IB Curriculum

Embracing the last two years of secondary education, the curriculum of the IB Diploma program incorporates standards that assume a high level of achievement during previous years.   The subjects that comprise the main part of the curriculum are typical of those studied in the 11th and 12th grades—or 12th and 13th grades in the 13 grade systems.   The subjects are arranged according to six areas and the IB Diploma candidate is required to choose one subject from each area.   The student may, however, choose as the sixth subject a second one from one of the four other areas.   This aspect of the curriculum scheme is typical of the distribution requirements to be found in liberal arts or general education programs.

Almost all the subjects offered in the program have syllabi for two levels of achievement.   The higher level syllabus encompasses material that typically requires two years of preparation for the examination, assuming five class hours or the equivalent per week.   The standard level syllabus requires about half as much preparation time, which may either be extended over two years (two or three class hours per week) or covered in one year (five class hours per week) in accordance with the school’s decision.

In selecting the six subjects, the candidate must decide on three to be studied on the higher level and three on the standard level.   Examination in the higher level subjects will thus take place at the end of the final year.   Examination at the standard level will depend on whether it is offered as a one or two year course.   If a one-year course, the candidate decides whether to enroll for it in the penultimate or final year.

The diploma candidate must also take a unique course created by IB known as Theory of Knowledge.   This course is designed to require at least 100 hours, spread over two years in such proportions as the school chooses.   The student is asked to reflect on his or her secondary school experience in a comparative and critical way by investigating the knowledge, claims and judgments made in logic, mathematics, natural and social sciences, history, ethics and aesthetics.  The course concludes with an examination of opinion, faith, belief, and truth.

In the third, fourth, and sixth areas described above, the school meeting certain requirements may design its own syllabus and course outline for a subject not listed and, if approved by IBO, a student may take this as an IB course, but at the standard level only.   Student performance in such a course is assessed entirely by the school, and no student may take more than one such internally assessed subject.

In addition to these courses of study, the school must have the diploma candidate undertake independent work in one of the subjects studied and prepare an extended essay or research paper to be assessed by an IBO examiner.

The final requirement for the diploma candidate is that the student spends the equivalent of at least 3—4 hours per week in some creative or aesthetic experience, or social service activity (CAS).   This requirement is easily met by the extra-curricular activities common in North American schools.   The school must specify how this requirement was satisfied.

IB Extended Essay Guide