What is International Baccalaureate (IB)?

Creativity, Activity, and Service (CAS)

A 4,000-word essay completed as an independent research project.

The course groups taught within the IB Diploma Program (DP) are shown in the table below.

Individuals and Societies

E.g.: Classical Languages, Language Ab Initio, Language B

Sciences

Arts

E.g.: Analysis and Approaches, Applications and Interpretation

The Language and Literature courses in this group teach British and American literature. They also cover translation studies, with examples from various global cultures.

Group 2: Language Acquisition

Language ab initio is offered only at standard level, for students with little or no previous experience of the language they choose. Language B, by contrast, covers language courses for students who already know the language they are studying.

Group 3: Individuals and Societies

The courses in this group study social, political and ideological advancements. The fields covered are business, economics, geography, global politics, history, information technology in the global society, social and cultural anthropology, and world religions.

Group 4: Sciences

Courses in this group cover subjects such as biology, computer science, chemistry, design technology, physics, sports, exercise and health sciences.

Group 5: Mathematics

The courses in this group aim to teach mathematical knowledge, concepts and principles. They also aim to develop your logical, critical and creative thinking, and to enable you to use abstraction and generalization skills.

Group 6: Arts

Instead of the courses in this group, you can take an additional course from the science, individuals and societies, or language groups. The topics offered in this group are adapted to different cultural contexts. At the core of the courses sits creativity, pursued through disciplined, practical research in the relevant art forms.

International Baccalaureate (IB) Career-Related Program (CP)

The IB Career-related Program (CP) is a curriculum for students aged 16 to 19. It aligns the courses offered within the IB Education Program with what students focused on their future careers need. If you want a career-focused approach to your education, the CP is tailored for you. It equips you with lifelong skills in applied knowledge, critical thinking, communication and intercultural interaction.

Assessments and Exams

The IB Education Program stands apart from other programs by using both internal and external exams to set your final result. Internal assessments typically involve long-term work such as reports, articles and presentations. They are marked by teachers and typically account for 15 to 25 percent of your final IB grade in the course. A school that adopts an IB Education Program then sends one randomly chosen student's assessment and assignments to a center for revision. The aim of this step is to show that the school has evaluated and graded fairly and without bias.

Further assessment within the IB Education Program is carried out by third-party entities. It comes in stages, mainly through comprehensive examinations. To be clear, every course is assessed through a single examination at the end of the second academic year. That can add stress, since two years of effort are judged through one examination.

Scoring

Within the IB Diploma Program, every academic course is graded on a 7-point scale, and 7 is the highest grade. The other elements assessed are graded on an A–E range. CAS is a mandatory part of the IB education program, and you either pass or fail it. At the end of the IB Diploma Program, you receive a grade on a 45-point scale. Of the overall 45 points, 42 come from academic courses. The remaining 1 to 3 points come from your combined Theory of Knowledge (ToK) and Extended Essay (EE) scores.

Advantages of International Baccalaureate (IB) Diploma Program (DP)

The IB Diploma Program brings many benefits as you move on to higher education, university life and beyond. Over 5,000 universities across 100 countries accept the IB Education Program, and an IB Diploma gives you preferential treatment in admissions. Students on the program have the opportunity to qualify for scholarships based on their academic performance in the IB Education Program. These scholarships are awarded on the basis of grades. You also have the privilege to transfer credits and be exempted from specific university courses.

• Global Recognition
  • The IB Diploma Program is acknowledged by all renowned colleges across the globe. It gives you the skills and knowledge to become a global citizen, which adds value to your application.
• College Prep
  • The IB Diploma Program can be seen as a program that prepares students for university. Its curriculum passes on the skills, prior knowledge and learning methods you need to succeed at the higher education level. By the end of the two years, you have developed fundamental abilities, including composing scholarly reports and essays, referencing sources and conducting independent research. Through a rigorous, fast-paced course of study, the program aims to build your time management and your capacity for comprehensive research. Its primary focus is to cultivate the essential cognitive abilities required for success in a university setting, where you meet diverse thoughts, notions and individuals.
• Sophisticated Education
  • One objective of the IB Diploma Program is to give students a comprehensive education. To that end, the curriculum holds a diverse range of courses you can select and engage with. That diversity includes choices that show your versatility, resilience and capacity to push your limits. In the program you are required to complete certain courses at higher level, which involves 240 hours of study, and others at standard level, which requires 150 hours. Deciding which courses to take, and at which level, is a crucial decision during the program. This decision should be based on the specific department you are enrolled in at the institution.
• Personal Growth
  • The main objective of the IB Diploma Program is to foster your growth and development, academically and personally. CAS activities, designed for that aim, strive to enhance emotional and social growth through a diverse range of extracurricular activities. These activities let you cultivate essential social skills, such as empathy and teamwork.