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TheIBGuideEverythingyouneedtoknowabouttheInternationalBaccalaureate
Insidethisbooklet
ThisbookletisourguidetotheInternationalBaccalaureate.Insideyou’llfindinformationandadviceabouteveryaspectoftheIB,fromsubjectselectiontohowtheIBhelpswithyouruniversityapplications.Ifyouhaveaquestionwhichisn’tcoveredhere,youcangetintouchwithusat:[email protected]+44(0)2038026862
NewKing’sRoadNewKing’sHouse,London,SW64LZ,UnitedKingdom
WehavebeensupportingstudentsontheIBforyears,andouroutstandingteamofIBgraduates,IBteachers,andIBExaminersarethereasonwe’vecometoconsiderourselvestheforemostteamofIBeducatorsinternationally.
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WhatistheIB?
TheInternationalBaccalaureateOrganisation(IBO)isaninternationaleducationalorganisationwhichoffersstudentsaholisticandglobaleducation,throughIBprogrammesaimedatstudentsaroundtheworldfromtheageof3to19.ThemostwidelyknownandstudiedprogrammeinternationallyistheIBDPorthe‘InternationalBaccalaureateDiplomaProgramme’.InitiallyfoundedinGenevain1968,theIBOnowoffersIBprogrammesinover130countriesaroundtheworld.
WhataretheIBProgrammes?
TheInternationalBaccalaureateDiplomaProgramme(IBDP)isapost-secondaryeducationalprogramme,takenbystudentsaroundtheworldbetweentheagesof16and19.ItisanequivalentqualificationtotheUK’sA-Levels,theUS’sAPexams,andtheScottishHighersSystem,andwasthefirstprogrammedevelopedandofferedbytheIBO.TheDiplomaProgrammeisinternationallywell-regarded,andcanafforditsstudentsentryintouniversitiesandemploymentaroundtheworld.
TheIBOalsoprovidecurriculaforyoungerstudents:thePYP,orPrimaryYearsProgramme,embodiestheIB’sinternational,multidisciplinaryapproachtolearningfor3-12yearolds.TheMiddleYearsProgramme(MYP)offersstudentsaged11-16theopportunitytolearninanongoingenvironmentwhichfosterscuriosityandbreadthoflearning.Forthefirsttimein2015,theMYPofferedexternallymoderatedexamsforstudentsintheirfinalyear,offeringstudentstheopportunitytofollowanIBcurriculum,withalltheinherentbenefitsthisholds,andreceiveacertificatewhichwasexternallyvalidatedforthis.ManyIBstudentspreviouslyundertookGCSEsorIGCSEsintheirfinalyearsof11-16schoolinginordertoattainexternallyvalidatedqualifications,butthisshouldnolongerbenecessarywiththeadventoftheMYP5exams.
Forstudentswhowishtoattainvocationalskillsalongsidetheirclassroom-basedlearning,theIBOhaveofferedtheCareer-relatedProgramme(CP)since2012.ThisisaimedatstudentswhowouldotherwisetaketheDP-soarefrom16to19duringthe
programme-andcontinuesstudents’academiclearningwhilstpreparingthemforacareerinindustryoraparticularemploymentpathway.
EliteIBTutorsbeganwithanaimtosupportstudentsundertakingtheDiplomaProgramme.Assuch,theinformationhereisbroadlyfocusedontheDP,howeverwearehappytoprovideassistanceandguidancetostudentsandfamiliesinterestedintheMYP,PYP,andCP,andifyouhavequestionsabouttheseprogrammes,weencourageyoutogetintouch.
HowistheDiplomaProgrammeorganised?
AnIBDPstudentmusttakesixacademicsubjects,aswellascompletinganindependentlyresearchedExtendedEssay(EE),participatinginTheoryofKnowledge(TOK),andcarryingoutmultipleandvariedprojectstofulfiltheirCreativity,Activity,andService(CAS)requirements.OnlyuponsuccessfulcompletionofallthesecomponentsisastudentawardedthefullIBDiploma.
Subjectrequirements
AllIBDPstudentsarerequiredtotakesixacademicsubjects,fulfillingtheIBO’sspecificcriteriathatstudentspursueabroadandbalancedselectionofsubjects,aswellstudyingthecompulsoryelementsofCAS,TOK,andtheEE.CompletionofallcomponentsoftheIBDPisnecessaryforastudenttobeawardedtheDiploma,althoughstudentscanreceivesubjectcertificatesineachsubjecttheypass,shouldtheyfailtoreceivethefullDiploma.Formostuniversitieswithacademicentrancerequirements,however,thefullDiplomaisrequired.
Askusyourquestions!YoucangetintouchwiththeEliteIBteamatanytimeforanswerstoyourquestions.YoucanfindoutmoreabouttheIBanddownloadourIBresourcesontheEliteIBwebsite!eliteib.co.uk/[email protected]+44(0)2038026862
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Groups
StudentsmusttakeasubjectwhichfallsintoeachofGroups1-5,listedandexplainedbelow.StudentscanchoosetonottakeaGroup6subject(‘TheArts’),andcaninsteadtakeanotherGroup1-4subjecttobringtheirtotalsubjectstothecompulsorysix.
Group1:StudiesinLanguageandLiteratureThisisusuallythestudent’smothertongue,andwillrequirefluencyinthelanguagechosen.Studentswilltackleliterarytextsinthislanguage,andallexaminationsandinternallyassessedworkinthissubjectwillbeinthechosenlanguage.Studentscanopttotaketwolanguagesatthislevel,andwillbeawardedabilingualDiplomauponsuccessfulcompletionofthecourse.
Group2:LanguageAcquisitionStudentscanchoosetotakealanguagewithoutpriorstudy(abinitio),orcanbuildonpre-existingknowledgeofalanguage.Thismustnotbethestudent’sfirstlanguage,asthecourseaimsto
developlanguage-learningability,aswellasadeeperunderstandingofanotherculture.
Group3:Individuals&SocietiesStudentschoosefromarangeofHumanitiessubjects,including,whilenotlimitedto,History,Geography,Economics,andBusiness&Management.LearninginthisGroupprovidesstudentswiththeopportunitytoexplorehuman,societal,andphysicalstructuresandtheirimpactontheworldandglobalenvironment.
Group4:SciencesAnyofthetraditionalSciencesubjectscanbechosenhere,aswellasEnvironmentalSystems&Societies(ESS),whichcanbetakenaseitheraGroup3or4subject,andComputerScience,DesignTechnology,andSportsScience.ThisGrouphelpsstudentstounderstandtheglobalapplicationofscientificsolutions,aswellasthetheoryandcontextoftheirchosenScience,whichisfurtherchallengedbyacompulsorygroupproject,namedtheGroup4project.
Group5:MathsStudentsmusttakealevelofMathematics,butcanchoosefromawiderrangethanusual;MathematicsSLandHLareoffered,asformostsubjects,butstudentscanalsochooseMathematicalStudies,onlyofferedasaStandardLevel(SL)subject,orFurtherMathematics,whichisonlyofferedasaHigherLevel(HL)subject.MoststudentswhoopttotakeFurtherMathswillalsotakeMathsHL,asthisisarequirementofmostschoolswhoofferthiselectivesubject.N.B.YoucanfindoutmoreabouttheLevelstheIBOofferineachsubjectonthefollowingpage.
Group6:ArtsTheArtssubjectsincludeVisualArts,Drama,Film,andMusic,eachofwhichfocusoncreativelyexploringself-expressioninaglobalcontext,anddevelopingtheirownuniquecriticalpractice.AstudentmayoptnottotakeaGroup6subject,andinsteadtakeafurthersubjectinalanguage(Groups1&2),asocialscience(Group3),orascience(Group4).
HigherLevel/StandardLevel(HL/SL)
TheacademicstructureoftheDiplomaProgramme-ibo.org
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EachoftheDPsubjectscarryasubject‘level’.MostsubjectsareofferedatbothStandardLevel(SL)andHigherLevel(HL),andaDiplomastudentmusttakeatleastthreesubjectsatHigherLevel(HL),andnomorethanthreeatStandardLevel(SL).SomestudentschoosetotakeanadditionalHLsubject,butitisadvisedtodiscussthiswellinadvancewithyourschooloreducationprovider.Asaroughindicationofthedifficultyofeachlevel,theIBadvisesapproximately240hoursofteachingtimeforHLsand160forSLs,andthedifferencebetweenHLandSLineachsubjectvaries,soitisbesttodiscoverwhat‘extras’youareabletostudybyoptingforHLineachofyoursubjects.Somesubjects–likeESS,MathsStudies,FurtherMaths-areonlyavailableatonelevel,andsoitisimportantthatthisistakenintoconsiderationwhenmakingfinalsubjectselections.
Points,Grading,&Assessment
Diplomasubjectsaregraded1-7,with7beingtheA*equivalent.Onaverage,about5%ofIBstudentsaroundtheworldachieveagrade7,andthemeangradeforanysubjectacrosstheDiplomais4.8.Thisgivesatotalpossiblescoreof42fromsixacademicsubjects,andanadditional3bonuspointsareavailableforTOKandtheEE;themaximumpossibleIBscoreistherefore45.InMay2016,201ofalmost150,000candidatesachieved45points,whiletheglobalaveragepointsscorewas30.07.
TheDPrunsfortwoacademicyears,withfinalexamstakingplaceattheendofthesecondyear.TheDPisassessedinalinear,notmodular,manner,andallexternal(exams-based)assessmentthereforetakesplaceattheendofthestudent’ssecondyear(“IBDP2”).Therearetwoexam‘seasons’,toreflectthetwohemispheres’academicyears;studentswillvariouslysittheirfinalexams,therefore,inMayorNovember.ForNorthernhemisphere/Mayseasoncandidates,theirfirstyear(IBDP1)yearwillbegininSeptember,andtheywilltakeexamsintheMayperiodtwoyearsafter:forinstance,studentscommencingSeptember2017willtaketheirexamsinMay2019.ForSouthernhemisphere/Novemberseasoncandidates,thecommencingmonthisJanuary,andexamsareinthefollowingNovember.
EachGrouphasit’sownwayofassessingstudents,andHigher/Standardleveldiscrepancies;werecommendviewingthe
specific‘subjectbrief’foreachofyourpreferredsubjectsbeforemakingafinaldecisiononwhichtotake.
ForGroup1,studentsatbothHLandSLsitduringthefinalexamsessionanexaminationpaperassessingtheirabilitytoanalyseanunseentext,aswellasanexaminationpaperontextstheyhavestudied(thisvariesforLiterature&Performance,buttwoexternalexamsareundertakeninthiscoursealso).Allstudentsalsosubmitanumberofwrittentasks–theseareakintothecourseworkelementofotheracademicprogrammes,andthenumberofwrittentasksvariesacrossspecificsubjectsandlevels.Studentsalsoundertakeseveraloralassessments,priortothefinalexamsession.
ForGroup2,studentsatHL,SL,andabinitiolevel,ofbothmodernandclassiclanguages,undertaketwoexaminationpapers:thefirstofwhichisfocusedontexthandling/translation,andthesecondofwhichisfocusedonproducingwritingintheacquiredlanguage.AsinGroup1,therearealsoseveralwrittentasksandoralcomponents,oneofeachofwhichisassessedaspartofthefinalgrade.
ForGroup3,studentsatStandardLevelfollowtheformatoftwofinalexampapers,andinternallyassessedwrittenwork.FormanyHigherLevelstudents,however,Group3bringsathirdexaminationpaper,pushingthestudenttoengagefurtherwiththesubject.Additionally,formanyGroup3subjects,theinternallyassessedworktakestheformofseveralpiecesofwork,formingaportfolio,orproject.
ForGroup4,thereisalargervarianceacrosssubjectsregardingtheexactnatureofassessment.Forthe‘core’sciencesofBiology,Chemistry,andPhysics,therearethreeexampapersandtheinternallyassessed‘practicals’andinvestigations,atbothSLand
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HL.ForallotherGroup4subjects,SLstudentsundertaketwoexams,andmanyHLstudentsundertakethree,eachcarryingoutapersonalprojectorinvestigationtoo.Inaddition,thereistheGroup4project,whichcontributestothepersonalengagementmarksofeachstudent’soverallIAmarks.TheGroup4Projectisachancetoworkcollaborativelywithyourfellowstudentsacrossthesciences,soitisworthgettingstuckinto!
StudentsofthecoreGroup5subjectswillsittwoorthreeexampapers,dependingonthelevelofstudy,andcompleteaMaths‘exploration’,or‘project’forStudiesstudents,whichconstitutestheinternallyassessedcomponentofthecourse.StudentsofFurtherMathematicssittwoexternalpapersanddonotcompleteanyinternallyassessedwork.
ForthosewhoopttotakeaGroup6subject,thereisasignificantdisparityintheproportionofworkwhichisexam-based,asmanyoftheGroup6subjectsareassessedonthestudent’sdevelopmentovertimeandtheircreativeoutput.Thisdoesnotmeantheworkisnotexternallyassessed,butGroup6subjectswillhaveadifferenttimetableofassessmenttothemajorityofotherIBsubjects-thekeyexceptionisMusic,whichhasanexaminthesamesessionasallothersubjects.ManyGroup6studentsputasignificantamountofpersonaltimeintodevelopingtheirpractice,andsoamethodofcontinualassessmentisvaluedintheseareastoensurethestudentisreachingtheiraimsateachkeystageoftheIB.
Formostsubjects,thelargestproportionofastudent’sfinalgradewillcomefromtheirfinalexams,butinternallyassessedwork(IAs)countfor15-30%ofeachsubject’sfinalgrade,providingagreatconfidenceboostwhensittingthefinals,asstudentsknowtheyhavemadeheadwaytotheirdesiredgradebeforeevenbeginningtheirexams.
TheoryofKnowledge(TOK)
OneoftheDiplomaProgramme’sadditionalcompulsoryaspectsisTheoryofKnowledge(TOK).This,combinedwiththeExtendedEssay(EE),constitutestheadditional3bonuspointsthatstudentsmayaccrue,sostudentsmustattainatleastaDinboth.TofailbothTOKandtheEEisafailingconditionoftheDiploma,no
matterthestudent’sacademicattainment.TheoryofKnowledgeisaninterdisciplinarystudyincriticalthinkingandencouragesdiscussionoftheextent&limitsofknowledgeinanepistemologicalfashion.TOKfocusesaroundexaminingKnowledgeQuestionsthroughAreasofKnowledgeandWaysofKnowing.TOKisassessedthroughtwopiecesofworkproducedbyeachstudent:anin-classpresentation,andanessay.
Theessay-two-thirdsoftheTOKgrade-isa1200-1600wordresponsetooneofsixsetquestions,whichchangeeachyear.Studentsareassessedontheirabilitytounderstandknowledgequestions,andonthequalityoftheiranalysis,usingreal-lifeexamplestoillustratepertinentexplorationsofthequestion.
Inthepresentation,whichmakesupthelastthirdoftheTOKgrade,studentsareassessedonhowwelltheyshowthatTOKconceptshavereal-worldapplications.Here,studentspresentonatopicoftheirchoice,anddiscussaknowledgequestionwhicharisesfromthisreal-lifeevent.PerspectiveandbalancearekeytoatopTOKpresentation.
Knower(s)
AreasofKnowledgeandWaysofKnowinginTOK
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ExtendedEssay(EE)
ThesecondcompulsoryaspectoftheDiplomawhichcontributestothepotential3bonuspointsistheExtendedEssay:a4,000wordstudyinasubjectandspecificareaofthestudent’schoice.AlthoughstudentsareusuallystronglyencouragedtowritetheirEEinasubjectareathattheyalreadytake,theWorldStudiesEEoptionrepresentsaninterdisciplinaryoptionwhichisnotastand-aloneDiplomasubject.TheExtendedEssayisexternallymarked,buteachstudentiscloselysupervisedbyasubjectteacher,whoalsoconductsthevivavoce-aconcludinginterview-oncetheEEhasbeencompleted.TheExtendedEssayisasignificantundertakingandmanyIBstudentsfinditenormouslyrewarding.FormanyofthelargeproportionofIBstudentswhogoontofurtherstudy,theExtendedEssayconstitutestheirfirst‘university-level’pieceofacademicwork,andstudentsoftenreturntothemesexploredintheirEEthroughouttheirlaterstudies.
Creativity,Activity,Service(CAS)
ThefinalcompulsoryelementoftheIBDPdoesnotgivefinalIBpointstoDiplomastudents,butmustbecompletedinordertoattainthefullDiploma.Creativity,Activity,Service(CAS)requiresstudentstoundertakeprojectsdemonstratingCreativity,Activity,andServicethroughoutthetwoyearsoftheIBDP,encouragingwell-roundedandcommunity-consciousstudents.Studentsmustdemonstratetheyhavemeteachofeightlearningobjectivesthroughtheprogramme,andmanyschoolsencouragestudentstobeginanddocumentoneprojectineachareapermonththroughtheDiploma.StudentsmustalsocompleteaCASproject,whichinvolvesworkingwithotherstodemonstrateperseveranceandcommitmentaswellasplanningandgreatteam-work.
TheIBCASrequirementisauniqueopportunitytoreceivecreditforyourinterestsoutsideofschool,andthisfocusondevelopmentoutsideoftheclassroom,aswellaswithin,isyetanotherreasonthatIBgraduatesaresowellregardedbyuniversitiesandemployers.Youwillbesurprisedbyhowmuchyoucanalreadysignoff,almostanythingcan‘count’forCAS,andalthoughstudentscanfinditdifficulttoembraceatthebeginningoftheDiploma,completingCAShourswillturnouttobea
welcomeexcusetogetabreakfromstudying,andembracenewandoldhobbies!
CommonexamplesforCreativitycanincludemusicalperformance,acting,dancing,singing,andevencookingsomethingnew!Foractivity,allsports,training,andsportingeventscancount,whetherthisisasoloorgroupactivity,aslongastheypromotephysicalactivitytobenefityourhealth.Finally,service:volunteeringofallkinds,fromworkinginacharityshoptogivingyourtimetomentoryoungerstudents,isacceptedbytheIB.TheserviceaspectofCASissomethingmanyIBgraduateslookbackonwithfondness,asitencouragesstudentstothinkandactselflessly,evenforonlyanhourortwoaweek.
HowistheIBregarded?
TheIBDPisinternationallyregardedasanexcellentandhighlychallengingqualification,andisacceptedbyalltopuniversitiesinternationallyforundergraduatestudy.Assuch,itiseasyforanIBDPstudenttoapplythroughdomesticuniversitychannels,asmanyuniversitieshaveconversionsfrom,forinstance,A-LevelentryrequirementstoIBDPpoints.Pleaseseebelowforaselectionofuniversityentryrequirementsfor2018entryBScMathematicsatarangeofUKuniversitiesinIBpointsandtheirA-Levelequivalents:
Cambridge:A*A*A+STEP;40-42points(HLsof776)+STEP
Durham:A*A*A;38(HLsubjectrequirementsapply)
York:AAA;36including6inHLMathematics
King’sCollegeLondon:AAA(subjectrequirements);35including
Core(HLsof666)
Brunel:AAB(AinMathematics);34(HLsof665,including
Mathematics)
N.B.Seeucas.com/ucas/tariff-calculatoranducas.com/advisers/
guides-and-resources/ucas-tariff
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Fromthese,itiscleartoseethatuniversitiesacrosstheUKvaryintheirconversionsbetweenIBDPpointsandtheirUKequivalent,butalsothatallareopentoIBDPgraduates.
TheIBDPisalsowell-regardedintheUS,withuniversitiesbroadlyequatingittotheAPprogrammeofstudy.TheIBalsohasenormousprestigeinuniversitiesaroundtheworld,includingbutnotlimitedto,inCanada,mainlandEurope,andAustralia.Insomecases,IBstudiescanbecountedtowardstheearlystagesofauniversitydegree.
IBGraduateSkills
ManyuniversitiesandemployersvalueIBDPgraduates.Thisisforseveralreasons,butmostfrequentlywefindtherigorousacademicstandardsoftheIB,thediversityoftheIBDPeducation,andtheconsistencyofgradesawardedareextolledagainandagain.Further,theindependentstudyrequiredtoexcelintheIBDPensuresthatIBstudentsarewell-practicedattimemanagementandmotivatingthemselves.
TheIBhavea‘learnerprofile’fortheirDiplomaProgrammestudents,whichbringsintooneplaceeachofthevaluestheIBaimstodevelopintheDPstudents,undertheumbrellaof‘international-mindedness’,theIB’soverarchingvalue.
UKIBSchools
TheIBOkeeplistsofallIBWorldSchools,arrangedbycountryandwhichIBprogramme(s)theyoffer,accessibleforUKschoolshere.AtEliteIB,wetrytokeepaheadofanychangestoIBschools,andaimtohavethemostup-to-dateschoollistsonourwebsite,here.
UKIBschoolsarelocatedacrossthenation,withclustersaroundmajorcities,andallfourIBprogrammesareofferedsomewhereintheUK.WhilstA-LevelsarestilltheUK’smostcommonpre-universityqualification,UKuniversitieswidelyrecogniseandvaluetheIB,anddonothesitatetomakeofferstostudentsoftheprogramme.RecentwinnersoftheIBSchooloftheYearincludeDartfordGrammar(Dartford),King’sCollegeSchool(Wimbledon),KingEdward’sSchool(Birmingham),TonbridgeGrammar(Kent)
andtheStephenPerseFoundation(Cambridge),demonstratingthewidespreadofexcellentIBteachingacrosstheUK.Theworldaveragescorein2016(mostrecentavailableattimeofpress)forDiplomastudentswas30.07,andtheUK’saveragein2017was34.82,with60UK-basedstudentsachievingaperfectscore.ThisfurtherservestoshowtheenthusiasmwithwhichUKschools,andmostimportantly,students,havetakentotheIB.
SubjectSelection
ManystudentsfinditdifficulttodecidewhichsubjectstheyshouldoptforontheDiplomaProgramme,andwhichtotakeatHigherorStandardLevel.Intruth,therearenorightorwronganswerstothisquestion.Everystudentisdifferent-youwillhavedifferentinterests,differentaims,adifferentoutlookonlife,andyouwillmostdefinitelyhavedifferentstrengthsandweaknesses–andbalancingthesevariablesisextremelyimportant.
OneofthekeystrengthsandaimsoftheIBDPistooffereachstudentbreadthanddepth,aholisticeducationthatwillallowyoutodipyourtoesintomanydifferentfields.Thebenefitofthisto
TheInternationalBaccalaureateOrganisation’s‘LearnerProfile’
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youistoallowyoutospreadyourwings,whilespecialisinginafewkeyfields.
Wesuggestyoustartbyaboutaskingyourselfafewquestions:
Firstly,whatareyouraims?YouneedtocarefullyconsiderwhatyoumightwanttoachieveattheendofyourDiploma.Forexample,doyouwanttogotouniversity?Ifso,areyouaimingforuniversitiesofthestandardofOxfordandCambridge,orwouldyouliketoattendacollegeinLondon,orpossiblysomewhereelseinEurope?Theimportanceofsettingthesegoalsistoensureyouhavesomethingtoaimfor,andunderstandtheamountofworkyoumustputintoachievethisaim.
Secondly,whatareyourstrengthsandweaknesses?Thinkaboutyourcurrentstudies,whatsubjectsareyouexcellingin,andwhatareyoustrugglingin?Youmayexcelinthesciencesandmaths;whileyourbestfriendexcelsinthehumanitiesandthearts.Studyingwhatyouenjoyandgetasenseofaccomplishmentfromisimportant,itwillhelpyoureachevenfurtherintothosehighermarks.
Thirdly,youneedtocombinethetwoabovequestionsanddoyourresearch!Forexample,youmaywanttoattendCambridgeandyourstrengthslieinthesciences.WhatgradeswillyouneedtostudyNaturalSciencesatCambridge?Youwillneedtoscore40-41points,with776atHL.Yoursubjectchoicewillalsobeimportant.AtHLyouwillneedtostudytwoofthesciences,beingacombinationofBiology,Chemistry,MathsandPhysics.Inaddition,youwillneedtotakeanotheroftheabovealsoatSL.
However,youmaynotbeasciencelover,youlovebooks,reading,essaysandthinking.Youmay,therefore,beinterestedinPhilosophyattheUniversityofEdinburgh.Thiswillrequireyoutoachieveascoreofatleast34,with665atHL.Youwill,also,berequiredtoachieveascoreof4atSLEnglishandMathematics,oranapprovedscience.
Informationwhichmighthelpyouanswerthesequestionscanbefoundbyconductinggoodresearch.Someofthefollowingresourcesmaybeparticularlyuseful:
-EliteIB’smatrixofuniversityentryrequirements
-UniversityofOxford:Tableofentryrequirements
-InformedChoices:ARussellGroupguidetomakingdecisions
aboutpost-16education
-WellingtonCollege:SubjectChoicesBooklet
-LaChat,TheUpdate:YourcompleteguidetochoosingyourIB
options
TheMiddleYearsProgrammeandUKschools
TheMiddleYearsProgramme,orMYP,isnottaughtinalargenumberofUKschools,particularlyincomparisontotheDiplomaProgramme-currentlytheIBOlistonly14schoolsofferingtheMYP,satalongside115schoolswhosestudentscansittheDiploma.Thismaybeforanynumberofreasons,includingtheUKeducationsector’sstrongtraditionofsplittingpre-andpost-16qualificationsandofferingtheseindifferinginstitutions,ortheubiquityoftheGCSEandIGCSEcourses.However,asthefinalyearoftheMYPisnowmarkedbyexternallymoderatedexams,MYPstudentsareincreasinglyawardedcertificationinthesamesenseasGCSEstudents,andsotheremaybeanincreaseinthenumberofUKschoolsofferingtheMiddleYearsProgramme.TheMYP’sfinalexamsare‘e-assessments’,whicharecarriedoutoncomputers,andwhichaimtoteststudent’sprocessesandcourseunderstandingabovememorisationorrotelearning.Inthissense,theIBremainatthecuttingedgeofeducationalchange,andthisformatmaybecomemorewidespreadoveryearstocome.
WhytheIB-andwhynot?
TheIBDiplomaProgrammeisknownasanacademicallyrigorous,well-rounded,andinternationally-mindedprogramme,wherestudentshavetolearnquicklytoworkindependentlyandmanagetheirtimewell.Forsomestudents,theprospectofbalancingsixsubjectsthroughthetimetheywillalsobeapplyingtouniversity,andmakingmajorlifedecisionsisthrilling,andforothers,lessso.WhilemanystudentswillenjoytheIBDP,andsuccessfullynavigateitspath,therearesomekeyconsiderationstothinkofbeforemakingadecision.
Askusyourquestions!YoucangetintouchwiththeEliteIBteamatanytimeforanswerstoyourquestions.YoucanfindoutmoreabouttheIBanddownloadourIBresourcesontheEliteIBwebsite!eliteib.co.uk/[email protected]+44(0)2038026862
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OnecommondifficultyforsomeprospectivestudentsistheinabilitytotakethreeSciencesubjects-thiscanbeadecidingfactorforsomestudentsconsideringMedicine,forinstance,buteachyearmanyIBstudentssuccessfullygainplacesonsomeoftheworld’smostcompetitiveMedicineprogrammes.Further,takingsixsubjectsratherthanthetraditionalthreeofA-Levelscanleadtoalackofdepthinsomeareas,suchasinyourStandardLevelsubjects.Anystudentworriedaboutthismayconsiderreadingthroughthesyllabusorpastexampapersacrossarangeofqualifications,tomaketheirownjudgementonthebreadthanddepthofeachsubject.Finally,forsomestudentstheideaofcontinuingMathsisadifficultone.TheIBhaveacknowledgedstudentsengagewithMathsinavarietyofways,andstudentshavethegreatestchoiceinthelevelofMathstheyundertake,totrytomakeeveryIBstudentcomfortableattheleveltheyhavechosentostudy.
Keystrengthsoftheprogrammeincludethebreadthofstudyandtheinterdisciplinaryapproachtosubjects;studentsareencouragedtolearnandliveascitizensoftheworld,ratherthanapproachingtheirstudiesinavacuum,andsoeachmemberoftheIBcommunity,whilespreadglobally,carriesthesameethosandapproachtoaconnectedworld.AfocusondevelopingstudentsinallareasmeansemployersanduniversitiesareconfidentinanIBgraduate’stransferableskills,andafocusonlanguagelearningthroughanunderstandingofculturemakesconsiderate,internationalstudents.Werecommenddoingyourownresearch,however,ashereatEliteIBwelovetheIB!
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StudyTips
SuccessinyourIBcomesdowntoorganisation.Atthebeginningofeachtermcheckwhethercertainperiodswillbedeadlineheavy,sothatyoucanplantogiveyourselfenoughtimetocompletecoursework.Setyourselfpersonaldeadlinestodraftessaysaheadoftime,andalwaysallowadayortwotoreviewjustincase.Thegoodnewsis,wehavedonethemajorityforyou!KeeptrackoftheIBexternalandinternalassessmentdeadlineswithourEliteIBcalendar.TheIBexamscanbeformulaicintermsofthetypesofquestionsthatareaskedandwhatisexpectedofyou.Throughthesyllabus,markschemesandpast-papers,youcan‘crackthecode’ofhowtheexamswork.Ofcourse,eventhebestcode-crackerscan’tbeathardwork!Besuretohavealookatouradvicesectionlateroninthedocument.
InternalAssessments(IAs)
Draft,draft,anddraftagain.Donotprocrastinate.ThekeytogettingconsistentlygoodmarksinIAsacrossyoursubjectsistoputeachtaskinperspective.Whencompletinganassignment,youspendroughlyhalfofyourtimeproducing90%ofthework,andanotherhalfonthatlast10%.Donotagoniseovereverydetailorbecomeoverwhelmedbythetaskasawhole,butstartwithaplanandworkup.
Foreachpieceofwork,itisvitaltocontextualisewhatneedsdoingandbeginwithaplan.Inordertomakebestuseofyourtime,writeaplan-roughlystructuredintointroduction,body/researchandconclusion-foreachprojectasyoureceivetheassignment,inordertohaveanoverviewoftheworkrequired.
Begintofleshthisoutintofullsentencesbyjottingdownyourideasasyouresearch.Donotworryaboutwordingorproof-readingatthisstage.Youcanleavethefullwritingofyourintroductionandconclusionuntiltheend,solongasyourideasareallinoneplaceandyouhaveaclearstructureasabove.
Fromhere,youhaveyourfirstdraft.Readoveryourresearchtodecideonyourargument.Youcannowwriteoutyouressayby
turningyournotesintofullsentenceswithanalysisandanargumenttofollow.
Proof-readthefinaldraftandparedownthewordcountifnecessary.Itisalwaysbettertohavetocutwordsthantobestrugglingtohitawordcount!Remember,though,clarityiskey.Whencuttingdownyouressay,makesurethattheargumentremainsclear;youwillgetmoremarksforanessaythatanswersthequestionandiseasytofollowthanforaconvolutedargument.Ifyoustrugglewiththis,trytoreduceeachparagraphtothekeypoints,andaskyourself‘whatiseachsentenceaddingtomyanalysis?’
ExtendedEssay(EE)
ThecrucialrequirementforyourEEisthatitmustfittheguidelinesofasubjectofferedintheIBDPprogram.Asyouwillneedasupervisortoguideyou,itishighlyrecommendedthatyoufirstchooseasubjectfromthosetaughtatyourschool,orthatyouhaveaspecificsubjectareaforaWorldStudiesEEandateacherwithexpertiseinthisarea.
Asanote,theWorldStudiesEEisnotofferedbyallschools,butisgrowinginpopularityasmoreandmorestudentsembracetheinterdisciplinaryaspectofthecourse.Studentsmustfocusonaglobalissueofsignificance,andexamineitacrossmultipledisciplines,presentingtightly-focusedlocalresearchandsuggestions,andlinkingthistotheglobalimpactofthisissue.ItisadifficultsubjecttotakeyourEEin,butmanystudentswhoengagefullywithitfinditavaluableandfascinatingarea.
Afterselectingyourareaandconfirmingyoursupervisor,youcannarrowdownyourideas,followingyourintereststochooseatopic.Youwillbemostsuccessfulchoosingatopicyouareinterestedin,asafterall,youwillhavetospendlotsoftimeresearchingthisarea!However,itisessentialtoknowtheguidelinesbeforeyouembarkonresearch.Forexample,inEconomics,youmaybeinterestedinansweringatheoreticalquestionalongthelinesofassessingtheinfluenceofKeynesinmodernEconomicthought,asthiswasthemostinterestingpartofyourEconomiccoursetoyou.Atopicsuchasthis,however,isnotsuitableforanEconomicsEE,asyouarerequiredtocarryouta
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specificinvestigation,includingyourowndatacollection,andthisessaytitleistoogeneralanddifficulttoresearchinacomprehensiveandrelevantfashion.Forallsubjects,youwillbeunabletoreadallpreviousresearchandcriticismofyourpreferredwidesubjectarea,makingageneralisedor‘story-telling’questionunsuitablefortheExtendedEssay.Makesureyouunderstandtheactualrequirementsofyourpreferredsubject,andarenotjustbeingseducedbya‘bigidea’-narrowitdowntoyourpreciseareaofinterest,andnotonlywillyouproduceabetterEE,butyouwillenjoywritingitmoretoo!
Makesureyouressayflows.Thiscanbeachievedbybreakingitintosmaller‘chapters’whenyouarewriting,andfocusingonmakingeachchapterlinktooneanother.Thisensuresthatyouressayissuccessfulasawhole,anddoesnotfallintothedoldrumsinthemiddle-whichissurprisinglycommon.Tryreadingyourfirstfulldraftusingonlythefirstandlastsentencesofeachparagraph.Doyoustillhavealogicalargument?Ifnot,youressaymaynotbeflowingintuitively.
Finally,therearemanyIBstudentswhohavegreatideasandresearchfortheirExtendedEssays,butfailtoachievethetopmarksbecauseoftheirformattingorlayout.Examinerswanttogiveyouasmanymarksaspossible,soensureyounotonlywritetothesubjectrequirementsofyourEE,butalsoincludeanabstract,rationale,footnotes,andallothersmall‘non-academic’aspectsofthework.
TheoryofKnowledge(TOK)
TOKdividesIBstudents,butitisalmostuniversallylookedbackonwithimmensefondnessbyIBgraduates,asitprovidesatrulyuniqueoutlookonlearningaspartofaholisticeducationalprogramme.Westronglyrecommendstudentsthinkcarefullyabouttheirpresentationtopic,asunliketheExtendedEssay,simplybeinginterestedinanareaandwillingtoresearchitextensivelydoesnotmeanitisagoodacademicbasisforTOKexploration.However,withagoodunderstandingofthekeyrequirementsforTOK,ofthemeaningoftheAreasofKnowledgeandWaysofKnowing,andwhatconstitutesaKnowledgeQuestion,studentscanapplymanyaspectsoftheirpersonal,moral,andacademicintereststotheirTOKpresentation.
WorkingSmart,notHard
OneofthekeystosuccessfullyenjoyingtheIBandtranslatingthisenjoymentintoexamsuccessistounderstandhowwhatyoulearnintheclassroomwillbeassessed,andhowtoshowyounotonlyunderstandthebasics,butarecomfortablewiththemoreadvancedaspectsofeachsubject.Exampapersprovidetheopportunitytodothis,asdoeseachpieceofinternallyassessedwork,butstudentsneedtoknowhowtoshowtheirknowledge,andnotrelyonsimplyhavinglearntit.Werecommendfamiliarisingyourselfwiththesyllabusandpreviousexampapersofeachsubjectyoutake,aswellasreadingthroughtheexemplarpiecesofcourseworkontheIBOsitebeforehandinginanyIAorotherinternallyassessedwork.Eachpieceofworkshouldcarryapieceofyouthroughit,intermsofyourlexis,methodsofexpression,andmostofall,interestinandindividualperspectiveonthesubjectarea,butyoucanlearnhowtoshouttoyourExaminerthatyouaredemonstratingeachkeyattributeinyoursubjects.TheIBishardwork,butthosewhoachievethetopgradesoftenfindthatunderstandingwhatisrequiredreduceswastedtime,andallowedthemtofocusthroughouttheirstudies,andreviseefficientlywhenthetimecame.Finally,ensureyoumakegreatnotesfromtheverybeginning-thereisnothingmorefrustratingthantryingtorevisefromhalfacrumpledsideofA4coveredinindecipherablescrawls!
Passing/Failing
TheIBDiplomaProgrammehasanumberoffailingconditionswhichcatchsomestudentsunawareseachyear,andwhichitisimportanttobearinmindthroughoutyourIBstudies.ThebaselineconditiontobeawardedtheDiplomaistoattain24pointsacrossthesixacademicsubjectsandthetwocorecomponentswhichcontributetopoints-TheoryofKnowledgeandtheExtendedEssay,andnottobefoundguiltyofacademicmisconduct(includingplagiarism).
Anystudentswhoattainfewerthan24pointswillnotbeawardedthefullDiploma.Inaddition,anystudentwhoisawardedan‘N’(notgraded/submitted)foranysubjectorcorecomponent,orwhoisawardedan‘E’ineithertheirExtendedEssayorinTheoryofKnowledge,willfailtheDiploma-regardlessofotherscores
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achieved.Thisisalsothecaseforanystudentwhoisgivena1inanysubject,morethantwograde2s,orwhoattainsa3orbelowfourormoretimes.
Ifastudent’sHigherLevelsubjectpointstotalfewerthan12,ortheirStandardLevelpointsare8orbelow,theyarenoteligibleforthefullDiploma,unlesstheyhavetakenonlytwoSLs,inwhichcasetheirSLtotalmustbe5orhigher.Finally,anystudent,eveniftheyachievethefull45academicpoints,willnotbeawardedtheDiplomaiftheirCASrequirementsarenotcompleted.Everyyear,intheIBO’sstatisticalbulletin,thereareoneortwoveryhighlyachievingcandidateswhoarenotawardedtheDiploma,andtheywillhavefallenfoulofoneormoreofthesefailingconditions.AnIBDiplomastudenthasamaximumofthreeexamsessionstosatisfyalltherequirementsfortheDiploma,butthesecanbesplitoveranumberofavailablesessionsanddonothavetobeconsecutive.
TimeManagement
Wehavenowinterviewedover1,000IBgraduateswhenrecruitingtutorsintheUK,Switzerland,andSingapore,andthepieceofadvicewehearoverandoveristomanageyourtimesmartly.Thismeansstartingyourrevisionearly,keepingupwithallinternalandIBdeadlines,andlookingoveryournotesattheendofeverytopicormoduletominimisethetimeyouspendre-teachingyourselfwhenitcomestofinalexams-allothergreatpiecesofadvicefromourtutorswhichwehearfrequently.Themostimportant,wefeel,however,istorememberwhennottospendtimeonthings.
TheIBOsuggestcandidatesreceive240hoursoftaughtlessontimeperHLsubjecttheyundertake,and150hoursperStandardLevelsubject.ThisshouldserveasaroughindicationofthedifferencesinworkloadacrossanaverageSLandHL,althoughofcoursethisvariesbroadlyacrosssubjectgroups.Studentswillknowwheretheirinterestsandacademicstrengthslie,andsowhilstitcanbetemptingtospendlargeperiodsoftimetryingtosecurethathigh7intheirfavouriteHLsubject,anSLlanguishingona2mayrequiremoreshort-termattention,particularlywherethisisinasubjectwherethestudenthasnothistoricallybeeninterested.Wesuggest,however,rememberingthatmanyUKuniversitieswillstipulateHLgradesandanoveralltotal,soitis
besttoalignmorestudyingtimeandenergytoyourHLsubjectsoverthecourseoftheDiploma,aslongasyourStandardsdonotslip!
KeyDates2017-18
Oneofthefirstquestionsweaskprospectivetutorsis:“WhatarethedefiningattributesofasuccessfulIBstudent?”Withoutfail,thefirstthingtheymentionistimemanagement.Withsuchaheavyworkloadspreadacrosssixsubjectsandthreecoreaspectswhichdemandongoingconsideration,itisimperativethatstudentsarepreparedforallassignmentsanddeadlines.WehavecompiledanIB-widecalendar,here,whichincludessuggestedIAdraftdeadlines,IBsubmissiondeadlinesandIBexamdates,tonameafew.
Resources
TextbooksIt’snotidealtorelyononetextbook,ormorespecifically,oneresource.DifferentIBtextbookswillvaryslightlywithregardtoexamplesandhowtheyoutlineeachtopic.Ifyouareconcernedaboutcosts,youmaywanttoconsiderpurchasingIBbookswithagroupoffriendsandsharingthembetweenyou.WorkedexamplebooksarealsoincrediblyhelpfulforMaths&Sciencesubjects.
ToooftenstudentsattainconsistentlyhighmarksintheclassroombutaredisappointedbyresultsintheirmocksandfinalIBexams.Usingavarietyofresourcesisyourbestbet–thiswillkeepyourbrainstimulatedandthroughdoingthis,allthe‘gaps’shouldbefilled.However,itcannotbestressedenoughhowcriticalitistolookatpastpapers-sowe’resayingitagain!Trytoreplicateexamconditions–printoffpastpapers,timeyourself,anddon’tlookatyournotes.Howyouperformonthesepapersisbyfarthemostaccuratewayoftrackingyourprogressandpredictingwhatyourfinalmarkwillbe.Oncecomplete,learninghowmarksaregivenonIBexamsisalsoparamount.GetaccesstoMarkSchemesandlearnthedifferencebetweenan‘A’markandan‘M’mark.ItisamazinghowdifferentthemarkingschemecanvarybetweenPaper1andPaper2!
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RevisioncoursesPerhapsthemostobviousreasonforsuggestingrevisioncoursesisbecauseitisincrediblyusefultospendaconcentratedperiodoftimedrillingthekeyfacts,themes,formulas,studiesetc.intoyourbraintoensurethatyouconsolidatetheknowledgeyou’vebeenacquiringthroughoutmonthsoflearning.However,perhapsmostimportantly,throughtakingrevisioncoursesyouareexposedtoacompletelydifferentstyleofteaching.Notwoteachershavethesameteachingapproach!The‘epiphanymoments’experiencedbystudentstypicallyoccurwhentheydonotknowthattheyhavenotactuallyfullyunderstoodatopic–orworse,havemisinterpretedit.Thisisbecausetheobviousproblemareasarecommonlyrecognisedanddealtwith,eitherthroughtuitionorindependentresearchandpractice.Insummary:youmaydiscovernewproblemareasyoudidnotknowyouhad,plusyou’llhavethetimeandguidancetomaketheseyourstrongpoints!
AskanEliteIBRevisionCourseYoucanfindoutabouttheprogrammeofrevisioncoursewecoordinatethroughouttheacademicyear,atkeymilestonesoftheIB,ontheEliteIBwebsite,orbygettingintouch:eliteib.co.uk/[email protected]+44(0)2033023868
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Remainfocussedontheultimategoal
“Wheredoyouwanttoapplyforuniversity?Whatmarkswillyouneedtosecureaplace?Whattypeofcareerdoyouwishtohaveoneday?Writedownallofyourgoalsonapieceofpaperandhangitaboveyourdesk.Wheneveryou’refeelingdiscouragedoroverwhelmed,lookatitandremindyourselfofwhereyouwanttobe.Sometimesit’snecessarytolookatthebiggerpictureandputthingsinperspective,buttherearetimeswhenyoumayhavetofocusonthesmallertargetsthatwillgetyouthere.Whateverthecircumstance,havingthesegoalswrittendownwillhelpyouremainfocussedandontrack.”
Donotonlyrelyonyourteachers
“ThisispossiblyoneofthegreatestpiecesofadviceIhaveeverreceived.Wemustrememberthatourteachersaretheretoteach,mentorandguide,buttheyarenottheretowritetheexamforyou.Teachersareonlyhuman,andsomemayteachinawaywhichdoesn’tquiteworkforyou-imaginethedifficultyoftailoringyoursubjecttotwentydifferentstudents-andsoitisimportanttobeabletoteachyourselftopasstheexams,andtogaindifferentperspectivesonwhatyouarelearninginclass.Afterall,yourIBresultsareyourown,andsoyou’llwanttofeellikeyoutookownershipofyoursubjectsandcarriedonlearningoutsideoftheclassroom.Yourteacherswillofcoursehelpasmuchastheycan,butourtakeawaymessageisnottorelyonyourteachersforeverything,don’ttakeeverythingtheysayas‘gospel’,anddooutsidereadingonyourown.You’llbethankfulthatyoudid.”
Bepreparedtomakealotofsacrifices!
“Presumablyyouandyourfriendswillbeapplyingtoawiderangeofuniversities,eitherwithintheUKoraroundtheglobe,forawiderangeofcourses.Naturally,youwillallhavedifferentaspirations.Thepersonalgoalsthatyouhavetoreachinordertobuilduptoyouraspiration–smallorlarge–willthereforenotbethesameasyourclassmates’.Itisimportantthatyouremainfocussedonyourowngoalanddon’tletanyoneside-trackyou.Asscaryasitis(weknow–we’vebeenthere),inthenextyearortwo
you’llmakedecisionwhichwillhaveahugeimpactontherestofyourlife.”
Peer-checks
“Don’tbeafraidtodiscussworkwithyourpeers.Thisisoftenmosthelpfulwhenyoutakedifferentsubjectsorarelearningdifferenttopics.Haveafriendwhodoesnottakeyoursubjectreadyouressay–doesitmakesense?Aretheretypos?Cantheysuggestimprovementsthatcanbemade?Equally,ifyouandyourfriend(s)dotakethesamesubject,eachchooseatopicyoufeelmostorleastconfidentinconfidentinandtakeitinturnstoexplainittotherest.Formulatingpotentialexamquestionsforyourfriendstoansweralsoprovestobeausefulwayofbothbroadeningandconsolidatingyourknowledge.”
Don’tpanic
“Everyonegetssomethingwrongatsomepoint-don’tpanic!Withthemanysubjects,eachwiththeirowndeadlinestomeet,allIBstudentswillmissadeadlineorforgetapieceofhomeworkatsomestage.Thekeythingistotakechargeofyourmistake,prioritisefixingit,andtakestockofallupcomingdeadlinetoensureno‘knock-on’damage.SpeakwithyourteacherorIBCoordinatorifitisasignificantdeadline,andcompletetheworkattheearliestopportunity.”
Enjoyit!
AsateamweallthoroughlyenjoyedourIBstudies,andhaveusedtheskillsfosteredbytheIBtofollowarangeofacademicandnon-academicinterestsandprojects.WebelievetheDiplomaProgrammeisthebestpost-secondaryeducationalprogrammeavailabletoday,andencourageallthosewhofeeltheymightbeinterestedinittoresearchitand,ifyoudecideit’sforyou,toenjoyeverymoment!WehereatEliteIBremainonhandtoanswerallandanyqueriesyoumayhave,sodon’thesitatetocontactuswithanyquestionsyouhave.
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IBExamAdvice-LastChecks!
Here’sourchecklistofthesmallstuff,thatoftengetforgotten,torememberbeforeyoubegin:
• Asparecalculator,orattheveryleast,sparebatteries,• Abottleofwater,labelremoved,• Awatch-ifyou'refarawayfromtheexamhallclock,
youmightbegratefulyoubroughtyourowntime-keepingmeans-butremembernosmartwatchesareallowedduringtheexam,
• YourstudentID–it’snogoodturningupifnoonebelievesyou’reyou,
• Stationery–alwaystakeenoughpensandpencilswithyou,rememberyoucanaskforscrappaperduringtheexam,butdon’tforgettocrossoutyourworkingsout,otherwisetheycouldcounttowardsyourfinalmark!
• Yoursyllabushasasetof‘keywords’whichexplainwhatthequestionisaskingyou.Readandre-readthese.Forexample“writedown”meanstherearenomarksgivenforworking-youeitherknowtheansweroryoudon’t,soitwillmostlikelynotimpactonthenextpartofthequestion.
• Checktheexaminationvenueandtime-incasetheworsthappensandGoogleMapsfails,andsoyouwon'tbelate
Andonceyou’reinyourexam,breathedeeply,and:
• Writeclearly,andrememberthatexaminersneedtoreadmanyscripts,sotheyarealwaysthankfulforgoodhandwriting!
• Readandre-readthequestion;don’tpanic,makesureyoutakethetimetoreadthequestionslowly,underliningkeywordsandmakingsureyoudon’tmisinterpretwhattheexaminer’saskingofyou.
• Makearoughtimemanagementplanbycalculatinghowmanyminutesareallocatedtoeachmark.Atwo-hourexam,forinstance,worth60marksallows2minutesper
mark,andsousethisestimatetopreventyouspendingtoomuchtimestuckonalow-markquestion.
• Usewhatyou’regiven-aformulaebookletisagift!Learnwhateachvariablestandsforforeachandeveryformulaebeforesteppingintoyourexam.Itisamazinghowmanymarkscanbeawardedforsimplyknowingwhateachvariablemeans!
• Takeadvantage:Knowingdefinitions,keyterms,orkeydatesorfactscanprovide‘free’marksbeforeyouhavetostartcreatinglonger-fromanswers.Don’tover-complicatetherequirementshere,andmakesureyouutiliseeachopportunitytoscorethesemarks.
• Staycalm:TherewillbeamomentatsomepointinyourIBexamswhereyoufeeloverwhelmed,oryouarefacedwiththequestionyoureallydidn’twanttocomeup.Don’tworry,everyoneelseisfeelingthesameaboutsomething-justtakeamomenttogroundyourselfanddon’tletthisaffectyourrhythm.It’salwaysbettertoskipaquestionandcomebackthantospendhalftheexamstaringattheexampaper!
FrequentlyAskedQuestions
Wetrytoputtogetherhandyguidestodifficultsubjectswherewecan,andsopleaseseehereourIBResitsmostfrequentlyaskedquestions(FAQs).Tokeepuptodateonourlatesttipsandadvice,aswellasaccessEliteIBFAQsinotherareas,pleaseseeourblog,whereyoucanfind,amongstothers,thefollowingarticles:
“BeinganIBgraduatehimself,TimextolsthebenefitsoftheCoreElementsoftheIBDP,whichencouragestudentsto‘learnhowtosolveproblems,writeessaysandapproachresearchacrosssixdifferentsubjectsmeansstudentsaregenerallywellpreparedtoapproachboththeirExtendedEssayandTOKwhenthetimecomes.’”-PrepareforEE&TOK
"IthinkattendingandfundraisingforthetripwithOperationWallaceatoSulawesi,Indonesia…allowedmetoexperiencethingsthatIhadneverdonebefore,whichhelpedmegrowasapersonandgavemealotofselfconfidence,whichsupportedmethroughoutmylastyearofIB."
Askusyourquestions!YoucangetintouchwiththeEliteIBteamatanytimeforanswerstoyourquestions.YoucanfindoutmoreabouttheIBanddownloadourIBresourcesontheEliteIBwebsite!
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"WhenIwasapplyingforEconomics,IspokeofhowIhadbeenabletoapplymytheoreticalunderstandingofEconomicstothethereal-lifesituationofmanagingabudgetandsettingsuitablepriceswhilstbeingapartofmyschool’sDanceCommittee.EventhoughmostofmyCASactivitieswereirrelevanttomyapplication,Istronglybelievethattheyarestillveryusefulforuniversity,eitherformyfitness,socialawarenessortime-management."-SummerCASActivities
"Aswithanyacademicstudying,theIBcanbeaseasyorashardasyouwishtomakeit.Thereisnodoubtthatthecontentiscertainlydifficult,butthebestwaytomitigatethisandstayontopofyourworkistoorganise,organise,organise!OneofTim’stoptipsistoworktothesyllabus,settingoutallthetopicsthatyouneedtoknowforyourchosensubjects.Gothrougheachone,bebrutallyhonestandgradeyourselfonyourknowledge.Areyouveryconfident,confident,notsoconfident,orcompletelybaffledbythetopic?Thiswillallowyoutoplanyourrevision,focusonareasofweakness,andensureyoudedicatethenecessarytimetoeachtopic.Itis,also,nevertooearlytobeginthisexercise!"-SchoolTalks
"Startrevisionearlyandbreakuptheworkloadgradually.Ibenefitedfromthisasitallowedmetocontinueplayingsportsandsleepingcorrectly,whichIbelieveiskeytoworkingefficientlyandmanagingstress.Themorepreparedyouare,thecalmeryouwillbeintheactualexamandthebetteryouwillperform!"-AdvicefromCourseAttendee
“Lowconfidencecanmakehomeworkorcourseworkunnecessarilydaunting,andaskingforhelpisalwaysmoreproductivethanworryingaboutnotachievingyourgrades."TopTipsfromTutorTom
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Appendix1:FullSubjectLists,2017-18
Group1LanguageA:Literature.Availablecurrentlyin57languages,althoughnotallareofferedinboththeMayandNovembersessions:
Albanian,Afrikaans,Amharic,Arabic,Belarusian,Bengali,Bosnian,Bulgarian,Catalan,Chinese,Croatian,Czech,Danish,Dutch,English,Estonian,Estonian,Filipino,Finnish,French,German,Hebrew,Hindi,Hungarian,Icelandic,Indonesian,Italian,Japanese,Korean,Latvian,Lithuanian,Macedonian,Malay,ModernGreek,Nepali,Norwegian,Persian,Polish,Portuguese,Romanian,Russian,Serbian,Sesotho,Sinhalese,SiSwati,Slovak,Slovene,Spanish,Swahili,Swati,Swedish,Thai,Turkish,Ukrainian,Urdu,Vietnamese,Welsh.Othersavailableonspecialrequest.
LanguageA:Language&Literature.Currentlyavailablein17languages,againnotallavailableinbothsessions:
Arabic,Chinese,Dutch,English,French,German,Indonesian,Italian,Japanese,Korean,ModernGreek,Norwegian,Portuguese,Russian,Spanish,Swedish,Thai.
LanguageA:Literature&Performance.AvailableinEnglish,Spanish,andFrench,althoughFrenchandSpanisharebyspecialrequestonly.
Group2LanguageB:23languagesofferedLanguageabinitio:12languagesofferedClassicallanguages:2languagesofferedLanguageBlanguages:Arabic,Chinese-Cantonese,Chinese-Mandarin,Danish,Dutch,English,Finnish,French,German,Hebrew,Hindi,Indonesian,Italian,Japanese,Korean,Malay,Norwegian,Portuguese,Russian,Spanish,Swahili,Swedish,Tamil.
Languageabinitio:Arabic,English,French,German,Indonesian,Italian,Japanese,Malay,Russian,Spanish,SwahiliClassicalLanguages:ClassicalGreek,Latin
Group3Individuals&Societies:Business&Management,Economics,EnvironmentalSystems&Societies(ESS),Geography,GlobalPolitics,History,InformationTechnologyinaGlobalSociety(ITGS),Philosophy,Psychology,Social&CulturalAnthropology,WorldReligions.
Group4Sciences:Biology;ComputerScience;Chemistry;DesignTechnology;EnvironmentalSystems&Societies;Physics;Sports,ExerciseandHealthScience.
Group5Mathematics:MathematicsHigherLevel,MathematicsStandardLevel,MathematicsStudies,FurtherMathematics
Group6Arts:Dance,Film,Literature&Performance,Music,Theatre,VisualArts
Askusyourquestions!YoucangetintouchwiththeEliteIBteamatanytimeforanswerstoyourquestions.YoucanfindoutmoreabouttheIBanddownloadourIBresourcesontheEliteIBwebsite!eliteib.co.uk/[email protected]+44(0)2038026862