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The students and parents invariably ask few questions regarding college admissions. What is the difference between IB and AP program? Which is better? Can they take up both? What is the International Baccalaureate? What are the IB Program and an IB Diploma, and why are IB classes worth taking?
The International Baccalaureate (IB) program which was designed in Switzerland in the 1960s allows students to take college-level courses while in high school.
When choosing a high school whether it has an International Baccalaureate program is the general criteria. Sometimes compared to the Advanced Placement (AP) program
IB is a rigorous, internationally-recognized diploma paving the way for University entry. IB does not conduct teaching courses, but there are IB-approved schools to meet the requirements. There are six subject groups and three additional core requirements to pass the IB examination.
It is also possible to do a couple of IB classes without taking up the complete diploma program. The rules and requirements vary depending on the schools and are given in their dedicated web page for IB credit policy.
The AP (Advanced Placement) and IB are almost on par as far as the college credits are concerned. As the basis by which colleges give credit is subject wise, your taking up the IB diploma to get credit for individual classes is not necessary.
Some institutions are offering a total waiver of general education requirements for students having full IB diploma. In other words, those holding an IB diploma can kick-start to their respective majors omitting general education. Thus the IB diploma is a real money saver for the students.
The IB programs are interdisciplinary gives the guidelines for academic preparation for college. IB courses need all the following characteristics of college courses.
High individualistic approach
Your holding a full IB diploma means your capability to tackle all the college level class works including Mathematics, Language, Science and arts. You can prove your mettle that you have taken the most advanced with the IB diploma. Besides as an IB diploma holder or who has taken few of IB classes, you are guaranteed to get credits in college classes.
As of now taking an IB exam is expensive with a $160 registration fee plus a $110 fee per exam. The only consolation is that this amount is negligible compared to the huge tuition fee you may incur for introductory-level college courses. You may explore the financial concession packages different schools offer.
For obtaining full IB diploma, there are six mandatory subjects to be taken up. They are:
Group 1: Essentially the Studies of Language/Literature
Group 2: Language Acquisition (a foreign language course)
Group 3: Individuals and Societies (History, Economics, Geography, other social sciences)
Group 4: Experimental Sciences (Biology, Chemistry, Physics, other sciences)
Group 5: Mathematics
Group 6: The Arts (Dance, Theater, Visual Arts, etc.)
You need to take one each from group 1 to 5 besides one from group 6.
An alternative from one of the other groups instead of the group 6 is also permitted. Except for 3 and four subjects, an SL (standard level) is required. For 3 and four a higher level (HL) is called for. As per IB guidelines, minimum instructional input of 240 hours is required for HL courses. However, the recommended input for SL is 150 hours. However here too the standards laid down by the schools are varying.
For example, some schools insist on the higher-level requirements by having students take the SL or AP version of a course first. Subsequently, they can take up the HL version second, on a two-year sequence. If you have taken AP English Literature as a junior, the Higher-Level IB English shall be the subject as a senior. Fortunately, the students are relieved of rigorous scheduling as the schools take care of this aspect in the four-year span.
You are required to take up examinations for each of the six subjects mentioned above. Essentially the examination has internal and external assessments. Depending on the geographical locations the examinations are either conducted in May or November each year.
The external assessment examination is rather conventional with two or three papers. The time frame can be one or two days. Usually, the exams constitutes some combination of multiple choice, short answer, extended response, and data or case analysis questions are under the scope of the exam. The valuation is by independent examiners for both IB and AP examinations.
The teachers do the internal assessments which constitute oral presentations, practical work (like a written lab report), or other written works. A moderation of five percent is allowed.
IB Exams are graded from 1 - 7, with 6 and seven considered an A, and anything 4 and up considered a pass, though IB doesn't set official passing grades.
Colleges offer IB credit for 5 and higher scores. To earn the IB diploma, a score on an average of 4 on each exam to get the minimum 24 points are needed. You can learn more about examinations at the IB website.
AP and IB are the most challenging courses available to high school students.
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