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The 2026-27 academic year is officially underway across the UAE, and for IB Diploma Programme students in Dubai, Abu Dhabi and Sharjah, Term 1 sets the tone for everything that follows. Whether your child just started DP1 (Year 1) or has stepped into the more demanding second year of DP2, the choices and habits built in these first few weeks tend to carry through the entire two-year programme. This guide breaks down exactly what DP1 and DP2 students in the UAE should be focusing on right now, from subject selection and the IB core to Extended Essay deadlines and predicted grades, so families can start the year with a clear plan instead of playing catch up later.
Before getting into what Term 1 demands, it helps to recap the structure every IB Diploma student in the UAE is working within. The Diploma Programme runs across two years and is built around six subjects, one from each of the six subject groups covering language and literature, language acquisition, individuals and societies, sciences, mathematics and the arts. Three subjects are studied at Higher Level (HL), typically around 240 teaching hours, and three at Standard Level (SL), typically around 150 teaching hours. Sitting alongside these six subjects is the IB core: Theory of Knowledge (TOK), the Extended Essay (EE) and Creativity, Activity, Service (CAS). Together, subjects and core combine for a maximum score of 45 points. The global average for the May 2026 session was 30.88 out of 45, while UAE and Dubai IB schools typically post noticeably higher averages, often in the low to high 30s.
DP1 is the foundation year of the Diploma Programme, and the routines and choices set here directly shape how manageable DP2 feels later. Here is what to prioritise in the first term.
Choosing HL and SL Subjects the Right Way
Subject choice is one of the biggest decisions of the Diploma Programme, and it should work backward from university and career goals rather than forward from which subjects sound impressive. HL and SL do not reflect ability, they reflect depth and commitment, and both are graded on the same 1 to 7 scale. A student aiming for engineering will usually need HL Maths and HL Physics, while a student aiming for medicine will typically need strong HL performance in Chemistry and Biology. The IB does allow schools a short window to adjust levels early in DP1, so this is the moment to confirm the combination is right, not halfway through the year.
Getting Ahead on TOK, EE and CAS From Day One
Many DP1 students treat the IB core as something to deal with later, which is exactly what creates pressure in DP2. TOK asks students to examine how we know what we claim to know, and is assessed through an exhibition and an essay. The Extended Essay is an independent, roughly 4,000 word research paper built around approximately 40 hours of work, and choosing a subject, research question and supervisor before the end of DP1 makes the first draft in DP2 far less stressful. CAS no longer has a fixed hour requirement, but it does require sustained engagement across creativity, activity and service, evidenced through a portfolio over roughly eighteen months, so starting activities in Term 1 rather than backloading them in DP2 matters.
Building Study Routines That Actually Hold Up
The jump from IGCSE or Grade 10 into six IB subjects plus the core catches many DP1 students off guard. A workable Term 1 routine usually includes a weekly review of each subject rather than only revising before tests, a shared calendar for CAS, TOK and EE milestones, and realistic weekly time set aside for HL subjects specifically, since these carry the heaviest content load. Students who build this rhythm in the first term generally spend far less time firefighting later in the programme.
DP2 is widely regarded as the most demanding stretch of the Diploma Programme, because coursework completion, full syllabus revision and university applications all overlap in the same few months.
Locking In Extended Essay and Internal Assessment Deadlines
Term 1 of DP2 usually brings the Extended Essay first draft deadline, along with the first wave of final Internal Assessment submissions in subjects such as Maths and Geography. TOK essay titles are typically released in the first week of September, giving students a narrow window to choose a title and begin drafting. Because these deadlines land close together, mapping every IA, EE and TOK date onto one shared calendar at the very start of term is one of the most effective things a DP2 student can do.
Understanding Predicted Grades and the UCAS Timeline
For UAE students applying to UK universities, predicted grades carry real weight, since UK offers are built almost entirely around them. Most IB schools finalise predicted grades a few months into DP2, generally between September and December, timed around university deadlines. Oxbridge, medicine, dentistry and veterinary courses close for equal consideration earlier than most other undergraduate courses, so DP2 students applying to these routes should confirm their school’s internal predicted grade deadline in the very first week back, rather than assuming they have until the official UCAS date.
Balancing Revision With Coursework Completion
It is easy for revision to get pushed aside while IAs and the EE are still open, but the second half of DP2 leaves little room for catching up on content missed earlier. A practical approach is to treat Term 1 as dual-track: coursework deadlines take priority week to week, while a lighter, ongoing revision habit, such as reviewing one topic per subject weekly, keeps the syllabus from piling up before the final exam period.
Get a personalised subject, TOK/EE/CAS and revision plan built around your child’s goals, straight from our expert IB tutors in Dubai.
A few patterns show up every year in both DP1 and DP2 cohorts, and most are avoidable with an early plan.
Vega Visionary works with IB Diploma students across the UAE at every stage of the programme, from HL and SL subject specialists in Maths AA and AI, Sciences, Economics, English and History, to structured support for TOK, the Extended Essay and exam-focused revision in DP2. Rather than generic tuition, sessions are built around each student’s actual subject combination, school deadlines and target university requirements, which matters most in a term as deadline-heavy as this one.
Term 1 rarely feels urgent on the surface, which is exactly why it matters so much. The subject combinations locked in during DP1 and the deadlines managed during DP2 quietly determine how the rest of the Diploma Programme plays out. Getting organised now, rather than in the middle of exam season, is the single biggest advantage a UAE IB student can give themselves this year.
If Term 1 is already feeling heavier than expected, whether it is locking in the right HL/SL combination in DP1 or staying on top of IA and Extended Essay deadlines in DP2, the earlier you build a plan around it, the easier the next two years become. Visit Vega Visionary to explore our IB Diploma tutoring programmes, or message us directly on WhatsApp to speak with an IB specialist today.
Written by the Vega Visionary Academic Team
DP1 (Year 1) is the foundation year where subject content, HL/SL depth and the IB core are introduced. DP2 (Year 2) is where coursework such as Internal Assessments and the Extended Essay are finalised, full syllabus revision intensifies, and predicted grades and university applications come into play.
Every IB Diploma student takes six subjects, one from each of the six subject groups. Three are studied at Higher Level, typically around 240 teaching hours, and three at Standard Level, typically around 150 teaching hours. Both levels are graded on the same 1 to 7 scale, and a strong SL grade counts just as much toward the final score as a strong HL grade.
Most schools introduce the Extended Essay process toward the end of DP1, with students choosing a subject, research question and supervisor before the summer break. In DP2, the first full draft is typically due early in Term 1, so students who start researching in DP1 tend to have a much smoother experience.
Predicted grades are the scores a school expects a DP2 student to achieve based on classwork, Internal Assessments and mock performance. Most IB schools finalise them a few months into DP2, generally between September and December, to align with UCAS and other university application deadlines.
CAS, short for Creativity, Activity, Service, is compulsory. There is no diploma without it, even with excellent subject grades. The IB no longer sets a fixed hour count. Instead, students must demonstrate the seven CAS learning outcomes and sustained engagement across all three strands over roughly eighteen months, evidenced in a portfolio.
The six subjects contribute up to 42 points, seven points each, and up to 3 additional bonus points come from a combined TOK and Extended Essay grade matrix, for a maximum of 45. To be awarded the diploma, students need at least 24 points overall, plus minimum thresholds across their HL and SL subjects and a pass in TOK, EE and CAS.
For students applying to UK universities, Term 1 of DP2 is the time to finalise a personal statement and confirm the school’s internal deadline for predicted grades, since Oxbridge, medicine, dentistry and veterinary courses close for equal consideration in mid-October, well before most other undergraduate courses.
A subject or core specialist tutor can help DP1 students lock in the right HL/SL combination and start CAS and EE planning early, while helping DP2 students manage overlapping IA, EE and revision deadlines so nothing slips through the cracks in the busiest term of the programme.