This guide is for international families considering Canadian International School（加拿大国际学校）, a private international school in Astana, Kazakhstan. It covers what kind of school it is, the programs and curriculum it runs, entry requirements for the 2026/27 intake, the tuition and fees the school publishes, application windows and deadlines, and the scholarships, financial aid and campus support on offer. Every fact below comes from the school’s own official website (cischool.edu.kz) as visible on 5 August 2026; the school’s self-descriptions are used only to describe the school itself, not to support rankings or comparisons with other schools.
About Canadian International School – Astana
Canadian International School – Astana, commonly shortened to CIS Astana, is a non-profit British Columbia (BC) Offshore School located at 75 Turan Avenue Z05G9D9, Astana. According to the school’s own School Profile 2024-25, it was founded in 2022 by a public charitable foundation and describes itself as the first Canadian certified school in Central Asia; its website adds that the school opened to mark the 30th anniversary of Canada–Kazakhstan diplomatic relations. The founding story on the official site goes back to 2008, when two Ulytau Foundation board members first floated the idea of a Canadian international school in Central Asia, with the project taking its current shape after 2017 talks that brought in philanthropist Eduard Ogai and, later, education leader Blake Defieux. The official site states that CIS Astana holds accreditation tied to the Ministry of Education and Childcare of British Columbia and a licence from the Ministry of Education and Science of the Republic of Kazakhstan. For international families the practical point is simple: this is a Kazakhstan-based private school running a Canadian provincial curriculum, not a Canadian campus abroad, so planning is about studying in Astana while earning a Canadian-style graduation credential.
Programs and Curriculum at CIS Astana
Canadian International School – Astana runs a dual curriculum – dual diploma model, which its website describes as the first of its kind in Central Asia: students study both the British Columbia Graduation Program and the Kazakhstan national curriculum, and upon graduation receive both diplomas. The school’s official pages say the Kazakh and BC curriculums were mapped against each other and found compatible, and that the flexibility of the BC Graduation Program lets the school combine the two without overloading students. Teaching follows a trilingual policy in English, Kazakh and Russian. For Grades 10-11 the Kazakh side of the timetable includes mandatory subjects such as Algebra and Basics of Analysis, Geometry, Informatics, Russian Language and Literature, Kazakh Language and Literature, a foreign language, History of Kazakhstan, Physical Education and Initial Military and Technological Training, with electives including World History, Basics of Law, Geography, Chemistry, Biology and Physics. Beyond the classroom, the school’s homepage lists university preparation, career and life planning, 360-degree student care and extracurricular programs among its headline features, and the official site documents a dedicated career and life planning service whose staff keep networks with universities internationally. Summer offers include a Canada trip for students aged 14-18 built around a 100-hour Global and Intercultural Experience course on Vancouver Island plus three days in Vancouver, and a two-week STEM programme run with the University of Waterloo.
Entry Requirements for International Applicants
The entry requirements published by Canadian International School – Astana for the 2026/27 academic year target students finishing Grades 4-7 or 9-10 in the 2025/2026 academic year; the homepage banner repeats that enrolment is open for Grades 5-8 and 10-11. The admissions process on the official site runs in steps: an online application, then a preliminary document pack, then an English entrance exam, then a mathematics entrance exam, then interviews. The document pack must be submitted in Word, PDF or PPTX format and includes a motivational essay of 250-500 words written in English, transcripts from the previous school covering the past two years, and a digital portfolio of diplomas and certificates showing extracurricular activities and achievements. The English entrance exam is Duolingo, taken online; the school’s page lists the test cost at 60 USD and the passing score at 90 (described as high B1), and states that an IELTS certificate with a score of 5.0 or above may be used as proof of English ability instead. The mathematics exam is conducted at the school itself (Turan 75) by the admissions team. Interviews are two-sided: students meet the Canadian principal in English, while parents meet the deputy principal in Kazakh or Russian. Because these conditions come from the school’s own admissions page, families should treat them as the school’s current published criteria and re-check the official site for the latest version before applying.
Tuition and Fees at CIS Astana
Canadian International School – Astana publishes its tuition for the 2026/27 period on its fees page. The total annual tuition fee is 6,370,000 tenge for Grade 10/11 and 4,200,000 tenge for Grades 5-8. Parents pay the annual fee in three equal charges in August, December and March of the following year. If the full year is paid in one installment before 31 August 2026, the school gives a 10% discount for Grade 10/11 and 5% for Grades 5-8. In addition to tuition, a registration fee of 350,000 tenge (Grade 10/11) or 200,000 tenge (Grades 5-8) is payable after acceptance of the offer letter. The school explicitly states that the cost of meals, uniform and transportation is not included in the tuition fee and is subject to separate payment; no unified price list for those items is published on the official site, so those costs need to be checked against the latest version of the school’s pages. Installment amounts are calculated in proportion to tuition and take allocated scholarships into account for Grade 10. All of these figures are the school’s own published 2026/27 numbers in tenge, not estimates from third parties.
Application Timeline and Deadlines
The official FAQ of Canadian International School – Astana sets a fixed application fee for the 2026/27 academic year that depends on when a family applies. Early Application costs 10,000 KZT and runs from 22 November 2025 to 31 December 2025; Standard Application costs 20,000 KZT and runs from 1 March 2026 to 31 May 2026; Late Application costs 30,000 KZT and runs from 1 July 2026 to 31 August 2026. The school encourages early application both to secure a place and to pay the lowest application fee. The FAQ also notes an admissions fee of 350,000 tenge for the 2026/27 academic year, a one-time payment, and that an application is valid for the applying school year only — applicants who want a place the following year must apply again. On process timing, the FAQ says the school confirms receipt of the application by email once the step-one materials are complete, notifies students who advance to the English exam, and notifies families of the final decision in a timely manner after the mathematics exam and interviews. Since deadlines are year-specific, families planning for later intakes should confirm the current windows on the official site rather than assume these dates carry over.
Scholarships and Financial Aid
Canadian International School – Astana runs a merit-based scholarship programme for Grade 10 entry, offered in limited numbers and aligned with the principles of the Ulytau Educational Foundation. Scholarships cover tuition only — meals, transportation and uniform are not included. Full scholarships are awarded to applicants who demonstrate academic or sporting commitment through their digital portfolio, with preference for winners of international or Republic of Kazakhstan competitions and Olympiads; the published criteria for keeping a full scholarship include maintaining an overall grade level of 85% or above, staying within the school’s behavioural conduct, and taking a proactive role in school life and extracurricular clubs. Partial scholarships of up to 50% of the tuition fee are awarded by the Admissions Committee based on the applicant’s ranking, and the FAQ adds that students need to maintain an overall GPA above 75% to keep their scholarship status, assessed case by case. Financial aid is separately available to applicants from the Ulytau and Karaganda regions, orphans and children without parental care, applicants with disabilities (groups I, II, III), applicants from large families with four or more cohabiting children under 23, applicants from single-parent families, applicants whose parent(s) have disabilities, and children of active Kazakhmys LLP employees. Scholarship terms described on the official site are tied to specific entry cohorts, so current-year applicants should verify eligibility against the latest published version.
Campus and Student Life at CIS Astana
Canadian International School – Astana is located at 75 Turan Avenue Z05G9D9, Astana, and the school’s own admissions page confirms that entrance exams are held on site. Student life at CIS Astana is framed by what the school calls 360-degree student care, which its official pages describe as including a safe school policy, campus security and safety protocols, well-rounded nutrition, enhanced medical coverage, support for students’ connectivity with family and friends, a school ethos focused on mental health and well-being, accessible staff and leadership, and close connectivity between school and families. Extracurricular life is documented on the official site with a list of 13 clubs for the 2023-2024 fall term, covering history discussion, Kazakh-Canadian history, philosophy and culture, English appreciation, math tutoring, Python programming, leadership, IELTS preparation, arts, documentary film, chess, journalism and design and animation. The school’s site also publicises community-service and charity activities as part of its values. For international families the school’s own materials are the source of truth for what campus life offers; the official website remains the place to check current arrangements, since club lists and programme details change from year to year.
Official Sources and a Practical Note
All facts in this guide were taken from the official website of Canadian International School – Astana (cischool.edu.kz), accessed on 5 August 2026, including the homepage, the history, accreditations, dual curriculum, admissions criteria, fees and payment, FAQs, scholarships, extracurricular programmes, Kazakhstan subjects, 360 student care, trip to Canada and admissions welcome pages. The school’s self-descriptions are used only to describe the school itself. Tuition, fees, deadlines and scholarship terms are year-specific and can change, so always confirm figures against the latest version of the school’s official pages before making decisions. If your family is weighing whether CIS Astana fits your goals — for example, which grade to enter, how the dual diploma would sit with your longer-term study plans, or how the costs compare with your budget — our consultants can walk through your specific situation and help you structure the decision. Every family’s case is different, and the right next step depends on your own circumstances.