ISEB says: “The tests can be taken by pupils in the UK and overseas.” ISEB’s invigilation-centre map, read on 4 October 2026, lists UAE centres including the British Council in Dubai and Abu Dhabi, and ISEB says families should “always confirm that their child can take the tests with the invigilation centre” first. A parent “cannot add a venue as a new invigilation centre”.
Each school decides. Wellington says 13+ candidates “may also offer UKiset results as part of their application, but this is not a necessity”. Stowe says: “Overseas pupils, for whom English is their first language will be asked to sit CAT4 Tests. Candidates for whom English is not their first language will be asked to sit a UKiset test.” It adds “We no longer use the ISEB Pre-Tests as a mean of entry”. Oundle says “we ask applicants whose native language is not English to provide a UKiset report or equivalent at the earliest stage of application”, and Rugby lists “additional requirements of a UKiset report and the appointment of an accredited guardian”.
Dulwich College sets Year 9 entry in September 2027 by birth date: “For boys born between 1 September 2013 and 31 August 2014”. The Ministry of Education’s news item is about Kindergarten and Grade 1: it says its decision “will apply to new student admissions for the 2026–2027 academic year only and will not affect students currently enrolled”. Which Year 9 intake a school places a child in is the school’s decision, so ask it in writing. Younger cohorts are on the which UK year group page.
The registration dates have passed. Eton: “For 2029 entry a boy needs to be registered by 31 August 2026”, and “These are strict deadlines unless a boy is specifically applying for the King’s Scholarship or Music Awards, for which eligible boys can apply in UK School Year 8 up to the age of 13.” Harrow: “Please register your son for a place at Harrow by 30 September of Year 6.” Its FAQ says: “We do make some provision for late applications, although, as these boys are competing for fewer places, we can only assess those with strong references. Unfortunately, we cannot assess late applicants from overseas schools.”
The organiser’s pages disagree. Its events page gives “Saturday 21 November” and its Dubai ticket page gives “Saturday 21 November, 09:30 - 14:30”. Its home page gives “Saturday 7 November 2026”, and Bedales’ visit page lists “Saturday 24 October 2026”. Sevenoaks School’s visits page lists “Friday 2 & Saturday 3 October 2026 - Dubai”, which is past. Check with the organiser before booking travel.
Not for every child. Oundle says: “All overseas pupils who do not hold a British/Irish passport or who do not have settled or pre-settled status in the UK need to apply for a Child Student visa before they start studying at Oundle.” On guardians, Radley says: “All boys whose parents are normally resident outside the United Kingdom will need an Educational Guardian.” GOV.UK lists “leave the country in school holidays” among the places a child may stay when not boarding, and says “A nominated guardian must be at least 18 years old.”
Reviewed 4 October 2026 against each body’s and each named school’s own pages.
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