A Levels or the International Baccalaureate?
For Year 11 students, the next few weeks are all about freedom after two years of working towards GCSE exams. This is a time to earn money, hang out with friends, sleep late and make triple decker sandwiches from fridge leftovers. But there are also decisions to be confirmed, one of which is whether to study for A Levels or to follow the International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme. Students will have made this decision earlier in the year when confirming their place in a sixth form but the holiday provides an opportunity for reflection and - possibly - a change of mind.
Contrary to popular belief, students do not have to attend a private school to study the IB. The International Baccalaureate is perceived as an expensive option because schools have to pay fees to be authorised by the organisation and annual fees for each of the teaching programmes that it offers. As a result, the IB has tended to be offered by private schools who include its costs in their fees. However, the latest information available from Which School Advisor indicates that there are 55 state schools and 76 private schools offering the IB programme in the UK. Most of these state schools are selective grammar schools and therefore access to the IB programme depends on proximity to the school and an academic selection process. That said, there are 34 state boarding schools in the UK, at least one of which (Dallam School in Milnthorpe, Cumbria) offers the IB Diploma so there are study-options for student who do not live near an IB school.
If finances, geography and / or academic ability enable a student to choose between the IB Diploma or A Levels then there is much to consider before confirming a decision.
The first step is understanding the IB as a qualification because most of us are far more familiar with A Levels, which have been the UK's school-leaving qualification since 1951. The IB Diploma (its qualification for 16-19 year-olds) started in 1968 but it grew out of a 1945 'Conference of Internationally-minded Schools'. This conference tasked the International School of Geneva with creating an international schools programme of study. As a result of this history, the IB has an important ethical identity as an inclusive, globally-minded organisation whose roots belong in post-World War II aspirations for a dynamic learning community underpinned by common values. This ethos has been resoundingly successful: from an initial 12 schools in the pilot project, the IB is now studied in more than 5000 schools in 150 countries.
There are four tiers to the IB structure: the Primary Years Programme (age 3-12); the Middle Years Programme (age 11/12-16); the Career-related Programme (age 16-19); the Diploma Programme (also age 16-19). Students do not have to follow these programmes consecutively and in the UK many young people opt for the IB Diploma during their final two years of school having studied the National Curriculum until the conclusion of their GCSEs.
The IB Diploma starts at the same time as A Levels and ends just a few weeks earlier, with exams beginning in April of Year 13 and results issued on the 5th or 6th July. Students studying the IB take 6 subjects during the five-term course: 3 or 4 at Higher Level and 2 or 3 at Standard Level. These levels of study relate to teaching time with Higher Level (HL) courses requiring approximately 240 hours of teaching time and Standard Level (SL) courses 150 hours of teaching times. For students, this means that HL subjects involve more challenging material taught in greater depth while SL subjects are less specialist. All IB students must take a Language and Literature course in their native language; they must also study an acquired language, and take maths. These choices account for 3 of the six subject options and students can choose whether to follow Higher or Standard level courses in these compulsory elements.
As an example, a British student intending to study medicine at university might choose to take Chemistry, Biology and Maths at Higher Level then English Language and Literature, French and Economics at Standard Level. A French student wishing to study Psychology at university might opt for Psychology, Biology, and French Language and Literature at HL, with Spanish, Maths and History at Standard Level.
Alongside their subject study, all IB students must attend Theory of Knowledge classes and complete the subject's internal and external assessments; they must undertake a 4,000 word extended essay on a subject of their choosing, and take part in Creativity, Action and Service activities (CAS) on a weekly basis. At the end of their Diploma course, IB students receive their results as a grade for each subject (1-7) and a final points score out of a maximum of 45. Their final point score includes a maximum of 3 marks awarded for their Theory of Knowledge and Extended Essay assessments. A subject grade of 7 equates to an A* at A Level while a 6 matches an A at A Level and so on through the grades.
For university entrance, students are given an IB points tariff rather than an A Level grade requirement. So to study History and Italian at Warwick University, students need to achieve a prediction of 34 IB points or AAB at A Level.
Unlike the IB, which encourages breadth of study, A Levels give sixth form students the opportunity to specialise by studying 3 or 4 subjects of their choosing without any requirement to continue with a language, literature or maths. Many schools encourage A Level students to begin studying four subjects and then drop to three during the course of Year 12 so that they have the opportunity to evaluate their decision making as the academic year progresses.
All this can leave students and families feeling more than a little overwhelmed. 'But which is the best choice?" they ask.
My response to this is two-fold:
As an educator, I began teaching the IB alongside A Level in 2011 after spending the first 13 years of my teaching career teaching solely A Level English. Now, I am happiest when students can choose between A Level and the IB Diploma. There are evangelists who feel that the IB is best for all students but I am not one of them. I firmly believe that the IB DP is a fantastic choice for many young people but it is not for everyone.
This is a moment for students to evaluate how they learn and what sort of learning excites them. Academic all-rounders who flinch at the idea of narrowing their study to just a few subjects will thrive on the breadth of the IB Diploma. If, however, students relish the chance to specialise and do not have the skills or the wish to continue with maths or a language then A Levels provide an opportunity to take a deep dive into their favourite subjects.
There is good advice available online for students making this decision and - from my perspective - these are the really important things for a student to remember:
The IB Diploma and A Levels are equally challenging so there is no 'easy' or 'weak' choice: you will work super-hard during both qualification pathways.
Universities do not prefer one qualification to the other. Like the rest of us, British universities have - historically - been more familiar with A Levels but this is changing all the time.
Students studying for A Levels can take the EPQ (Extended Project Qualification) which functions like the IB Extended Essay and undertake challenges like the Duke of Edinburgh's Awards Scheme which has a similar structure to the IB's CAS. Both options therefore provide opportunities to develop your skills outside a subject-specific framework.
You need to feel positive about your studies because enjoyment is absolutely essential for any sort of success so please choose the course that most excites you.
You will be ok! Yes, this is an important decision but your future does not hinge on whether you study the IB Diploma or A Levels. What matters is your attitude to education, the quality of your learning, and how your work creates possibilities for your future.