ISPP — International School Preparation Platform
Tuition, curriculum and admission test information for 4,474 international schools across 86 countries.
Features
- School Search — Search 4,474 international schools by country, city & curriculum; compare tuition
- Exam Prep — 1,314 practice questions for CAT4, ISEE, SSAT, MAP Growth, UKiSET & WIDA ACCESS
- Curriculum Guide — Compare IB, British (IGCSE/A-Level) & American (AP) curricula
- School Selection Guide — Selection criteria, visit checklists, parent priorities & IB explained
- Compare Schools — Side-by-side comparison of tuition, curriculum & admission tests for up to 3 schools
Schools by Country
- Malaysia — 210 schools
- Thailand — 208 schools
- China — 190 schools
- Indonesia — 145 schools
- Japan — 116 schools
- Vietnam — 90 schools
- Hong Kong — 84 schools
- Singapore — 75 schools
- Cambodia — 68 schools
- South Korea — 66 schools
- United States — 55 schools
- Canada — 49 schools
- Philippines — 42 schools
- Australia — 40 schools
- United Kingdom — 38 schools
- UAE — 25 schools
- Myanmar — 24 schools
- Taiwan — 19 schools
- Uzbekistan — 17 schools
- Switzerland — 17 schools
- New Zealand — 15 schools
- Brunei — 10 schools
- Germany — 10 schools
- Qatar — 10 schools
- Netherlands — 8 schools
Frequently Asked Questions
How much does international school cost?
Southeast Asia (Bangkok, Kuala Lumpur): $4,000–$25,000/year; Singapore & Hong Kong: $15,000–$50,000/year; Europe & US: $25,000–$65,000/year. Compare grade-by-grade tuition for 4,474 schools on ISPP.
Admission Test Types
CAT4 (British-system cognitive assessment — verbal, quantitative, non-verbal & spatial), ISEE (US independent schools), SSAT (US middle & high school), MAP Growth (adaptive academic assessment), UKiSET (UK boarding schools), WIDA ACCESS (English proficiency). Requirements vary by school.
What is the IB curriculum?
The International Baccalaureate (IB) is a global curriculum from a non-profit foundation in Geneva. It comprises PYP (ages 3–12), MYP (ages 11–16), DP (ages 16–19, scored out of 45), and CP (career-related). DP students choose subjects from six groups plus complete EE (Extended Essay), TOK (Theory of Knowledge), and CAS (Creativity, Activity, Service).
IB DP Subject Groups
Six groups: (1) Language & Literature (mother tongue), (2) Language Acquisition, (3) Individuals & Societies (history, economics, psychology, geography), (4) Sciences (biology, chemistry, physics, computer science), (5) Mathematics (AA or AI), (6) The Arts (visual arts, music, theatre). Students take 3–4 HL + 2–3 SL subjects.
IB Math AA vs. AI
AA (Analysis & Approaches) is theory-focused, suited for engineering & natural sciences. AI (Applications & Interpretation) emphasizes statistics, modeling & real-world use, suited for business & social sciences. Top STEM universities prefer AA HL.
IGCSE and A-Levels
IGCSE is Cambridge's secondary qualification for Years 10–11 (8–10 subjects). A-Levels follow in Years 12–13 (3–4 subjects, in-depth study). A-Levels are directly used for university admission in the UK, Australia, Hong Kong and more.
What is the CAT4 test?
CAT4 (Cognitive Abilities Test, 4th Edition) by GL Education is the most widely used admission test for British-system international schools. It assesses verbal, quantitative, non-verbal and spatial reasoning across age-normed levels (A–G), in timed multiple-choice format.
Key School Selection Criteria
Global parent surveys show: native-speaking teachers (91%), extracurricular variety (91%), small class sizes (86%, under 12 preferred), and additional languages (39%) are the top factors. Tuition (28%), commute (31%), and school size (21%) rank lower.
What are AP courses?
Advanced Placement (AP), run by the US College Board, offers 38+ college-level subjects. Scores of 4–5 (out of 5) can earn college credit. Unlike IB, AP operates per-subject rather than as a full diploma, offering flexibility.
Can students with limited English attend?
Many schools offer ESL/EAL programs for non-native speakers, with proficiency assessed via WIDA ACCESS or MAP Reading and tiered support provided. However, upper secondary students (Year 10+) generally need functional English for IGCSE or IB DP coursework.