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CIA First International School

Cambodia, Phnom Penh

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· Reviewed by · B2C Marketing Manager

Independently researched by doris.
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The school at a glance
Instructs in English, French, Mandarin
Fees KHR 13,400,000 - 30,240,000
Ages 2 - 18 years
Pupil numbers 5000
Type Co-educational
Opened 2004
Bus Service No
Availability Not shared by this school
Academic offering
Curriculum American Curriculum, Advanced Placement (AP), Bespoke Curriculum
Taught languages Khmer, French, Mandarin
Strengths STEM, Languages, Academic Enrichment
Clubs Academic and Intellectual, Cultural and Language, Leadership and Professional
Stages Preschool, Kindergarten, Elementary, Middle School, High School
Introduction

CIA FIRST International School was founded in 2004 and operates multiple campuses in Phnom Penh, serving a student community of 5,500+ across its campuses. The school offers WASC-accredited international programmes that blend US-aligned standards (Common Core, AERO, NGSS) with Advanced Placement (AP) courses; it also runs Ministry-recognised Khmer programmes and a Khmer Language & Culture option. Campuses are based in Sen Sok (Street 2004 and a separate Sen Sok High School site), Chbar Ampov (near Bayon TV), and Russey Keo (Street 330). The school lists services for families including a school bus network, campus front desks, and a preschool pathway; it highlights AP Capstone and multiple AP offerings for high-school students. Practical details (addresses, fee schedule, admissions age range and bus service) are published on the school website and in the downloadable AY2025–2026 fees document.

www.ciaschool.edu.kh

Vibes and Culture
The school has not added this information
The Essentials

CIA First International School has 5,000 pupils, instruction in English, French, Mandarin.

Location
CIA FIRST is based in Phnom Penh with campuses in Sen Sok and Chbar Ampov and a Russey Keo campus listed on the school site; the main administrative address is No. 107, Street 2004 (Tek Thla) in Sen Sok. The campus pages give local orientation (e.g., Sen Sok campus is in front of Orkide; Russey Keo is on Street 330 near the Ministry of Land Management).

Stages
CIA FIRST operates programs from Pre‑K/Preschool through Grade 12. Individual campuses serve different ranges (for example: Sen Sok K3–G8, Sen Sok High School G9–G12, Chbar Ampov PreK–G12 and a Preschool site).

Type
CIA FIRST is a co‑educational, day international school (no boarding provision is listed on the school website). It operates multiple purpose‑built day campuses across Phnom Penh.

Additional learning support
The school has a Student Support Services department that includes counselors, SEL coaches, Multilingual Learner (MLL) specialists, literacy specialists and learning‑to‑learn specialists; support is provided through a Multi‑Tiered System of Support with push‑in and pull‑out models and individualized learning plans. MLL support is offered for Grades 1–10 and interventions are guided by WIDA standards.

Country affiliation
The school is based in Cambodia and is accredited by Cambodia's Ministry of Education, Youth and Sport (MoEYS); it also holds WASC (Western Association of Schools and Colleges) accreditation, which is a U.S. regional accreditor. It does not present a single overseas national affiliation.

Religious affiliation
The school website does not list a religious affiliation and presents itself as an inclusive, secular international school community (see the school's Diversity, Equity & Inclusion statement).

School day structure
Daily hours vary by campus and program. Typical start times are 7:30–8:00 AM; full‑day kindergarten and preschool run roughly 8:00 AM to 3:30–4:00 PM, international programs commonly finish around 4:00–4:15 PM, and students in the Full‑Time Khmer (FTK) option have additional Khmer‑curriculum classes running until about 5:15 PM (FTK schedules and exact times differ by campus).

Bus service
The school operates its own door‑to‑door bus fleet across Phnom Penh with zoned fees (0–3 km, 3.1–6 km, 6.1–10 km) and an onboard assistant for supervision; buses are described as having seat belts, air conditioning and in‑bus CCTV and each vehicle has a stated maximum capacity (the site describes an 8‑student maximum per bus). Parents register per campus and contact details for bus registration are listed on the school bus page.
Diving Deeper
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Fees

Annual tuition at CIA First International School ranges from KHR 13,400,000 to KHR 30,240,000 for 2026/27.

Application / Enrollment fees
- Entrance test fee (one-time, required for new students K3–G12): USD 40.
- Registration fee (one-time, required for new students): USD 850.
- Re-enrollment (returning students)—early discounted re-registration and full re-registration amounts are published for the 2025–2026 cycle (early/discounted and full deadlines and late-payment penalty apply).

Tuition fees (annual amounts by year group; per-term breakdown available in the school's published fee schedule)
- Early years / Kindergarten (K3–K5): USD 3,950 to USD 5,950 per year (range by program/age).
- Grade 1–Grade 5: USD 6,600 per year.
- Grade 6–Grade 8: USD 7,550 per year.
- Grade 9–Grade 12: high‑school program information (including diploma options) and associated fees are published for the high‑school age range; full grade-by-grade annual figures are included in the official School Fees document for AY 2025–2026.
- Note: the school's formal AY 2025–2026 fee schedule contains the detailed per-term and per-item breakdown (tuition per term, capital/technology/resource fees, learning-materials, etc.). Annual totals for each grade are also reproduced by independent school-fee databases.

Billing schedule and payment terms
- The school asks that outstanding dues be paid by the 7th of each month; monthly contactless payment methods are promoted. Installment plans and term payment options are detailed in the published fee schedule. Remarks (student ID or full student name) are required on bank transfers.
- Re-enrollment deadlines: early discounted re-registration payment deadline and a final re-registration deadline are published (late payment carries a daily penalty as noted in the re-enrollment notice).

Boarding
- No boarding / residential program is published for CIA FIRST campuses; the school operates multiple day campuses and lists school‑bus and day‑services rather than boarding.

Other costs and optional services
- School bus: door‑to‑door service with multiple distance zones; route options and fees are charged separately (fee breakdown and route poster are published by campus). Contact numbers for bus enquiries are provided per campus.
- Uniforms and school merchandise: uniforms are required and may be purchased at the school Accountant Counter; costs vary by uniform set/level.
- Miscellaneous: the school's published schedule lists technology & resource fees, capital/learning‑materials fees, and other one‑off or annual charges in addition to tuition and registration.
- Sibling discount: a published sibling discount structure is reported (example: 5% for second child; additional child discounts are published in the school fee materials).

Refund information
- The school's public pages and re-enrollment notice set out re-registration deadlines and late‑payment penalties; a detailed refund schedule (withdrawal/refund percentages, refundable vs non‑refundable items) is not published on the general school pages. The official AY 2025–2026 fee schedule contains the full terms and conditions, including any refund/withdrawal terms.

Fee payment options
- ABA Mobile App and ABA bank transfer to the school's ABA account (Account Name: CIA FIRST International School Co., Ltd; Account Number: 089900012) with the requirement to remark Student ID or full student name. In-person payments at campus accountant counters are used for merchandise/uniform purchases. Additional contactless/payment methods are promoted by the school.
Academics

CIA First International School teaches American Curriculum, Advanced Placement (AP), Bespoke Curriculum for students aged 2 to 18.

Curriculum
CIA FIRST offers WASC‑accredited, standards‑based international education alongside Khmer‑accredited pathways from Pre‑K/preschool through Grade 12. The preschool/Early Years programme follows the Pennsylvania Learning Standards for Early Childhood and uses a play‑based, hands‑on approach to social–emotional, language, physical, creative and cognitive development. The Elementary curriculum is UbD‑aligned and, together with Middle School (Grade 6–8), delivers a student‑centred, inquiry‑based STEAM and humanities programme that draws on Common Core, AERO and NGSS standards and includes English, mathematics, science, social studies, computer science, arts, music and physical education. High School (Grade 9–12) is WASC‑accredited, issues an international high‑school diploma recognised as equivalent to the national Grade‑12 diploma, and offers Advanced Placement courses (the school lists 22 AP subjects and the AP Capstone pathway). Families can choose Full‑Time International (FTI), Full‑Time Khmer (FTK — MoEYS‑accredited Khmer national curriculum offered as afternoon electives), or FTI+FTC (adds daily Khmer language and culture classes) to combine international standards with Khmer language and national recognition.
Wellbeing
The school has not added this information
Parent Experience
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Facilities
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Extra-Curricular Activities
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Languages
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Reputation
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Admissions

Admissions
1. Make an inquiry and/or book a campus tour. Contact the Admissions office to ask about program options (Full‑Time International, Full‑Time Khmer, or Khmer Language & Culture) and to arrange an on‑site tour at the campus you prefer. Parents should bring or be ready to upload basic documents (ID, previous school reports) when requested and note that the school recommends scheduling visits in advance during Admissions office hours. See the school's published enrollment steps and contact links.

2. Readiness assessment and admissions test. Kindergarten applicants sit a short readiness assessment (about 20–30 minutes); students from Grade 1 to Grade 12 take a paper‑ or computer‑based entrance test (approximately 2–3 hours) followed by an interview with a school principal. Parents should confirm which campus and test format will be used for their child, prepare recent school reports if applicable, and allow time for the post‑test interview that influences placement. Test scheduling is done through the Admissions team.

3. Submit an application after assessment. If the student passes the readiness assessment or admissions test the school will issue an enrollment offer and parents complete the formal application. The school provides an application form to download and asks that supporting documents (birth certificate/passport, previous transcripts, immunisation records where requested) be submitted with the form. Verify that the child's intended program (FTI, FTK, FTC) and campus are correctly shown on the application to avoid later schedule or fee mismatches.

4. Pay fees to secure the seat and complete enrolment. The offer becomes a confirmed place once required one‑time and tuition payments are made; the site lists common items that must be paid (registration fee, tuition, technology/resource fees, uniform sets and other miscellaneous fees). The public fee page shows an Entrance Test Fee of $40 (one‑time) and a Registration Fee of $850 (one‑time); parents should download the detailed AY fee schedule and check payment deadlines and bank transfer instructions before paying. If you need payment plans, campus‑specific figures (some campuses list different tuition ranges) or promotional discounts, contact Admissions for the current schedule and any time‑limited offers.

Scholarships
There is no single, clearly described merit scholarship programme listed on the school's main Admissions or School Fees pages. The public site does, however, show that CIA FIRST has active partnerships and promotional arrangements that can include discounts, tuition credits, or scholarship opportunities: for example, a memorandum of understanding with the American University of Phnom Penh references scholarship and tuition‑discount pathways for CIA FIRST students, and a more recent partnership announcement with Trinity College (University of Melbourne) refers to a scholarship opportunity (up to a stated amount in that announcement). The school also appears in third‑party promotion programmes and member discount schemes (for example insurer or chamber member offers) that list registration or tuition concessions for eligible customers. Because these offers vary by year, campus, partner and target group (founding‑family discounts, partner promotions, or university‑pathway scholarships), parents should not assume a permanent, school‑wide need‑ or merit‑based scholarship is available; instead, ask Admissions which current scholarships, partner discounts, or promotional offers apply to your child, what the eligibility criteria are, and whether an additional application is required. For program‑specific scholarship details and the most recent availability, contact admissions@ciaschool.edu.kh or request the Admissions team to confirm any partnership scholarships and timelines.

Waitlist
The school's public admissions pages do not describe a formal, published waitlist or central pool system; instead they emphasise that seats are limited and recommend starting the application process early. Because the website directs families to inquire and schedule tests and notes that places are secured by payment, the practical implication is that availability is managed case‑by‑case by the Admissions office rather than through a clearly advertised waitlist. If you are applying and a grade/campus is full, ask Admissions whether they operate an internal waiting list, what the typical wait times are, and how they notify families (email, phone, or their student management system). For the most accurate, up‑to‑date answer about current seat availability or an internal wait list for a specific campus/grade, contact admissions@ciaschool.edu.kh or the phone numbers listed on the site.
School Events
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