A GUIDE FOR INTERNATIONAL BACCALAUREATE (IB) CURRICULUM

 International Baccalaureate (IB) curriculum

The IB International Baccalaureate is a global educational framework devised for students aged 3 to 19. It helps students focus on critical thinking, concept building, and inquiry-based learning. But understanding this complex educational system can be a bit troublesome, which is why Tutor X will guide you through every information you need to know about this curriculum.

 

The IB programmes are divided into four stages-

Primary Years Program (PYP)

The students of PYP are basically of the age group 3 - 12 years. The primary years are designed to help students develop conceptual understanding, inquiry-based learning, transdisciplinary learning, collaborative skills, reflection and communication and research skills.

 

Middle Years Programme (MYP)

This stage is built for students aged 11 to 16 years, bridging the gap between classroom learning and real-life experiences. This program emphasizes on research, communication, inquiry, critical thinking, self-management, collaboration, and interdisciplinary learning features. The MYP students are assessed using subject-specific criteria, and the final year may also include an MYP personal project, which allows students to independently discover their field of interest.

 

The program consists of eight subject groups, namely-

• Language and Literature
• Language Acquisition
• Individuals and Societies
• Arts
• Design
• Mathematics
• Sciences
• Physical and Health education

 

IB Diploma Programme (IBDP)

This program is designed for students aged 16 to 19 years, preparing them to embark on their journey to reputed and internationally recognized universities and further education.

The curriculum comprises of six subject groups along with DP core, which includes Theory of Knowledge (TOK), Extended Essay (EE), and Creative Activity Service (CAS).

The Six Subject groups:

Group 1- Studies in language and Literature

Focuses on the study of literature and language and development of communication skills.

Group 2-Language Acquisition

Students need to study a language other than their main language.

Group 3- Individuals and Societies

These are humanities and social science subjects like business management, economics, geography, history, digital society, etc.

Group 4- Sciences

Include subjects like Biology, Chemistry, Physics, Computer Science, etc.

Group 5- Mathematics

There are two distinct mathematics groups which are- Mathematics: Analysis and Approaches (AA) and Mathematics: Applications and Interpretation (AI). Both can be taken at Standard Level (SL) or Higher Level (HL), depending on the school's offerings.

Group 6- The Arts

It includes Visual Arts, Music, Theatre, Film, etc. A student may choose an additional subject from another group instead of taking an arts subject but depending on the subject available to the school's courses and IB requirements.

 

What is the difference between Higher Level (HL) vs Standard Level (SL) subjects?

Higher Level courses-

• Cover greater scope.
• Require more teaching hours.

Standard Level courses-

• Cover smaller scope.
• Require comparatively less teaching hours.

 

The IB Diploma Core

The core consists of -

1)Theory of Knowledge (TOK)

2)Extended Essay (EE)

3)Creativity, Activity, Service (CAS)

 

Theory of Knowledge (TOK) - Encourage students to reflect on the nature of knowledge and how it is created. It is assessed through a TOK essay and a TOK exhibition.

 

Extended Essay (EE)- It is a research paper written on the topic selected by students themselves, with a given word limit. It prepares the students for university level research and writing skills.

The TOK and EE results together can provide 3 additional points to the overall diploma score.

 

Creativity, Activity, Service (CAS)- It is a course focused on making students participate in artistic, physical, and community service activities.

Creativity: Encourage students to develop artistic perception and creative mindset (example - Art, Music, Photography, etc.).

Activity: Pushes students to engage in physical activities for building a healthy lifestyle (examples- Sports, Fitness, Swimming, etc.).

Service: An unpaid and voluntary community service project to ignite a feeling of welfarism (examples- Community projects, volunteering, fundraising, etc.).

The CAS does not add any point to the student's 45-point score. However, its successful completion is required for receiving the full IB diploma certificate.

 

Assessment System

IB Assessments- Each of the IB programmes selected their own passing criteria, but the Primary Years Programme provides no formal assessment result. As, it emphasizes on developing interest in the learning process of the young minds.

The rest 3 programmes have their separate criteria-

MYP Passing criteria: MYP, though is a 5-year programme, can be reduced to at least 2 years programme by the authorized schools. In each year of the program, the lesson time demands at least 50 hours for each subject group. Simultaneously, the MYP personal project is also required to be completed. After this 5-year programme, students are given the IB external assessment, in which they can choose to do only the personal project and receive a school certificate, or undertake additional e-Assessments to receive an MYP certificate. The outcomes of these assessments become a track record in the results document of the student.

 

DP assessment: The IBDP is a two-year programme that combines external and internal assessments to evaluate students' performance. The assessment system has its own criteria to be fulfilled based on which the students are ranked not against each other but against established assessment standards.

Internal assessment: These are for the subject groups selected and are to completed by the students during the course. For example - geographical fieldwork, science laboratory experiments, historical explorations, and others. These are usually conducted by school educators and are moderated by IB examiners to maintain consistency and fairness.

 

External assessment: The final grades are given based on these external assessments which include final written examinations, encountering essay writings, data-response questions, case studies, multiple-choice questions (in some subjects), short-answer questions and some coursework.

The CAS is distinct and requires students to maintain proof of participation in creative work, physical activities, and community service. Although it does not award any points, its completion is mandatory to earn IB diploma certificate.

 

DP grade calculation

The curriculum comprises of six subject groups and the DP core (TOK, EE, and CAS), on which the assessments must be completed to get diploma points. Based on the performance in assessments, they are graded on each of the six subject groups and the core, on a scale of 1 to 7, with 7 being the highest achievable, and up to 3 points for the DP core components. These grades are then added together to offer the diploma points. The students have to earn a minimum diploma score of 24 points but it does not guarantee the diploma because the students need to satisfy other IB requirements relating to - the six subjects, TOK, Extended Essay, CAS, HL/SL performance and overall subject grades. The maximum points that a student can achieve is 45 points [6 subjects * 7 top grade = 42; 42+3 (from the core) = 45 points].

 

International Baccalaureate Career-related Programme

The IB Career-Related Programme is a two-year programme for students aged 16 to 19 years who are willing to combine academic study with career-oriented education. The IBCP is part of the International Baccalaureate (IB) and prepares students for higher education, apprenticeships, or employment.

The IBCP combines two Diploma Programme courses with a Career-Related Study (CRS), which are selected by students according to their interests and future aspirations.

The CP core consists of four interrelated components-

Personal and professional skills: This course develops students' decision-making personalities, problem-solving skills, and a strategic mindset that can be applied to personal as well as professional contexts.

Community engagement: It offers opportunities for students to apply theoretical knowledge in solving practical issues by engaging and responding to their communities through meaningful service.

Language and cultural studies: It encourages students to expand their linguistic and cultural understandings that might also help in global employability.

Reflective project: It is an in-depth project for students to critically analyse, explore and evaluate an ethical issue based on their career-related interest.

After the completion of this programme, students receive the IBCP certificate awarded by career-related study providers, authentic external providers, or the schools can also provide their accredited courses that maintain IB protocols and curriculum standards.

 

Assessment and grading of IBCP

The IBDP subjects are assessed according to the DP assessment methods and are graded on a 1-7 scale. The Career-Related Study is assessed according to the institution or qualification you are opting for. The IBCP core components are assessed separately using programme-specific criteria.