University-level study, taken inside the school day, with a five-year record of outperforming both the UAE national average and the global average.
Every year since College Board began publishing comparative data for our school in 2022, Horizon's AP pass rate has outperformed both the UAE national average and the global average.
Five-year AP pass rate, score 3 or higher
AP Scholars recognized by College Board since 2022
Students sitting AP exams, 2021 to today
2026 Edarabia Parents' Choice Awards
Advanced Placement is a College Board program taught to United States university standard. Students sit an external examination scored from 1 to 5. A score of 3 or higher is recognized for credit or advanced standing by universities across the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, Europe and the UAE, and it signals to admissions officers a student has sustained university-level work for a full academic year.
At Horizon, AP is not an add-on. It sits inside the timetable, taught by subject specialists, as part of the American High School Diploma pathway.
Our five-year average stands at 86.3% of examinations scoring 3 or higher, a record very few schools in the region match.
Horizon was named among the Top 10 winners of the 2026 Parents’ Choice Awards, issued by Edarabia, a reflection of the trust our family community places in this school.
Every course below is taught as a full-year, examined AP course by a subject specialist. Course lists are reviewed annually against student demand and university destinations.
(Grade 11)
(Grades 11 & 12)
(Grades 11 & 12)
(Grade 12)
(Grade 12)
(Grade 12)
(Grade 12)
(Grade 12)
A motivated student who wants an AP course sitting outside our standard timetable, one beyond their grade-level sequence or not offered as a mainstream class, is able to pursue it through Directed Study under a teacher's direct supervision. Families interested in this route are welcome to raise it with Ms. Laiba Obaid or at our Pathways Meeting.
Our program follows a deliberate American curriculum building toward the American High School Diploma, recognized in the UAE through the certificate-equivalency system.
| Grade | Mathematics | Science | English | Social Studies |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Grade 9 | Integrated Math 1 | Integrated Science I | English | Global Geography, UAE Social Studies |
| Grade 10 | Integrated Math 2 | Integrated Science II | English | Modern World History |
| Grade 11 | Integrated Math 3 or Pre-Calculus | Physics and Chemistry | English or AP English | Elective focus |
| Grade 12 | Calculus or AP Calculus | Science and Physics electives | English | Elective focus |
Grades 9 and 10 exist to build the academic foundation and study habits making a genuine university-level course achievable rather than overwhelming. An AP course asks a student to sustain university-level pace, workload and independent thinking for a full year. A student placed into one without the right foundation is far more likely to struggle than to thrive.
Grade 11 is the point at which our teachers and counselors hold two years of evidence, grades, habits and growth, to place each student into the right AP course rather than the popular one. From there, every AP decision is made together with the student’s counselor, so the choice is ambitious and realistic at the same time.
Our results reflect this approach. Participation has doubled since 2021 while our pass rate has stayed above both the national and the global average every single year.
We are finalizing a formal AP Governance and Access Policy this coming term, with family input built directly into the process. Details will be shared through Toddle.
As of early summer, 94% of our graduating Class of 2026, 51 of 54 students, had confirmed their university destinations, guided closely by Ms. Laiba Obaid, our College and Career Counselor. Twenty-eight are continuing their studies here in the UAE.
Our tech-forward graduates are entering next-generation fields at the Mohamed bin Zayed University of Artificial Intelligence, with others pursuing cybersecurity at RIT Dubai and Heriot-Watt University. Our foundation in the sciences is fueling a healthcare pipeline with placements at Semmelweis University in Hungary, the Medical University of Lodz in Poland, and New Giza University in Egypt. Our engineers have secured seats at the Eindhoven University of Technology in the Netherlands, the University of Alberta in Canada, and Khalifa University here at home, alongside classmates pursuing law at the University of Birmingham and public and cultural affairs at Sorbonne University Abu Dhabi.
Institutions marked with an asterisk have one or more Horizon students enrolling this fall. Unmarked institutions represent offers received that were not the student’s final choice.
| Institution | Offers | Enrolling |
|---|---|---|
| Abu Dhabi University * | 12 | 7 |
| United Arab Emirates University * | 7 | 2 |
| Khalifa University * | 5 | 3 |
| Zayed University * | 5 | 2 |
| American University of Sharjah | 5 | 0 |
| American University of Ras Al Khaimah * | 4 | 3 |
| University of Alberta * | 4 | 3 |
| Sorbonne University Abu Dhabi * | 4 | 1 |
| NYU Abu Dhabi * | 4 | 1 |
| Mohamed bin Zayed University of AI * | 3 | 2 |
| RIT Dubai * | 3 | 2 |
| University of Toronto * | 2 | 1 |
Beyond the institutions above, our graduates received single offers from roughly 35 more universities across the UAE,
the wider GCC, Europe, North America and Australia.
Ms. Laiba Obaid, our College and Career Counselor, now also serves as AP Coordinator and SAT Test Coordinator. Families have one dedicated, expert point of contact for course choices, AP planning, testing and longer-term university preparation.
College and Career Counselor, AP Coordinator, SAT Test Coordinator
lobaid@hpsbranch.comShe is available over the summer for any question about course selections, AP pathways, or college and career planning. You do not need to wait for the new school year.
During Orientation Days at the start of the new academic year, we will hold a dedicated Pathways Meeting for Grades 9 to 12 families, covering the high school pathway, AP course choices and university progression, with time for live questions and the option to book an individual follow-up with our College and Career Counseling team. Date, time and location will be confirmed through Toddle.
Timetabled leave ahead of the May examination window.
Structured subject revision led by AP teaching staff.
Wellbeing support through the examination period.
Eight, listed in full above, all taught as examined full-year courses by subject specialists. We publish the complete list rather than a general statement, so families see exactly what is available before they choose. Students seeking a course outside this list have the Directed Study route.
University work, inside the school day.
Horizon offers eight Advanced Placement courses from Grade 11, taught to United States university standard by subject specialists. Our five-year AP pass rate stands at 86.3% scoring 3 or higher, above both the UAE national average and the global average every year since 2022. AP courses sit in the same timetable slot as the Standard course, so students step up in level without giving anything up, and Directed Study opens a route to AP courses outside the standard timetable.
