IB course introduction: IB is called the International Bachelor's Degree Diploma Program, which is a two-year course designed by the International Diploma Organization for senior high school students. IB courses are distributed in six basic disciplines, and students should study both science and humanities. All students participating in the diploma program must choose one course in these six subject groups to study. Each course is divided into advanced courses and general courses.
What's the difference between A-Level and IB courses?
1, the admission requirements are different.
IB values not only grades, but also students' comprehensive quality. IB has to enter the school and pass the exam, and then students have to provide their own experiences and activities in all aspects.
2. Age limit
There is an age limit for A-Level courses, that is, people over the age of 18 cannot enroll in A-Level courses, while IB courses have no such restrictions.
3. The difficulty of course selection varies with the scope of the course.
IB courses are divided into standard difficulty courses (SL/ standard level) and more challenging and difficult courses (HL/ higher level). IB requires students to take at least six courses plus theoretical knowledge, and at least three of these six courses are HL. In addition to the academic requirements for students, students who choose IB diploma should complete 150 hours of social practice (CAS hours) within two years.
A-Level courses include more than 70 courses for students to choose from, involving arts, science, engineering, business and other disciplines. The average student chooses 3 or 4 courses to study. A-Level scores are divided into six grades: A, B, C, D, E and U, in which A is the best, E is the pass, and U is the fail. If students are not satisfied with the results of a course, they can choose to retake the exam, and the final result will be the best. For China students, because A-level courses emphasize the study of courses, they only need to study three or four courses in two years. Similar to China's educational philosophy, China students can adapt more easily and quickly. In addition, because some A-level subjects are the same or similar to those in the SAT II exam, it is very helpful for students to successfully pass the SAT II exam.
Because IB course is designed for excellent middle school students all over the world, it has a unified syllabus and teaching materials, a unified topic, and a unified marking and grading standard, which treats students all over the world equally. It is called the unified measure of international education, and A-Level course is designed for British students, with British culture as the core.
4. Different scoring standards
IB has its own scoring system, and 45 points is the highest score. If you get around 36 to 38, you are eligible to apply for Cambridge. Students applying for Ivy League schools generally score above 40, while Oxford requires 42+. However, the A-Level course is graded at two levels, A and B, and the grading standard is not rigorous enough. Under the pressure of calling for the reform of the current A-LEVEL system for many years, the British government is starting to reform the A-LEVEL clause, and the reference system for its reform is IB.
5. The scope of applying for universities is different.
Having A-Level courses can be recognized by local universities in the UK, and it is also regarded as an admission standard for English-taught universities to recruit new students.
IB is an International Bachelor's Degree Organization (IBO), which offers courses from kindergarten to pre-university for students all over the world, and provides intellectual, emotional, personal development and social skills education for students aged 3- 19, so that they can acquire the ability to study, work and survive in the world. If you get IB course results, you can apply not only to British universities, but also to thousands of universities in the United States, Australia, Canada and other countries around the world.
In North America and Europe, many famous universities are willing to accept IB students, and some universities also provide excellent IB graduates with incentive credits and leapfrog admission policies. More than 1000 universities in nearly100 countries around the world have stable treaty relations with the International Diploma Organization (IBO) to ensure that these universities recognize IB diplomas. Almost all universities in Britain accept IB diplomas. World-class universities such as Oxford and Cambridge also welcome IB students to apply for admission. The minimum admission score of the Medical College affiliated to University of London is only 32 points, and up to 40% of IB candidates score above 32 points.