Understanding IB, GCSE and A-Level Results in UAE Schools: What Do the Numbers Really Mean?

Every results season, UAE schools proudly share their IB, GCSE and A-Level results. But for parents, the numbers are not always easy to interpret.

Is one student achieving 45 points in the IB Diploma more important than a school's average? If a school reports that 80% of its GCSE grades were 9–7, does that mean 80% of students achieved top grades? And how can you compare results between schools with very different cohort sizes?

The truth is that school results can tell an important story – but only when you understand the context behind the headlines.

Here's how to understand the main IB, GCSE and A-Level numbers, what to look for when comparing schools, and how UAE schools performed in 2026.

Understanding IB Diploma results

The International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme (IBDP) is studied during the final two years of school.

Students take six subjects, each graded from 1 to 7. They can also earn up to three additional points through the IB core, giving a maximum possible score of 45.

When schools publish their IB results, there are three main numbers to look at.

Average Diploma score

This is the average number of points achieved by students in the graduating cohort.

The global average IB Diploma score in May 2026 was 30.88 points.

Among the schools in our comparison, North London Collegiate School reported the highest at 38 points, followed by Sunmarke School at 36.4 and Ambassador International Academy at 36.31.

Pass rate

This is the percentage of students who were awarded the full IB Diploma.

Students need at least 24 points out of 45, together with the IB's other Diploma requirements, to receive the qualification.

Most of the UAE schools in our comparison that published a pass rate reported 100%, meaning every Diploma candidate in the graduating cohort received the qualification.

Highest score

This is the highest individual Diploma score achieved by a student in the cohort.

A perfect score of 45 points is extremely rare, historically achieved by only around 0.1% of IB Diploma students worldwide.

In 2026, Bateen World Academy, Emirates International School Jumeirah and North London Collegiate School each reported the highest score of 45. Dwight School Dubai, Emirates International School – Meadows, GEMS International School Dubai Hills, GEMS World Academy Dubai and Repton School Dubai reported highest scores of 44.

The highest score, however, represents the result of one student. When comparing overall cohort performance, the average Diploma score usually gives a more representative picture.

First graduating IB cohorts

This year's results included particularly impressive achievements from several schools celebrating their first-ever IB Diploma graduating cohorts.

Ambassador International Academy reported a 100% pass rate, an average score of 36.31 points and a highest score of 42.

The Aquila School also reported a 100% pass rate for its first IB Diploma cohort, with an average score of 34.4 points and the highest score of 39.

How to read GCSE Results

GCSEs are completed at the end of Year 11, usually at age 16.

Most GCSEs are graded from 9 to 1, but some international GCSE qualifications may still use the traditional A-G* scale. In the UAE, the numerical system is more common.

The two systems do not match grade-for-grade, but as a general reference:

• 
  Grade 9 (A*) – the highest possible grade
• 
  Grades 8–7 (A–A*) – excellent achievement
• 
  Grades 6–5 (B) – strong results that sit above the standard pass threshold
• 
  Grade 4 (C) – a standard pass
• 
  A*–A – the highest grades
• 
  A*–B – a broader measure of high academic achievement
• 
  A*–C – another commonly used performance indicator

When schools publish their GCSE results, they usually share the percentage of grades achieved at different thresholds: 9–7, 9–6 and 9–4.

Grades 8–7 / A–A*

For context, 21.8% of all GCSE results in England were graded 7 or above in 2026. Among independent and private schools in England, the figure was 47.1%.

Several schools in our comparison reported results above these benchmarks. Repton School Abu Dhabi reported 72% of grades at A-A*, while Al Salam Private School reported 70%, and Sunmarke School and The English College both reported 67%.

Grades 9–6 / A*–B

Schools also publish the percentage of grades achieved at 9–6 or A*–B, giving a broader view of results across the higher grade range.

Among the schools in our comparison, Repton School Abu Dhabi and Sunmarke School each reported 86% of grades at A*-B, followed by Al Salam Private School at 86%, Al Salam Community School at 84%, and The English College and Hartland International School at 83%.

Pass rate

This is the percentage of grades awarded at the school's stated pass threshold.

In England, 67% of all GCSE results reached the pass rate.

Among the schools in our comparison that published a pass rate, Al Ain British Academy, Hartland International School and Yasmina British Academy reported 100%, while Repton School Abu Dhabi reported 99% and Reach British School and The English College reported 98%.

One important distinction: grades are not the same as students

When a school reports that 70% of its GCSE results were grades 9–7, this usually refers to individual subject grades rather than 70% of students.

A student normally takes several GCSE subjects – often between 7 and 10 – with each subject producing a separate grade. If 70% of all those individual grades fall between 9 and 7, the school can report that 70% of its GCSE results were awarded at that level.

It does not mean that 70% of students achieved grades 9–7 across all, or even most, of their subjects. This is why these percentages are useful for understanding the overall performance of a cohort, but they do not tell you exactly how results were distributed between individual students.

Understanding A-Level Results

A-Levels are studied during the final two years of school, after GCSEs, and are used for university entry.

Grades range from A*, the highest grade, to E, the lowest passing grade.

Schools usually report the percentage of grades achieved at different thresholds. As with GCSE results, these percentages generally refer to individual subject entries rather than the number of students.

For context, 28.3% of A-Level results in England were graded A or above in 2026. Among independent and private schools, the figure was 48.6%.

Among the schools in our comparison, Sunmarke School reported the highest share of A*–A grades at 60%, followed by Hartland International School at 54%, The English College at 51% and Repton School Al Barsha at 50%.

For the broader A*–B range, Repton School Al Barsha reported 87%, while GEMS Wellington Academy Al Khail reported 86%. Al Ain British Academy, Hartland International School and Horizon International School each reported 84%.

One of the standout achievements of the 2026 results season came from Repton Al Barsha's first-ever A-Level cohort. Its first graduating class of 27 students achieved 50% of all A-Level entries at A*–A and 87% at A*–B – an exceptional result for a school's first-ever A-Level cohort.

What to look at when comparing school results

If you're comparing school results yourself, try not to judge a school by one number alone.

Look beyond the highest score

Schools like to highlight their highest-performing students, and those results can be useful. But one student achieving a perfect score doesn't tell you how the rest of the year group performed. Average scores and pass rates usually give you a better picture of performance across the class.

Check the cohort size

In a smaller cohort, one particularly high or low result can have a much bigger effect on the average or percentage reported by the school. This doesn't make smaller cohorts less meaningful. It simply means you need to know how many students sit behind the headline figure.

Compare results with benchmarks

A number is much easier to understand when you have something to compare it with.

For IB results, for example, you can compare a school's average Diploma score with the global IB average for the same examination session.

For GCSEs and A-Levels, national or exam board data can provide similar context where available.

Look at results over several years

If several years of results are available, look at those too. A pattern across several graduating cohorts gives you more information about how consistently students perform.

Looking beyond the numbers

Exam results can be a useful part of comparing schools, but they should not be read in isolation. The strongest picture comes from looking at several measures together: cohort averages, grade distributions, pass rates, cohort size and results over multiple years.

They also tell you only one part of the story. Academic results can show how students performed in exams, but they do not tell you everything about teaching quality, student support, school culture or how well a particular school may suit your child.

Used in context, though, they can help you compare schools more clearly and ask better questions when exploring your options.