Have you heard other parents discussing the International Baccalaureate programme or IB? Do you know what it is?
Some parents know it as an alternative to the A-Levels. Few are clear on how the IB is structured, how it is graded, or how it differs from the A-Levels route.
Read on if you are interested in finding out more about the IB!
What is the IB?
The International Baccalaureate is a non-profit educational foundation, established in 1968, which offers a continuum of programmes for students aged three to 19. Schools that wish to teach an IB programme must be authorised by the organisation and are known as IB World Schools.
IB programmes are inquiry-based. They require students to make connections across disciplines, and place weight on critical thinking, independent research, and reflection. Rather than specialising early, students are encouraged to study across a wide spread of subjects.
IB programmes by age
Ages 3 to 12
Primary Years Programme (PYP). An inquiry-based foundation that develops young children as curious participants in their own learning.
Ages 11 to 16
Middle Years Programme (MYP). A framework that encourages students to make practical connections between their studies and the real world.
Ages 16 to 19
Diploma Programme (DP). The two-year pre-university qualification, and the one most Singapore parents have in mind when they refer to the IB.
Ages 16 to 19
Career-related Programme (CP). This combines Diploma Programme courses with a career-related study, for students who want a more applied pathway.
For Singaporean parents, most of the attention falls on the Diploma Programme, which we'll discuss below.
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IB Diploma Programme (DP) and how it is scored
In this programme, students take six subjects, one from each of these subject groups:
- Studies in language and literature
- Language acquisition
- Individuals and societies
- Sciences
- Mathematics
- The arts
Three subjects are taken at Higher Level (HL) and three at Standard Level (SL).
Alongside the six subjects sits the "DP core," made up of three elements:
Theory of Knowledge (TOK), where students reflect on the nature of knowledge.
The Extended Essay (EE), a piece of independent research written under teacher supervision.
Creativity, activity, service (CAS), a strand of projects and experiences outside the classroom.
Each of the six subjects is graded from 1 to 7.
Theory of Knowledge and the Extended Essay, each graded from A to E, together contribute up to three further points.
Added together, this gives a highest possible score of 45 points.
A student must earn at least 24 points, and meet the core requirements, to be awarded the diploma. Creativity, activity, service is not graded; students must complete it satisfactorily for the diploma to be awarded.
IB versus the A-Levels
In Singapore, the IB Diploma Programme and the A-Levels are both two-year programmes for students aged 16+ to 18, and both lead to the university pathway.
Singaporean families are more familiar with the A-Levels route because more schools (i.e. junior colleges) offer this. The IB Diploma Programme is offered by only a handful of local schools.
The clearest difference between the two pathways lies in breadth. The IB Diploma Programme requires students to study across all six subject groups, whereas the A-Levels route asks for:
- Four subjects, at least one of them a contrasting subject
- General Paper
- Project Work
- Mother Tongue Language
The two also differ in how students are assessed.
A-Level grades rest almost entirely on final examinations, which tend to be content-heavy. In local IB Diploma schools, the final IB exams account for 70 to 80 per cent of the total mark for each subject, while school-based assignments make up the rest of the final grade. Internal assessments may include portfolios, essays, practical work, and oral presentations.
Parents do ask whether the IB is easier than the A-Levels. Educators who have taught both say they are different, rather than one being easier. The IB covers more ground, but its final papers tend to be less demanding than A-Level papers. Students who are strong under examination conditions may do better at the A-Levels, while the IB tends to suit those who manage their time well and are comfortable with independent learning and research.
Which Singapore schools offer the IB
Currently, the official IB directory lists over 40 IB World Schools in Singapore. If you're not familiar with these schools, it helps to separate them into three groups:
Local schools offering the IB Diploma Programme. These are the schools most Singapore parents have in mind, and their students sit the November examinations. They include Anglo-Chinese School (Independent), St Joseph's Institution, the School of the Arts (SOTA), and the Singapore Sports School. SOTA also offers the Career-related Programme.
Something for local parents to note: Entry to the local IB Diploma Programme schools is not simply a matter of choosing the IB. SOTA selects students committed to the arts, the Singapore Sports School selects athletes, and the local schools leading to IB pathways tend to take in better-scoring students.
Also, although some parents may think of Methodist Girls' School (MGS) as an IB school, this needs some clarification. At MGS, Integrated Programme students complete four years of preparation, then move to Anglo-Chinese School (Independent) to sit the Diploma. You can think of MGS as a feeder school, rather than a school that reports its own IB results.
International schools. A larger group of international schools offer IB programmes, and their students more often take the examinations in May. These include:
- United World College of South East Asia
- Tanglin Trust School
- Dulwich College (Singapore)
- ACS (International) — accepts Singaporeans
- St Joseph's Institution International — accepts Singaporeans
- Hwa Chong International School — accepts Singaporeans
- Canadian International School
- Australian International School
- Stamford American International School
Preschools. Some IB World Schools are preschools that deliver only the early years of the Primary Years Programme.
To view the full list of IB World Schools in Singapore, please refer to the official IB website.
additional resource
Read our companion piece, Singapore IB Results: What's a Good Score and How to Do Well?
Want to talk about the IB programme? Start a conversation on the KiasuParents forum!
