At a glance
- Grades
- KG or pre-K to grade 12
- Accreditors seen
- MSA, Cognia (US)
- AP exams 2027
- 3 to 7 May and 10 to 14 May
- Licensing and review
- Ministry of Education; BQA
- Time zone
- GMT+3
American-curriculum schools in Bahrain
| School | Area | What we verified |
|---|---|---|
| Al Hekma International School | Sanad | American curriculum since 1985; accredited by MSA and Cognia; also offers the IB Diploma |
| American School of Bahrain (ASB) | North Riffa | Standards-based American curriculum from pre-KG to grade 12; IB Diploma in grades 11 and 12 |
| Modern Knowledge Schools (MKS) | Juffair | K-12 American Diploma school that also runs the IB |
| Bahrain Bayan School | Isa Town | Non-profit bilingual K-12 school with American and Arabic programs; accredited by the ministry, IB and MSA |
| Al Raja School | Manama | Private, bilingual, non-profit K-12 school accredited by Cognia |
| Bahrain School | Juffair | US Department of Defense school offering an American diploma and AP courses |
Admissions and AP offerings change. Bahrain School mainly serves US military and government families.
How American schooling fits Bahrain's system
Private schools in Bahrain are licensed by the Ministry of Education and reviewed by the Education and Training Quality Authority (BQA), which publishes its reports. Bahrain's American schools are mostly bilingual: Bayan and Al Raja teach Arabic and English programs side by side, and Al Hekma and ASB add the IB Diploma as an alternative to the American diploma. For a family, this means checking which diploma your child is heading towards by grade 10, because AP courses and IB Diploma courses compete for the same timetable in grades 11 and 12.
Grades build into a cumulative GPA from grade 9, which universities in Bahrain, the wider Gulf and the US all read. A tutor's value is often highest early in a semester, when a weak quiz grade can still be recovered.
Dates that shape the 2026-27 year in Bahrain
| Date | Event |
|---|---|
| 16 to 17 Dec 2026 | National Day holidays |
| About 8 Feb to 8 Mar 2027 | Ramadan |
| 9 to 11 Mar 2027 | Eid al-Fitr |
| 3 to 7 May and 10 to 14 May 2027 | AP exam weeks |
| 16 to 18 May 2027 | Eid al-Adha |
Public holidays from the Ministry of Education's 2026-27 calendar guide; AP dates from the College Board. Each school publishes its own semester dates.
Online lessons for American-curriculum students in Bahrain
Most families ask for help with the course a student is taking right now: Pre-Algebra or Algebra 1 in middle school, Geometry, Algebra 2 or Pre-Calculus in high school, or a lab science. Bilingual students often understand the math but stumble on word problems written in academic English, which a tutor can work on directly. From February, AP students shift to free-response practice. Lessons are 60 minutes after school in Bahrain time, at $15, and the first lesson is free.
Plan AP review around Ramadan and Eid
In 2027 Ramadan runs through February and Eid al-Adha falls between the two AP weeks. Starting AP review in January avoids squeezing it into the holy month.
Common questions
Which American schools are there in Bahrain?
Among them: Al Hekma International School, the American School of Bahrain, Modern Knowledge Schools, Bahrain Bayan School, Al Raja School and the Department of Defense's Bahrain School.
Do American schools in Bahrain offer AP?
Several do. Al Hekma offers AP courses in the upper grades, and Bahrain School is authorized for many AP courses. Ask each school for its current AP list.
Can my child take both an American diploma and the IB in Bahrain?
Schools such as Al Hekma, ASB and MKS offer the IB Diploma alongside the American program. Students usually choose between the full IB Diploma and an AP route by grade 10.
Who checks the quality of private schools in Bahrain?
The Education and Training Quality Authority (BQA) reviews schools and publishes reports, separate from the ministry's licensing.
How much do LiveTutor lessons cost for American-curriculum students?
$15 per 60-minute lesson for any grade or AP course, on a plan of 1 to 5 lessons a week billed monthly. The first lesson is free.
Sources
Dates and figures on this page come from these official and published sources. Always confirm deadlines on the official page before acting on them.