What Are Ib Courses Ib Subject Groups Explained
Of the six academic subject groups offered in the IB Diploma, students must take one class from groups 1-5. They can either take a subject from group six or a second subject from groups 2-5. Additionally, students must take three or four courses at Higher Level , with the remainder taken at Standard Level . We recommend you take a maximum of three higher level subjects.
Ib Exam Changes Due To Covid
Because of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, the IB has decided to extend the adaptations which were put in place for 2021 to 2022. May 2022 IB assessments will have two routes, exam and non-exam, depending on which your school chooses. Stay up to date with the latest information on what this means for IB diplomas, course credit for IB classes, and more with our our IB COVID-19 FAQ article.
Background History And Philosophy
The IB program launched in the United States in 1971, but began in Geneva in 1968. Its an international program, with a focus on global education, meant to create students who can function in a globalized society.
When educators refer to IB programs at American high schools, theyre typically talking about the IB Diploma Program, which is the IB curriculum designed for students between the ages of 16-19that is, grades 11-12.
Students working toward an IB diploma must study across six subject groupslanguage and literature, language acquisition, individuals and societies, sciences, mathematics, and the artsand a core set of disciplinary approachestheory of knowledge , creativity, activity, service and the extended essay. Your child can take IB courses at standard level or high level . To earn the IB diploma, at least three HL courses must be taken.
Its possible to take a few IB courses individually, but IB was developed with the intent of being a comprehensive program.
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What Are Ib Exams Like And How Are Ib Exams Graded
At the end of the school year students are subject to an exam period, during which they are tested over everything theyve learned in each of their IB classes.
Exams are graded from 1 to 7, and exam grades for classes in the same subject area are averaged so that at the end of exams, students have a score ranging from 1-7 for each of the six subjects. These are added together to give an overall IB score. The TOK and the Extended Essay may add a combined 3 points to a students total score. The highest possible IB diploma score is 45, but students who earn at least 24 points, do not have any failing scores, complete the entire curriculum, and meet other eligibility requirements are granted an IB diploma. A score of 1 is a failing score students with a 1 in any subject will not earn an IB diploma.
Getting To Know Yourself As A Learner
We all learn differently, at different paces and with different tools. The IB helps you know yourself better, your strengths and areas of improvement, and in turn apply your better skills where they can lead you to a successful outcome. It can also give you a better understanding of the areas where you are still developing and need support and supervision.
Ofir Razon, a graduate of Elsa High School, who now attends Technion University in Israel, told Young Post: The massive load of IB, having to keep up with the content of six different subjects along with IAs , EE , and all the CAS acitivities really forces you to figure out what type of learner you are, when you focus best and what style of learning works for you.
Coming to an engineering degree knowing so much about yourself as a learner makes the transition into university life much easier.
Nicole Fleischer, a CDNIS alumni, and a Kings College London student summed it all up like this: Having done the IB in high school, I felt very well equipped and confident to tackle university assignments. I have learned fundamental essay-writing techniques, referencing skills and most importantly, time-management strategies.
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Practical Experience And Service
Students in an IB program typically perform additional tasks or assignments in a unit called Creativity Activity Service . This unit asks students to complete an extracurricular activity, creative endeavor or community service position. It can highlight their ability to apply knowledge from coursework to a work-based setting and allow them to explore different career options. Some examples of qualified activities can include volunteering at a shelter for houseless individuals, completing a visual arts project or playing a sport in a school-based league.
What Is The International Baccalaureate Organization
The International Baccalaureate Organization was founded in 1968, and it is headquartered in Geneva, Switzerland. The IB Diploma Programme for high school upperclassmen was the first program offered by the organization. It was followed by three others, including the Middle Years Programme for 11- to 16-year-olds and the Primary Years Programme for students ages 3 to 12. In 2012, the Career-Related Programme, the fourth and last IB program, debuted. This program, like the IB Diploma Programme, is for high school students. Because few high schools in the United States offer it, however, this article will focus only on the IB Diploma Programme. For more information about other IB programs, explore this website.
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Would A Levels Or The Ib Be Better For Me In Terms Of Subject Choices
With A levels, you are free to pick any combination of subjects you like . So, for example, if you want to take all humanities subjects and nothing else you can do so. However, your curriculum will be fairly narrow, as its normal to take just three subjects and would be very unusual to take more than four.
The IB is designed to ensure students study a broad range of subjects . However, you cant choose any combination you like. Subjects are divided into six groups and you take one from each of the first five groups your sixth subject can be either from the sixth group, which is arts, or a second subject from any of the other groups. So this wont suit you if theres one particular subject group you want to focus on but could be good if you enjoy a bit of everything.
What Is The Difference Between Ib And Ap
Whereas AP exams are typically all or mostly multiple choice, IB exams are mostly written, essay-based. IB classes tend to have a wider worldview as well, making you read loads of foreign books, learn foreign history, and study a foreign language.
AP classes focus more heavily on the test material. IB is a more well-rounded education, in my opinion, because you’re required to submit a written component that will count toward your ultimate IB score in addition to taking the exam at the end of the course.
For example, for science classes, you must complete extensive lab reports. Meanwhile, for history, you are required to do an extensive report on a specific subject that aligns with the history you’re learning about, and you get to choose the topic you write about. I learned about European history, and my report focused specifically on Allied prisoners of war in Europe in WWII.
In terms of popularity, IB is far less popular than AP in the United States. In 2019, 2.8 million students took AP exams, with around 2.7 million of these being in the US. By contrast, only about 166,465 students took IB exams in May 2019, and 88,000 of those were in the US.
IB is also more expensive than AP classes. For IB, there’s a $119 fee per exam . Though this is a lot of money, it’s much less than the tuition you would pay for the same intro-level college course.
Ask your local IB school what their policy is by calling or emailing the IB coordinator .
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Children Follow A Strict Schedule
The children follow a clear plan throughout the school day.
- Before lunch, the children first learn basic skills such as reading, mathematics and science. During the first two to three hours, they also need to be physically active.
- After lunch comes the practice lesson. In the first year of school, the instruction places great emphasis on reading skills. The training provides targeted practice and introduces the connection between letters and the sounds that follow the letters.
- Toward the end of the day, students have their “passion” lesson, in which they can choose from five different subjects, depending on their interest. These include home economics, music, carpentry, sewing or painting/drawing.
“We’ve developed a procedure called READ. It emphasizes the most important methods for learning, psychology, motivation theory and targeted practice,” Sigmundsson said.
“The key is to survey children’s skills at the start of the school year, in September, and in January and May, which enables us to provide the right challenges in relation to skills,” he said.
Children Learn To Read Faster When Given Appropriate Challenges Study Finds
by Steinar Brandslet, Norwegian University of Science and Technology
Reading is the basis for most subjects, but a lot of children struggle to master it. Every fourth Norwegian boy aged 15 does not understand a complicated text. Girls do better.
But new research shows very promising results in the effort to help pupils learn to read. It is important to give students challenges that are individually adapted to their level. Teaching all pupils the same way is not useful because many fail to keep up.
“The previous study round included 48 students who took part in our approach, and every one of them cracked the reading code,” says Hermundur Sigmundsson, a professor at NTNU’s Department of Psychology.
Sigmundsson has worked on reading education for many years. This time he has taken his expertise to Vestmannaeyjar in Iceland, where first-graders tried a new way to learn and master the art of reading.
“We concentrated on changing everyday school life for the pupils,” says Professor Sigmundsson.
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The Ib Program: A Brief Overview
The IB program, based in Europe, is an educational organization with international reach. The central IB organization has developed curricula for students as young as preschool, but in the U.S., youll find IB educational opportunities primarily offered in the form of the IB Diploma Programme, or IBDP. When people in this country talk about IB courses, this is usually what they mean.
This two-year series of courses, projects, and other requirements is intended for students between the ages of 16 and 19. The full IBDP concludes with a special diploma, but depending on your high school, you may be able to take a few IB courses a la carte without committing to the diploma program.
Like many other advanced high school curricula, the IBDP is designed to introduce you to college-level academic work. What makes IB different is that rather than focusing on what you learn, it focuses on how you learn.
While your IB courses will of course have content for you to learn, the IBDP is more concerned with teaching you how to approach and analyze that content, a skill that will be highly important to your college career. Youll also get experience researching and writing in the ways that will be necessary in college-level courses, including producing more extensive independent essays and research projects.
For more information about the IB program, its requirements, and its educational philosophy, take a look at these CollegeVine blog posts:
Is The Ib More Work Than A Levels
Broadly speaking the IB will take up more of your time than A levels.
If you take the IB:
- Youll have more teaching time and fewer study periods .
- As well as your subjects youll have extra calls on your time such as theory of knowledge assignments, an extended essay and creativity, action, service commitments.
Youll need to juggle all this, though you may find that the structure and demands help you get organised.
If you take A levels:
- In general youll have more flexibility over how you use your time, as theres more focus on independent study.
- Youre likely to have more study periods during the school day.
- You will have fewer subjects to juggle.
- You wont have to commit to doing anything else with your time apart from study for your subjects.
As such, how hard you study as an A level student will be up to you. If getting top grades is a priority for you and you have self-motivation, youll probably end up studying just as hard as an IB student. However, if theres something else you want to make time for such as playing sport at a high level youll be more able to do so.
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Join The Ib’s Global Alumni Network
The IB is extremely proud of its graduates, and the alumni network connects them with one another and with the IB community.
Members of the alumni network receive a quarterly newsletter, as well as opportunities to connect with graduates from all over the world.
Students who will graduate in the next two years are encouraged to join.
Advice From An Expert: Is International Baccalaureate Right For Me
Dr. Robert Bouressa
Dr. Robert Bouressa is the Director of College Guidance for Saint Andrew’s School in Boca Raton, FL. He is the former Diploma Coordinator for IB Students at Saint Andrew’s, and now counsels IB students on college choice. Prior to joining the school, he spent 10 years as the Director of Admission and College Counseling and worked within the IB program at the Escola Americana do Rio de Janeiro.
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Ib Courses Assessment Breakdowns
Below are common examples of assessment breakdowns for IB subjects.
IB English Literature HL External assessment 20% – Paper 1 25% – Paper 2 25% – Written Assignment
Internal assessment 15% – Oral presentation 15% – Oral commentary
IB Chemistry HL
External assessment 20% – Paper 1 36% – Paper 2 24% – Paper 3
Internal assessment 20% – Scientific reports
IB Business Management SL
External assessment 30% – Paper 1 45% – Paper 2
Internal assessment 25% – Written commentary on a real-life business problem
The Pros Of The Ib Program
1. Global Recognition
You canât go past the most obvious point in the IBâs favour â the international aspect.
The IB Diploma Program is recognised by all leading universities, which instantly puts you on the world stage and contextualises your application.
Regardless of where you sit your IB exams, the results mean the same thing, and theyâre understood by admissions officers.
Country specific programs donât have the same global reach, so itâs harder for universities to understand the results and compare you fairly to other candidates.
However, itâs important to understand that recognition doesnât necessary equate to value. As we talked about in this blog, the IB means more to US universities than it does to UK universities, so how much this âproâ weighs for you will depend on where you want to study.
2. University Preparation
The IB Diploma is effectively a âuniversity preparation programâ, in that it teaches you skills and ways of learning that will set you up to do well at a tertiary education level.
After two years of practice, itâs fair to say that you will have mastered fundamental skills such as university style report and essay writing, source citing, and how to conduct independent research.
So when you get to uni and your first assignment is a 4,000-word research report complete with academic references, this wonât come as a shock because youâve been there, done that in the Extended Essay component of the IB.
3. Well-rounded Education
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A Comprehensive List Of Strong Biology Extended Essay Topics
! The design, construction and calibration of an apparatus for measuring lipid concentration in milk. The relationship between ritual, myths and faith in an X society. It might seem like a lot of work, but with the right topic in hand, you will go beyond your expectations! That is something you should definitely look into with your supervisor. People’s views of acupuncture is definitely not a Biology essay either! Bush, Barack Obama, and Donald Trump. Towards the end comes the bibliography of the essay.
Complete An Internship Or Apprenticeship
Finishing an internship or apprenticeship can often help you learn new career-based skills, get hands-on experience in a certain position and receive training for a future career. You also might also gain professional contacts who can help you find job opportunities in the future. As internships often allow individuals to complete a variety of tasks, you can also better determine which type of work you most enjoy. If you’re interested in the international aspects of the IB program, you can also use it to apply for internship positions in another country.
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Ap And Ib Have Different Focuses
Although both AP and IB courses prepare students for college through rigorous work requiring higher-level thinking, the two programs have different focuses. Overall, the AP program aims to provide students with college-level courses while they attend high school. Each course stands alone, and there are no additional components to complete outside the exam.
IB courses, in contrast, focus more on helping students understand the process of knowledge and develop critical thinking skills. The IB Diploma Programme includes additional requirements that often center on global awareness.
In Preparation For University Applications Many High School Students Enroll In International Baccalaureate Courses As An Alternative To Advanced Placement Courses To Challenge Themselves Academically And Set Themselves Apart From The Competition With College
If youâve got big dreams of attending a world-leading university, itâs critical to take higher-level courses throughout your high school career. Enrolling in Advanced Placement or International Baccalaureate classes allows you to challenge yourself academically with a college-level curriculum and rigorous coursework. Further, electing to take AP or IB classes illustrates your willingness to take initiative, explore areas of interest, and handle more demanding courses with more autonomy â all qualities that admissions officers look for in top applicants.
Additionally, taking AP and IB courses and scoring well on their respective exams can translate into class credits or allow you to skip introductory courses when you head off to college!
However, it can be difficult to decide which curriculum is a better fit for you. This is why itâs important to compare both AP and IB to understand the pros and cons of both! To learn more about what AP courses are and which ones may appeal to you, check out our blog on the hardest and easiest AP Classes.
To learn more about what IB courses are and why they may or may not be the right choice for you, keep reading!
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