It’s class registration day! As students sign up for next year’s courses, sophomores have a particular program plaguing their thoughts: the International Baccalaureate Program and all its complexities. As a Diploma Program candidate, allow me to guide you through what IB is actually about.
The IB Program is an educational program that offers rigorous learning within a global framework. Watkins Mill offers two distinct programs for upperclassmen, the Diploma Programme (DP) and the Career-related Programme (CP). All IB classes except DP and CP-specific classes are required to test towards the end of the year, where the score and class level can determine whether you’re eligible for college credit.
IB Testing
Testing season usually starts around late April and extends to late May, with results coming out around early July. Scores are on a scale of 1 to 7, with a score of 4 being considered passing, and only a small percentage of students globally receive a 7 on a subject (varies by subject).
If you are interested in taking IB classes for potential college credit, it is important to look into the institutions you plan on applying to and whether they accept IB scores for credit. Some institutions only take Higher Level (HL) scores above a 5 as opposed to Standard Level (SL) scores.
IB Individual Oral
The Individual Oral (IO) is a speaking assessment scheduled early in December, where students have 10 minutes to discuss a global issue surrounding two text types and analyze authorial intent, following a 5-minute question and answer section. This is conducted in IB English classes for both SL and HL testers.
A similar IO is conducted for IB Spanish and French testers. Students testing SL are given 15 minutes to prepare to analyze and describe an image for three to four minutes, connecting it to one of the five IB themes learned throughout the course. Students testing HL are given 20 minutes to prepare a four to five-minute presentation regarding a text excerpt and make cultural connections. Both include a question and answer section after the student analysis.
Teachers will cover in class how to ace the IO, but if you need additional support, YouTube will be your best friend.
Internal Assessment
The IB Internal Assessment (IA) is a subject-specific research project that counts towards your final IB course score. IAs are lengthy and require individual research outside of class. If you do not submit an IA, you will not be allowed to test for that specific IB class and will incur a $124 IB testing fee obligation.
Teachers typically designate specific days to work on the IA, but students should definitely prepare to carve out time throughout their non-IA days to ensure quality and completion.
Final IB Overview
IB can be tedious and is very time consuming. Transitioning into DP or CP isn’t easy; there will be days you cry, sleepless nights, and days you feel like giving up. The decision to enroll in the program isn’t one that should be taken lightly, but success inside and outside the program is possible. IB has helped me write 5-page essays in lightning speed and has improved my confidence in being college-ready, a skill and experience that you can gain throughout your DP or CP career.
Now, the choice is yours. Will you be enrolling in the IB program?
