IB Exam — The International Baccalaureate is a meticulous academic program that nurtures and stimulates young minds fostering their intellectual, personal, emotional and social growth. The mission of IB is to offer holistic development to children based on inquiry-based learning and critical thinking along with cultivating good communication skills through high academic standards to create global citizens capable of making a difference to the world.
International Baccalaureate – Let’s Peel Back The Layers
IB is a globally recognised educational programme offered by the International Baccalaureate Organisation. It offers a continuum of education through four levels of high quality programmes for students starting from the age of 3 to 19, each suited for specific age groups:
- Primary Years Programme (PYP) – Age 3 to 12
- Middle Years Programme (MYP) – Age 11-16
- Diploma Programme (DP) – Age 16-19
- Career-Related Programme (CP) – Age 16-19
Let’s learn about the International Baccalaureate curriculum and how to ace these exams.
The International Baccalaureate Diploma Program Curriculum
The International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme (IB DP) is designed for students in the age group of 16 to 19. It pushes a student’s limits and challenges them to become critically and creatively thinking independent personalities. The curriculum comprises the DP core and six subject groups. The DP core is compulsory for all students and its components are:
- Theory of Knowledge (TOK)
- Extended Essay (EE)
- Creativity, Activity, Service (CAS)
Students can choose a variety of subjects from the other subject groups depending on their interests and aptitudes.
| Subject Group | List of Subjects |
| Studies in Language and Literature | Language A : LiteratureLanguage A : Language and LiteratureLiterature and Performance |
| Language Acquisition | Classical languagesLanguage Ab initioLanguage B |
| Individuals and Societies | Business ManagementDigital SocietyEconomicsGeographyGlobal PoliticsHistoryLanguage and CulturePhilosophyPsychologySocial and Cultural AnthropologyWorld Religions |
| Sciences | BiologyChemistryComputer ScienceDesign TechnologyEnvironmental Systems and SocietiesPhysicsSports, Exercise and Health Science |
| Mathematics | Analysis and ApproachesApplications and Interpretations |
| Arts | DanceFilmMusicTheatreVisual Arts |
The subjects can be opted at higher level (HL) or at standard level (SL). Each student takes a minimum of three or maximum of four subjects at HL, and the rest of them at SL. Click here to have a look at some of the popular combinations of subjects.
The IB Exam Structure – A Breakdown
Each IB course has a specific exam blueprint comprising different sections and question types. The questions are a mix of essays, short answer type questions and case studies. The IB exam structure is a mix of internal assessment (IA) and external assessment (EA) and their exam techniques vary.
Internal Assessment (IA)
IA gives students the opportunity to showcase their research work, analytical skills and communication skills. IA in IB exam accounts for 20-25% of the total weightage of the final grades. Students have to complete a set of evaluations during the course that are –
- Subject Specific
- Teacher-Assessed
- Moderated by the IB
The assessments are designed to enable students to apply their theoretical knowledge to practical and real world situations. IAs in an IB exam are subject specific and are moderated by IB to ensure consistency and fairness. Let’s get a sneak peek at some of them.
Science subjects
Science subjects in an IB exam are assessed based on the student’s skills in data collection, their analytical capabilities and scientific writing. The students are expected to carry out experiments safely, record their observations carefully and repeat the tests in order to verify the results to come up with a conclusion.
English Language
The IA for English language A course is an individual oral (IO) assessment that’s compulsory for both standard level (SL) and higher level (HL) students and are worth 30% and 20% of the total grades respectively. It is a recorded oral commentary where students respond to a prompt using extracts from a literary text and a non-literary text and analyse how perspectives on a global issue are presented. It is a 15 min assessment, a part of the IB exam, wherein the student speaks for 10 min followed by a 5 min discussion with the teacher. The global issue could be based on –
- Culture, Identity and Community
- Beliefs, Values and Education
- Politics, Power and Justice
- Art, Creativity and the Imagination
- Science, Technology and the Environment
Mathematics
The IA for Mathematics is a paper, ideally 12-20 pages long, written by the student based on the application of a mathematical concept in a real world scenario. The Mathematics IA forms 20% of the overall grade. Students collect data through observation, research or surveys and demonstrate how Mathematics can solve problems. It is an individual assessment to test students’ understanding and use of the subject, mathematical presentation, problem-solving skills, communication, personal engagement and reflection.
Individuals and Societies or Humanities
The IA for humanities is a project and a part of the IB exam that assesses students’ understanding and application of knowledge. It makes up 20-30% of the final grade. Students generally start by coming up with research questions to investigate. They do the research, find sources and refine their understanding of the topic. The first drafts are discussed with their teachers and based on their feedback, they come up with their final drafts. If planned well, a student would take 10-20 hours to complete this IA.
Creativity, Activity and Service (CAS)
CAS is a part of the DP core and helps a student grow personally by interacting with peers through activities outside of the classroom – be it in the field of creativity, physical activities, general lifestyle, community service and so on. It is assessed internally through a span of two years, wherein they must complete 150 hours of CAS. The student is expected to gain the eight learning outcomes of CAS by becoming –
- Reflective thinkers
- Willing to accept new challenges
- Aware of community responsibilities
- Active participants
- Balanced
- Show commitment and perseverance
- Demonstrate collaborative skills
- Demonstrate global engagement
- Recognise ethics
External Assessment (EA)
External assessments are conducted to test a student’s knowledge and understanding of the curriculum and are generally taken at the end of the two-year course. They are a paper based or digital IB exam and are assessed by external examiners and carry a weightage of 75-80% of the final grade of the IB exam. They comprise –
- Written Examinations – These include written exams on course material that include MCQs, short-response questions, structured problems, data response questions, text-response questions, case-study questions and essays.
- Theory of Knowledge (TOK) – TOK is a part of the IB Diploma Programme, which is mandatory for all students in the IB exam. They present a 1600 word essay on a topic chosen from a list provided by the IB. Students have to reflect on the nature of knowledge, and on how you know that you claim to know. It encourages critical thinking, understanding core concepts, writing persuasive and comprehensive essays and sharing and exchange of ideas and perspectives through discussions.
- HL English Essay (HLE) – This is a formal essay and is an important component of the IB English course. It makes up 25% of the IB English HL grade. It is generally a 1200 to 1500 word essay on a literary or non-literary work studied during the course. This can include a collection of short stories or poems, or based on a collection of non-literary text. The student is expected to develop his/her own line of inquiry based on IB’s six central concepts –
- Identity
- Culture
- Creativity
- Communication
- Transformation
- Representation
- Extended Essay – Extended Essay or EE is a part of the IB Diploma Programme and is compulsory for all students. It is an independent effort and a piece of research work by each student that has to be submitted as a research paper in 4000 words. It is assessed by IB examiners and contributes to your overall IB score. Some of the key points to be considered here are:
- The essay topic should align with the student’s interests.
- The research work should be original.
- It should be well-researched from various sources.
- It should reflect your critical thinking and individuality.
- Time management is key as it goes on alongside other academic commitments.
Get extra points with TOK and EE over your diploma score!
| Grade in TOK | Grade in EE | Total Points Earned |
| A | A | 3 |
| A | B | 3 |
| A | C | 2 |
IB Exam Practice – Mastering The Core Subjects
Every subject demands a unique learning approach and a distinct practice regimen. Some of the examples of techniques and methods used as per the concerned subjects are –
| Subject | Learning Technique/Practice Regimen |
| English Language | Extensive reading, analysing texts critically, developing strong writing and essay writing practices, working on vocabulary and grammar |
| Sciences | Conducting experiments, analysing data, understanding scientific concepts, practising lab techniques, learning to interpret data effectively |
| Mathematics | Practising regularly, focussing on problem-solving skills, understanding concepts, time-management |
| History | Working on critical thinking skills, analysing historical sources, practising well-structured essay writing, learning key historical figures and events |
| Economics | Understanding economic theories, analysing economic data, practising graphs and charts, well-structured essay writing, learning to employ precise economic language |
As a student, we recommend that during your IB exam practice, you practise previous years’ IB exam papers to understand the format, marking scheme and how to manage your time effectively.
Conquering The IB Exam – Tips and Tricks
Practise Active Learning
Using learning techniques during IB exam practice like think-pair-share, simulations, role-plays, peer teaching, making notes, summarising, interactive whiteboards, online forums, journaling, mind mapping and concept mapping help to learn and retain content effectively as they engage the students more actively.
Health Comes First – Your Well-Being Is Your Greatest Asset
Make sure to eat well, sleep enough, exercise regularly and restrict the social media/gaming screen either zero or with clocked tracking.
Solicit Support and Assistance
Soliciting academic or any kind of support from peers, teachers and tutors only broadens your perspective. Being a part of study groups can help you get fresh problem-solving ideas and understand concepts better.
Be A Part Of The Prestigious IB Community
The IB community comprises a network of schools, educators and students passionate about the IB mission. Gain valuable insights, study-tips, motivation, support and resources from students and educators of the global IB community to enhance your chances of acing your IB exam.
Work Hard & Work Smart
Blend Hard work with smart work, optimise your learning by adopting these mantras –
- Create a well balanced study schedule
- Prioritise tasks
- Review your learnings
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