More than 3,000 students sit the IB Diploma in the UAE each year: 3,278 in May 2026, who averaged 34.5 points against a world average of 30.88. Most study at schools in Dubai and Abu Dhabi, with a smaller, close-knit group in Sharjah. Many of them are at British-curriculum schools that teach the Diploma in sixth form instead of A Levels, so DP1 is often a student's first year of IB-style assessment.
That cohort received grades without sitting exams, because the IB cancelled the May session in the UAE. The class of 2027 will sit full papers from late April 2027 and be the first to have the Extended Essay marked under the IB's revised criteria. Our tutors work on Gulf time with students preparing for both, from IB Chemistry HL past papers to an IA draft due before the winter break.
Competitive courses in the UK, Europe and North America typically ask for 35 to 40 points (see what counts as a good IB score). Khalifa University, AUS and Zayed University need at least 24, plus the right HL subjects for engineering and medicine.