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TheIBGuideEverythingyouneedtoknowabouttheInternationalBaccalaureate

Insidethisbooklet

ThisbookletisourguidetotheInternationalBaccalaureate.Insideyou’llfindinformationandadviceabouteveryaspectoftheIB,fromsubjectselectiontohowtheIBhelpswithyouruniversityapplications.Ifyouhaveaquestionwhichisn’tcoveredhere,youcangetintouchwithusat:eliteib.co.ukcontact@eliteib.co.uk+44(0)2038026862

NewKing’sRoadNewKing’sHouse,London,SW64LZ,UnitedKingdom

WehavebeensupportingstudentsontheIBforyears,andouroutstandingteamofIBgraduates,IBteachers,andIBExaminersarethereasonwe’vecometoconsiderourselvestheforemostteamofIBeducatorsinternationally.

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WhatistheIB?

TheInternationalBaccalaureateOrganisation(IBO)isaninternationaleducationalorganisationwhichoffersstudentsaholisticandglobaleducation,throughIBprogrammesaimedatstudentsaroundtheworldfromtheageof3to19.ThemostwidelyknownandstudiedprogrammeinternationallyistheIBDPorthe‘InternationalBaccalaureateDiplomaProgramme’.InitiallyfoundedinGenevain1968,theIBOnowoffersIBprogrammesinover130countriesaroundtheworld.

WhataretheIBProgrammes?

TheInternationalBaccalaureateDiplomaProgramme(IBDP)isapost-secondaryeducationalprogramme,takenbystudentsaroundtheworldbetweentheagesof16and19.ItisanequivalentqualificationtotheUK’sA-Levels,theUS’sAPexams,andtheScottishHighersSystem,andwasthefirstprogrammedevelopedandofferedbytheIBO.TheDiplomaProgrammeisinternationallywell-regarded,andcanafforditsstudentsentryintouniversitiesandemploymentaroundtheworld.

TheIBOalsoprovidecurriculaforyoungerstudents:thePYP,orPrimaryYearsProgramme,embodiestheIB’sinternational,multidisciplinaryapproachtolearningfor3-12yearolds.TheMiddleYearsProgramme(MYP)offersstudentsaged11-16theopportunitytolearninanongoingenvironmentwhichfosterscuriosityandbreadthoflearning.Forthefirsttimein2015,theMYPofferedexternallymoderatedexamsforstudentsintheirfinalyear,offeringstudentstheopportunitytofollowanIBcurriculum,withalltheinherentbenefitsthisholds,andreceiveacertificatewhichwasexternallyvalidatedforthis.ManyIBstudentspreviouslyundertookGCSEsorIGCSEsintheirfinalyearsof11-16schoolinginordertoattainexternallyvalidatedqualifications,butthisshouldnolongerbenecessarywiththeadventoftheMYP5exams.

Forstudentswhowishtoattainvocationalskillsalongsidetheirclassroom-basedlearning,theIBOhaveofferedtheCareer-relatedProgramme(CP)since2012.ThisisaimedatstudentswhowouldotherwisetaketheDP-soarefrom16to19duringthe

programme-andcontinuesstudents’academiclearningwhilstpreparingthemforacareerinindustryoraparticularemploymentpathway.

EliteIBTutorsbeganwithanaimtosupportstudentsundertakingtheDiplomaProgramme.Assuch,theinformationhereisbroadlyfocusedontheDP,howeverwearehappytoprovideassistanceandguidancetostudentsandfamiliesinterestedintheMYP,PYP,andCP,andifyouhavequestionsabouttheseprogrammes,weencourageyoutogetintouch.

HowistheDiplomaProgrammeorganised?

AnIBDPstudentmusttakesixacademicsubjects,aswellascompletinganindependentlyresearchedExtendedEssay(EE),participatinginTheoryofKnowledge(TOK),andcarryingoutmultipleandvariedprojectstofulfiltheirCreativity,Activity,andService(CAS)requirements.OnlyuponsuccessfulcompletionofallthesecomponentsisastudentawardedthefullIBDiploma.

Subjectrequirements

AllIBDPstudentsarerequiredtotakesixacademicsubjects,fulfillingtheIBO’sspecificcriteriathatstudentspursueabroadandbalancedselectionofsubjects,aswellstudyingthecompulsoryelementsofCAS,TOK,andtheEE.CompletionofallcomponentsoftheIBDPisnecessaryforastudenttobeawardedtheDiploma,althoughstudentscanreceivesubjectcertificatesineachsubjecttheypass,shouldtheyfailtoreceivethefullDiploma.Formostuniversitieswithacademicentrancerequirements,however,thefullDiplomaisrequired.

Askusyourquestions!YoucangetintouchwiththeEliteIBteamatanytimeforanswerstoyourquestions.YoucanfindoutmoreabouttheIBanddownloadourIBresourcesontheEliteIBwebsite!eliteib.co.uk/resourcescontact@eliteib.co.uk+44(0)2038026862

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Groups

StudentsmusttakeasubjectwhichfallsintoeachofGroups1-5,listedandexplainedbelow.StudentscanchoosetonottakeaGroup6subject(‘TheArts’),andcaninsteadtakeanotherGroup1-4subjecttobringtheirtotalsubjectstothecompulsorysix.

Group1:StudiesinLanguageandLiteratureThisisusuallythestudent’smothertongue,andwillrequirefluencyinthelanguagechosen.Studentswilltackleliterarytextsinthislanguage,andallexaminationsandinternallyassessedworkinthissubjectwillbeinthechosenlanguage.Studentscanopttotaketwolanguagesatthislevel,andwillbeawardedabilingualDiplomauponsuccessfulcompletionofthecourse.

Group2:LanguageAcquisitionStudentscanchoosetotakealanguagewithoutpriorstudy(abinitio),orcanbuildonpre-existingknowledgeofalanguage.Thismustnotbethestudent’sfirstlanguage,asthecourseaimsto

developlanguage-learningability,aswellasadeeperunderstandingofanotherculture.

Group3:Individuals&SocietiesStudentschoosefromarangeofHumanitiessubjects,including,whilenotlimitedto,History,Geography,Economics,andBusiness&Management.LearninginthisGroupprovidesstudentswiththeopportunitytoexplorehuman,societal,andphysicalstructuresandtheirimpactontheworldandglobalenvironment.

Group4:SciencesAnyofthetraditionalSciencesubjectscanbechosenhere,aswellasEnvironmentalSystems&Societies(ESS),whichcanbetakenaseitheraGroup3or4subject,andComputerScience,DesignTechnology,andSportsScience.ThisGrouphelpsstudentstounderstandtheglobalapplicationofscientificsolutions,aswellasthetheoryandcontextoftheirchosenScience,whichisfurtherchallengedbyacompulsorygroupproject,namedtheGroup4project.

Group5:MathsStudentsmusttakealevelofMathematics,butcanchoosefromawiderrangethanusual;MathematicsSLandHLareoffered,asformostsubjects,butstudentscanalsochooseMathematicalStudies,onlyofferedasaStandardLevel(SL)subject,orFurtherMathematics,whichisonlyofferedasaHigherLevel(HL)subject.MoststudentswhoopttotakeFurtherMathswillalsotakeMathsHL,asthisisarequirementofmostschoolswhoofferthiselectivesubject.N.B.YoucanfindoutmoreabouttheLevelstheIBOofferineachsubjectonthefollowingpage.

Group6:ArtsTheArtssubjectsincludeVisualArts,Drama,Film,andMusic,eachofwhichfocusoncreativelyexploringself-expressioninaglobalcontext,anddevelopingtheirownuniquecriticalpractice.AstudentmayoptnottotakeaGroup6subject,andinsteadtakeafurthersubjectinalanguage(Groups1&2),asocialscience(Group3),orascience(Group4).

HigherLevel/StandardLevel(HL/SL)

TheacademicstructureoftheDiplomaProgramme-ibo.org

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EachoftheDPsubjectscarryasubject‘level’.MostsubjectsareofferedatbothStandardLevel(SL)andHigherLevel(HL),andaDiplomastudentmusttakeatleastthreesubjectsatHigherLevel(HL),andnomorethanthreeatStandardLevel(SL).SomestudentschoosetotakeanadditionalHLsubject,butitisadvisedtodiscussthiswellinadvancewithyourschooloreducationprovider.Asaroughindicationofthedifficultyofeachlevel,theIBadvisesapproximately240hoursofteachingtimeforHLsand160forSLs,andthedifferencebetweenHLandSLineachsubjectvaries,soitisbesttodiscoverwhat‘extras’youareabletostudybyoptingforHLineachofyoursubjects.Somesubjects–likeESS,MathsStudies,FurtherMaths-areonlyavailableatonelevel,andsoitisimportantthatthisistakenintoconsiderationwhenmakingfinalsubjectselections.

Points,Grading,&Assessment

Diplomasubjectsaregraded1-7,with7beingtheA*equivalent.Onaverage,about5%ofIBstudentsaroundtheworldachieveagrade7,andthemeangradeforanysubjectacrosstheDiplomais4.8.Thisgivesatotalpossiblescoreof42fromsixacademicsubjects,andanadditional3bonuspointsareavailableforTOKandtheEE;themaximumpossibleIBscoreistherefore45.InMay2016,201ofalmost150,000candidatesachieved45points,whiletheglobalaveragepointsscorewas30.07.

TheDPrunsfortwoacademicyears,withfinalexamstakingplaceattheendofthesecondyear.TheDPisassessedinalinear,notmodular,manner,andallexternal(exams-based)assessmentthereforetakesplaceattheendofthestudent’ssecondyear(“IBDP2”).Therearetwoexam‘seasons’,toreflectthetwohemispheres’academicyears;studentswillvariouslysittheirfinalexams,therefore,inMayorNovember.ForNorthernhemisphere/Mayseasoncandidates,theirfirstyear(IBDP1)yearwillbegininSeptember,andtheywilltakeexamsintheMayperiodtwoyearsafter:forinstance,studentscommencingSeptember2017willtaketheirexamsinMay2019.ForSouthernhemisphere/Novemberseasoncandidates,thecommencingmonthisJanuary,andexamsareinthefollowingNovember.

EachGrouphasit’sownwayofassessingstudents,andHigher/Standardleveldiscrepancies;werecommendviewingthe

specific‘subjectbrief’foreachofyourpreferredsubjectsbeforemakingafinaldecisiononwhichtotake.

ForGroup1,studentsatbothHLandSLsitduringthefinalexamsessionanexaminationpaperassessingtheirabilitytoanalyseanunseentext,aswellasanexaminationpaperontextstheyhavestudied(thisvariesforLiterature&Performance,buttwoexternalexamsareundertakeninthiscoursealso).Allstudentsalsosubmitanumberofwrittentasks–theseareakintothecourseworkelementofotheracademicprogrammes,andthenumberofwrittentasksvariesacrossspecificsubjectsandlevels.Studentsalsoundertakeseveraloralassessments,priortothefinalexamsession.

ForGroup2,studentsatHL,SL,andabinitiolevel,ofbothmodernandclassiclanguages,undertaketwoexaminationpapers:thefirstofwhichisfocusedontexthandling/translation,andthesecondofwhichisfocusedonproducingwritingintheacquiredlanguage.AsinGroup1,therearealsoseveralwrittentasksandoralcomponents,oneofeachofwhichisassessedaspartofthefinalgrade.

ForGroup3,studentsatStandardLevelfollowtheformatoftwofinalexampapers,andinternallyassessedwrittenwork.FormanyHigherLevelstudents,however,Group3bringsathirdexaminationpaper,pushingthestudenttoengagefurtherwiththesubject.Additionally,formanyGroup3subjects,theinternallyassessedworktakestheformofseveralpiecesofwork,formingaportfolio,orproject.

ForGroup4,thereisalargervarianceacrosssubjectsregardingtheexactnatureofassessment.Forthe‘core’sciencesofBiology,Chemistry,andPhysics,therearethreeexampapersandtheinternallyassessed‘practicals’andinvestigations,atbothSLand

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HL.ForallotherGroup4subjects,SLstudentsundertaketwoexams,andmanyHLstudentsundertakethree,eachcarryingoutapersonalprojectorinvestigationtoo.Inaddition,thereistheGroup4project,whichcontributestothepersonalengagementmarksofeachstudent’soverallIAmarks.TheGroup4Projectisachancetoworkcollaborativelywithyourfellowstudentsacrossthesciences,soitisworthgettingstuckinto!

StudentsofthecoreGroup5subjectswillsittwoorthreeexampapers,dependingonthelevelofstudy,andcompleteaMaths‘exploration’,or‘project’forStudiesstudents,whichconstitutestheinternallyassessedcomponentofthecourse.StudentsofFurtherMathematicssittwoexternalpapersanddonotcompleteanyinternallyassessedwork.

ForthosewhoopttotakeaGroup6subject,thereisasignificantdisparityintheproportionofworkwhichisexam-based,asmanyoftheGroup6subjectsareassessedonthestudent’sdevelopmentovertimeandtheircreativeoutput.Thisdoesnotmeantheworkisnotexternallyassessed,butGroup6subjectswillhaveadifferenttimetableofassessmenttothemajorityofotherIBsubjects-thekeyexceptionisMusic,whichhasanexaminthesamesessionasallothersubjects.ManyGroup6studentsputasignificantamountofpersonaltimeintodevelopingtheirpractice,andsoamethodofcontinualassessmentisvaluedintheseareastoensurethestudentisreachingtheiraimsateachkeystageoftheIB.

Formostsubjects,thelargestproportionofastudent’sfinalgradewillcomefromtheirfinalexams,butinternallyassessedwork(IAs)countfor15-30%ofeachsubject’sfinalgrade,providingagreatconfidenceboostwhensittingthefinals,asstudentsknowtheyhavemadeheadwaytotheirdesiredgradebeforeevenbeginningtheirexams.

TheoryofKnowledge(TOK)

OneoftheDiplomaProgramme’sadditionalcompulsoryaspectsisTheoryofKnowledge(TOK).This,combinedwiththeExtendedEssay(EE),constitutestheadditional3bonuspointsthatstudentsmayaccrue,sostudentsmustattainatleastaDinboth.TofailbothTOKandtheEEisafailingconditionoftheDiploma,no

matterthestudent’sacademicattainment.TheoryofKnowledgeisaninterdisciplinarystudyincriticalthinkingandencouragesdiscussionoftheextent&limitsofknowledgeinanepistemologicalfashion.TOKfocusesaroundexaminingKnowledgeQuestionsthroughAreasofKnowledgeandWaysofKnowing.TOKisassessedthroughtwopiecesofworkproducedbyeachstudent:anin-classpresentation,andanessay.

Theessay-two-thirdsoftheTOKgrade-isa1200-1600wordresponsetooneofsixsetquestions,whichchangeeachyear.Studentsareassessedontheirabilitytounderstandknowledgequestions,andonthequalityoftheiranalysis,usingreal-lifeexamplestoillustratepertinentexplorationsofthequestion.

Inthepresentation,whichmakesupthelastthirdoftheTOKgrade,studentsareassessedonhowwelltheyshowthatTOKconceptshavereal-worldapplications.Here,studentspresentonatopicoftheirchoice,anddiscussaknowledgequestionwhicharisesfromthisreal-lifeevent.PerspectiveandbalancearekeytoatopTOKpresentation.

Knower(s)

AreasofKnowledgeandWaysofKnowinginTOK

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ExtendedEssay(EE)

ThesecondcompulsoryaspectoftheDiplomawhichcontributestothepotential3bonuspointsistheExtendedEssay:a4,000wordstudyinasubjectandspecificareaofthestudent’schoice.AlthoughstudentsareusuallystronglyencouragedtowritetheirEEinasubjectareathattheyalreadytake,theWorldStudiesEEoptionrepresentsaninterdisciplinaryoptionwhichisnotastand-aloneDiplomasubject.TheExtendedEssayisexternallymarked,buteachstudentiscloselysupervisedbyasubjectteacher,whoalsoconductsthevivavoce-aconcludinginterview-oncetheEEhasbeencompleted.TheExtendedEssayisasignificantundertakingandmanyIBstudentsfinditenormouslyrewarding.FormanyofthelargeproportionofIBstudentswhogoontofurtherstudy,theExtendedEssayconstitutestheirfirst‘university-level’pieceofacademicwork,andstudentsoftenreturntothemesexploredintheirEEthroughouttheirlaterstudies.

Creativity,Activity,Service(CAS)

ThefinalcompulsoryelementoftheIBDPdoesnotgivefinalIBpointstoDiplomastudents,butmustbecompletedinordertoattainthefullDiploma.Creativity,Activity,Service(CAS)requiresstudentstoundertakeprojectsdemonstratingCreativity,Activity,andServicethroughoutthetwoyearsoftheIBDP,encouragingwell-roundedandcommunity-consciousstudents.Studentsmustdemonstratetheyhavemeteachofeightlearningobjectivesthroughtheprogramme,andmanyschoolsencouragestudentstobeginanddocumentoneprojectineachareapermonththroughtheDiploma.StudentsmustalsocompleteaCASproject,whichinvolvesworkingwithotherstodemonstrateperseveranceandcommitmentaswellasplanningandgreatteam-work.

TheIBCASrequirementisauniqueopportunitytoreceivecreditforyourinterestsoutsideofschool,andthisfocusondevelopmentoutsideoftheclassroom,aswellaswithin,isyetanotherreasonthatIBgraduatesaresowellregardedbyuniversitiesandemployers.Youwillbesurprisedbyhowmuchyoucanalreadysignoff,almostanythingcan‘count’forCAS,andalthoughstudentscanfinditdifficulttoembraceatthebeginningoftheDiploma,completingCAShourswillturnouttobea

welcomeexcusetogetabreakfromstudying,andembracenewandoldhobbies!

CommonexamplesforCreativitycanincludemusicalperformance,acting,dancing,singing,andevencookingsomethingnew!Foractivity,allsports,training,andsportingeventscancount,whetherthisisasoloorgroupactivity,aslongastheypromotephysicalactivitytobenefityourhealth.Finally,service:volunteeringofallkinds,fromworkinginacharityshoptogivingyourtimetomentoryoungerstudents,isacceptedbytheIB.TheserviceaspectofCASissomethingmanyIBgraduateslookbackonwithfondness,asitencouragesstudentstothinkandactselflessly,evenforonlyanhourortwoaweek.

HowistheIBregarded?

TheIBDPisinternationallyregardedasanexcellentandhighlychallengingqualification,andisacceptedbyalltopuniversitiesinternationallyforundergraduatestudy.Assuch,itiseasyforanIBDPstudenttoapplythroughdomesticuniversitychannels,asmanyuniversitieshaveconversionsfrom,forinstance,A-LevelentryrequirementstoIBDPpoints.Pleaseseebelowforaselectionofuniversityentryrequirementsfor2018entryBScMathematicsatarangeofUKuniversitiesinIBpointsandtheirA-Levelequivalents:

Cambridge:A*A*A+STEP;40-42points(HLsof776)+STEP

Durham:A*A*A;38(HLsubjectrequirementsapply)

York:AAA;36including6inHLMathematics

King’sCollegeLondon:AAA(subjectrequirements);35including

Core(HLsof666)

Brunel:AAB(AinMathematics);34(HLsof665,including

Mathematics)

N.B.Seeucas.com/ucas/tariff-calculatoranducas.com/advisers/

guides-and-resources/ucas-tariff

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Fromthese,itiscleartoseethatuniversitiesacrosstheUKvaryintheirconversionsbetweenIBDPpointsandtheirUKequivalent,butalsothatallareopentoIBDPgraduates.

TheIBDPisalsowell-regardedintheUS,withuniversitiesbroadlyequatingittotheAPprogrammeofstudy.TheIBalsohasenormousprestigeinuniversitiesaroundtheworld,includingbutnotlimitedto,inCanada,mainlandEurope,andAustralia.Insomecases,IBstudiescanbecountedtowardstheearlystagesofauniversitydegree.

IBGraduateSkills

ManyuniversitiesandemployersvalueIBDPgraduates.Thisisforseveralreasons,butmostfrequentlywefindtherigorousacademicstandardsoftheIB,thediversityoftheIBDPeducation,andtheconsistencyofgradesawardedareextolledagainandagain.Further,theindependentstudyrequiredtoexcelintheIBDPensuresthatIBstudentsarewell-practicedattimemanagementandmotivatingthemselves.

TheIBhavea‘learnerprofile’fortheirDiplomaProgrammestudents,whichbringsintooneplaceeachofthevaluestheIBaimstodevelopintheDPstudents,undertheumbrellaof‘international-mindedness’,theIB’soverarchingvalue.

UKIBSchools

TheIBOkeeplistsofallIBWorldSchools,arrangedbycountryandwhichIBprogramme(s)theyoffer,accessibleforUKschoolshere.AtEliteIB,wetrytokeepaheadofanychangestoIBschools,andaimtohavethemostup-to-dateschoollistsonourwebsite,here.

UKIBschoolsarelocatedacrossthenation,withclustersaroundmajorcities,andallfourIBprogrammesareofferedsomewhereintheUK.WhilstA-LevelsarestilltheUK’smostcommonpre-universityqualification,UKuniversitieswidelyrecogniseandvaluetheIB,anddonothesitatetomakeofferstostudentsoftheprogramme.RecentwinnersoftheIBSchooloftheYearincludeDartfordGrammar(Dartford),King’sCollegeSchool(Wimbledon),KingEdward’sSchool(Birmingham),TonbridgeGrammar(Kent)

andtheStephenPerseFoundation(Cambridge),demonstratingthewidespreadofexcellentIBteachingacrosstheUK.Theworldaveragescorein2016(mostrecentavailableattimeofpress)forDiplomastudentswas30.07,andtheUK’saveragein2017was34.82,with60UK-basedstudentsachievingaperfectscore.ThisfurtherservestoshowtheenthusiasmwithwhichUKschools,andmostimportantly,students,havetakentotheIB.

SubjectSelection

ManystudentsfinditdifficulttodecidewhichsubjectstheyshouldoptforontheDiplomaProgramme,andwhichtotakeatHigherorStandardLevel.Intruth,therearenorightorwronganswerstothisquestion.Everystudentisdifferent-youwillhavedifferentinterests,differentaims,adifferentoutlookonlife,andyouwillmostdefinitelyhavedifferentstrengthsandweaknesses–andbalancingthesevariablesisextremelyimportant.

OneofthekeystrengthsandaimsoftheIBDPistooffereachstudentbreadthanddepth,aholisticeducationthatwillallowyoutodipyourtoesintomanydifferentfields.Thebenefitofthisto

TheInternationalBaccalaureateOrganisation’s‘LearnerProfile’

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youistoallowyoutospreadyourwings,whilespecialisinginafewkeyfields.

Wesuggestyoustartbyaboutaskingyourselfafewquestions:

Firstly,whatareyouraims?YouneedtocarefullyconsiderwhatyoumightwanttoachieveattheendofyourDiploma.Forexample,doyouwanttogotouniversity?Ifso,areyouaimingforuniversitiesofthestandardofOxfordandCambridge,orwouldyouliketoattendacollegeinLondon,orpossiblysomewhereelseinEurope?Theimportanceofsettingthesegoalsistoensureyouhavesomethingtoaimfor,andunderstandtheamountofworkyoumustputintoachievethisaim.

Secondly,whatareyourstrengthsandweaknesses?Thinkaboutyourcurrentstudies,whatsubjectsareyouexcellingin,andwhatareyoustrugglingin?Youmayexcelinthesciencesandmaths;whileyourbestfriendexcelsinthehumanitiesandthearts.Studyingwhatyouenjoyandgetasenseofaccomplishmentfromisimportant,itwillhelpyoureachevenfurtherintothosehighermarks.

Thirdly,youneedtocombinethetwoabovequestionsanddoyourresearch!Forexample,youmaywanttoattendCambridgeandyourstrengthslieinthesciences.WhatgradeswillyouneedtostudyNaturalSciencesatCambridge?Youwillneedtoscore40-41points,with776atHL.Yoursubjectchoicewillalsobeimportant.AtHLyouwillneedtostudytwoofthesciences,beingacombinationofBiology,Chemistry,MathsandPhysics.Inaddition,youwillneedtotakeanotheroftheabovealsoatSL.

However,youmaynotbeasciencelover,youlovebooks,reading,essaysandthinking.Youmay,therefore,beinterestedinPhilosophyattheUniversityofEdinburgh.Thiswillrequireyoutoachieveascoreofatleast34,with665atHL.Youwill,also,berequiredtoachieveascoreof4atSLEnglishandMathematics,oranapprovedscience.

Informationwhichmighthelpyouanswerthesequestionscanbefoundbyconductinggoodresearch.Someofthefollowingresourcesmaybeparticularlyuseful:

-EliteIB’smatrixofuniversityentryrequirements

-UniversityofOxford:Tableofentryrequirements

-InformedChoices:ARussellGroupguidetomakingdecisions

aboutpost-16education

-WellingtonCollege:SubjectChoicesBooklet

-LaChat,TheUpdate:YourcompleteguidetochoosingyourIB

options

TheMiddleYearsProgrammeandUKschools

TheMiddleYearsProgramme,orMYP,isnottaughtinalargenumberofUKschools,particularlyincomparisontotheDiplomaProgramme-currentlytheIBOlistonly14schoolsofferingtheMYP,satalongside115schoolswhosestudentscansittheDiploma.Thismaybeforanynumberofreasons,includingtheUKeducationsector’sstrongtraditionofsplittingpre-andpost-16qualificationsandofferingtheseindifferinginstitutions,ortheubiquityoftheGCSEandIGCSEcourses.However,asthefinalyearoftheMYPisnowmarkedbyexternallymoderatedexams,MYPstudentsareincreasinglyawardedcertificationinthesamesenseasGCSEstudents,andsotheremaybeanincreaseinthenumberofUKschoolsofferingtheMiddleYearsProgramme.TheMYP’sfinalexamsare‘e-assessments’,whicharecarriedoutoncomputers,andwhichaimtoteststudent’sprocessesandcourseunderstandingabovememorisationorrotelearning.Inthissense,theIBremainatthecuttingedgeofeducationalchange,andthisformatmaybecomemorewidespreadoveryearstocome.

WhytheIB-andwhynot?

TheIBDiplomaProgrammeisknownasanacademicallyrigorous,well-rounded,andinternationally-mindedprogramme,wherestudentshavetolearnquicklytoworkindependentlyandmanagetheirtimewell.Forsomestudents,theprospectofbalancingsixsubjectsthroughthetimetheywillalsobeapplyingtouniversity,andmakingmajorlifedecisionsisthrilling,andforothers,lessso.WhilemanystudentswillenjoytheIBDP,andsuccessfullynavigateitspath,therearesomekeyconsiderationstothinkofbeforemakingadecision.

Askusyourquestions!YoucangetintouchwiththeEliteIBteamatanytimeforanswerstoyourquestions.YoucanfindoutmoreabouttheIBanddownloadourIBresourcesontheEliteIBwebsite!eliteib.co.uk/resourcescontact@eliteib.co.uk+44(0)2038026862

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OnecommondifficultyforsomeprospectivestudentsistheinabilitytotakethreeSciencesubjects-thiscanbeadecidingfactorforsomestudentsconsideringMedicine,forinstance,buteachyearmanyIBstudentssuccessfullygainplacesonsomeoftheworld’smostcompetitiveMedicineprogrammes.Further,takingsixsubjectsratherthanthetraditionalthreeofA-Levelscanleadtoalackofdepthinsomeareas,suchasinyourStandardLevelsubjects.Anystudentworriedaboutthismayconsiderreadingthroughthesyllabusorpastexampapersacrossarangeofqualifications,tomaketheirownjudgementonthebreadthanddepthofeachsubject.Finally,forsomestudentstheideaofcontinuingMathsisadifficultone.TheIBhaveacknowledgedstudentsengagewithMathsinavarietyofways,andstudentshavethegreatestchoiceinthelevelofMathstheyundertake,totrytomakeeveryIBstudentcomfortableattheleveltheyhavechosentostudy.

Keystrengthsoftheprogrammeincludethebreadthofstudyandtheinterdisciplinaryapproachtosubjects;studentsareencouragedtolearnandliveascitizensoftheworld,ratherthanapproachingtheirstudiesinavacuum,andsoeachmemberoftheIBcommunity,whilespreadglobally,carriesthesameethosandapproachtoaconnectedworld.AfocusondevelopingstudentsinallareasmeansemployersanduniversitiesareconfidentinanIBgraduate’stransferableskills,andafocusonlanguagelearningthroughanunderstandingofculturemakesconsiderate,internationalstudents.Werecommenddoingyourownresearch,however,ashereatEliteIBwelovetheIB!

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StudyTips

SuccessinyourIBcomesdowntoorganisation.Atthebeginningofeachtermcheckwhethercertainperiodswillbedeadlineheavy,sothatyoucanplantogiveyourselfenoughtimetocompletecoursework.Setyourselfpersonaldeadlinestodraftessaysaheadoftime,andalwaysallowadayortwotoreviewjustincase.Thegoodnewsis,wehavedonethemajorityforyou!KeeptrackoftheIBexternalandinternalassessmentdeadlineswithourEliteIBcalendar.TheIBexamscanbeformulaicintermsofthetypesofquestionsthatareaskedandwhatisexpectedofyou.Throughthesyllabus,markschemesandpast-papers,youcan‘crackthecode’ofhowtheexamswork.Ofcourse,eventhebestcode-crackerscan’tbeathardwork!Besuretohavealookatouradvicesectionlateroninthedocument.

InternalAssessments(IAs)

Draft,draft,anddraftagain.Donotprocrastinate.ThekeytogettingconsistentlygoodmarksinIAsacrossyoursubjectsistoputeachtaskinperspective.Whencompletinganassignment,youspendroughlyhalfofyourtimeproducing90%ofthework,andanotherhalfonthatlast10%.Donotagoniseovereverydetailorbecomeoverwhelmedbythetaskasawhole,butstartwithaplanandworkup.

Foreachpieceofwork,itisvitaltocontextualisewhatneedsdoingandbeginwithaplan.Inordertomakebestuseofyourtime,writeaplan-roughlystructuredintointroduction,body/researchandconclusion-foreachprojectasyoureceivetheassignment,inordertohaveanoverviewoftheworkrequired.

Begintofleshthisoutintofullsentencesbyjottingdownyourideasasyouresearch.Donotworryaboutwordingorproof-readingatthisstage.Youcanleavethefullwritingofyourintroductionandconclusionuntiltheend,solongasyourideasareallinoneplaceandyouhaveaclearstructureasabove.

Fromhere,youhaveyourfirstdraft.Readoveryourresearchtodecideonyourargument.Youcannowwriteoutyouressayby

turningyournotesintofullsentenceswithanalysisandanargumenttofollow.

Proof-readthefinaldraftandparedownthewordcountifnecessary.Itisalwaysbettertohavetocutwordsthantobestrugglingtohitawordcount!Remember,though,clarityiskey.Whencuttingdownyouressay,makesurethattheargumentremainsclear;youwillgetmoremarksforanessaythatanswersthequestionandiseasytofollowthanforaconvolutedargument.Ifyoustrugglewiththis,trytoreduceeachparagraphtothekeypoints,andaskyourself‘whatiseachsentenceaddingtomyanalysis?’

ExtendedEssay(EE)

ThecrucialrequirementforyourEEisthatitmustfittheguidelinesofasubjectofferedintheIBDPprogram.Asyouwillneedasupervisortoguideyou,itishighlyrecommendedthatyoufirstchooseasubjectfromthosetaughtatyourschool,orthatyouhaveaspecificsubjectareaforaWorldStudiesEEandateacherwithexpertiseinthisarea.

Asanote,theWorldStudiesEEisnotofferedbyallschools,butisgrowinginpopularityasmoreandmorestudentsembracetheinterdisciplinaryaspectofthecourse.Studentsmustfocusonaglobalissueofsignificance,andexamineitacrossmultipledisciplines,presentingtightly-focusedlocalresearchandsuggestions,andlinkingthistotheglobalimpactofthisissue.ItisadifficultsubjecttotakeyourEEin,butmanystudentswhoengagefullywithitfinditavaluableandfascinatingarea.

Afterselectingyourareaandconfirmingyoursupervisor,youcannarrowdownyourideas,followingyourintereststochooseatopic.Youwillbemostsuccessfulchoosingatopicyouareinterestedin,asafterall,youwillhavetospendlotsoftimeresearchingthisarea!However,itisessentialtoknowtheguidelinesbeforeyouembarkonresearch.Forexample,inEconomics,youmaybeinterestedinansweringatheoreticalquestionalongthelinesofassessingtheinfluenceofKeynesinmodernEconomicthought,asthiswasthemostinterestingpartofyourEconomiccoursetoyou.Atopicsuchasthis,however,isnotsuitableforanEconomicsEE,asyouarerequiredtocarryouta

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specificinvestigation,includingyourowndatacollection,andthisessaytitleistoogeneralanddifficulttoresearchinacomprehensiveandrelevantfashion.Forallsubjects,youwillbeunabletoreadallpreviousresearchandcriticismofyourpreferredwidesubjectarea,makingageneralisedor‘story-telling’questionunsuitablefortheExtendedEssay.Makesureyouunderstandtheactualrequirementsofyourpreferredsubject,andarenotjustbeingseducedbya‘bigidea’-narrowitdowntoyourpreciseareaofinterest,andnotonlywillyouproduceabetterEE,butyouwillenjoywritingitmoretoo!

Makesureyouressayflows.Thiscanbeachievedbybreakingitintosmaller‘chapters’whenyouarewriting,andfocusingonmakingeachchapterlinktooneanother.Thisensuresthatyouressayissuccessfulasawhole,anddoesnotfallintothedoldrumsinthemiddle-whichissurprisinglycommon.Tryreadingyourfirstfulldraftusingonlythefirstandlastsentencesofeachparagraph.Doyoustillhavealogicalargument?Ifnot,youressaymaynotbeflowingintuitively.

Finally,therearemanyIBstudentswhohavegreatideasandresearchfortheirExtendedEssays,butfailtoachievethetopmarksbecauseoftheirformattingorlayout.Examinerswanttogiveyouasmanymarksaspossible,soensureyounotonlywritetothesubjectrequirementsofyourEE,butalsoincludeanabstract,rationale,footnotes,andallothersmall‘non-academic’aspectsofthework.

TheoryofKnowledge(TOK)

TOKdividesIBstudents,butitisalmostuniversallylookedbackonwithimmensefondnessbyIBgraduates,asitprovidesatrulyuniqueoutlookonlearningaspartofaholisticeducationalprogramme.Westronglyrecommendstudentsthinkcarefullyabouttheirpresentationtopic,asunliketheExtendedEssay,simplybeinginterestedinanareaandwillingtoresearchitextensivelydoesnotmeanitisagoodacademicbasisforTOKexploration.However,withagoodunderstandingofthekeyrequirementsforTOK,ofthemeaningoftheAreasofKnowledgeandWaysofKnowing,andwhatconstitutesaKnowledgeQuestion,studentscanapplymanyaspectsoftheirpersonal,moral,andacademicintereststotheirTOKpresentation.

WorkingSmart,notHard

OneofthekeystosuccessfullyenjoyingtheIBandtranslatingthisenjoymentintoexamsuccessistounderstandhowwhatyoulearnintheclassroomwillbeassessed,andhowtoshowyounotonlyunderstandthebasics,butarecomfortablewiththemoreadvancedaspectsofeachsubject.Exampapersprovidetheopportunitytodothis,asdoeseachpieceofinternallyassessedwork,butstudentsneedtoknowhowtoshowtheirknowledge,andnotrelyonsimplyhavinglearntit.Werecommendfamiliarisingyourselfwiththesyllabusandpreviousexampapersofeachsubjectyoutake,aswellasreadingthroughtheexemplarpiecesofcourseworkontheIBOsitebeforehandinginanyIAorotherinternallyassessedwork.Eachpieceofworkshouldcarryapieceofyouthroughit,intermsofyourlexis,methodsofexpression,andmostofall,interestinandindividualperspectiveonthesubjectarea,butyoucanlearnhowtoshouttoyourExaminerthatyouaredemonstratingeachkeyattributeinyoursubjects.TheIBishardwork,butthosewhoachievethetopgradesoftenfindthatunderstandingwhatisrequiredreduceswastedtime,andallowedthemtofocusthroughouttheirstudies,andreviseefficientlywhenthetimecame.Finally,ensureyoumakegreatnotesfromtheverybeginning-thereisnothingmorefrustratingthantryingtorevisefromhalfacrumpledsideofA4coveredinindecipherablescrawls!

Passing/Failing

TheIBDiplomaProgrammehasanumberoffailingconditionswhichcatchsomestudentsunawareseachyear,andwhichitisimportanttobearinmindthroughoutyourIBstudies.ThebaselineconditiontobeawardedtheDiplomaistoattain24pointsacrossthesixacademicsubjectsandthetwocorecomponentswhichcontributetopoints-TheoryofKnowledgeandtheExtendedEssay,andnottobefoundguiltyofacademicmisconduct(includingplagiarism).

Anystudentswhoattainfewerthan24pointswillnotbeawardedthefullDiploma.Inaddition,anystudentwhoisawardedan‘N’(notgraded/submitted)foranysubjectorcorecomponent,orwhoisawardedan‘E’ineithertheirExtendedEssayorinTheoryofKnowledge,willfailtheDiploma-regardlessofotherscores

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achieved.Thisisalsothecaseforanystudentwhoisgivena1inanysubject,morethantwograde2s,orwhoattainsa3orbelowfourormoretimes.

Ifastudent’sHigherLevelsubjectpointstotalfewerthan12,ortheirStandardLevelpointsare8orbelow,theyarenoteligibleforthefullDiploma,unlesstheyhavetakenonlytwoSLs,inwhichcasetheirSLtotalmustbe5orhigher.Finally,anystudent,eveniftheyachievethefull45academicpoints,willnotbeawardedtheDiplomaiftheirCASrequirementsarenotcompleted.Everyyear,intheIBO’sstatisticalbulletin,thereareoneortwoveryhighlyachievingcandidateswhoarenotawardedtheDiploma,andtheywillhavefallenfoulofoneormoreofthesefailingconditions.AnIBDiplomastudenthasamaximumofthreeexamsessionstosatisfyalltherequirementsfortheDiploma,butthesecanbesplitoveranumberofavailablesessionsanddonothavetobeconsecutive.

TimeManagement

Wehavenowinterviewedover1,000IBgraduateswhenrecruitingtutorsintheUK,Switzerland,andSingapore,andthepieceofadvicewehearoverandoveristomanageyourtimesmartly.Thismeansstartingyourrevisionearly,keepingupwithallinternalandIBdeadlines,andlookingoveryournotesattheendofeverytopicormoduletominimisethetimeyouspendre-teachingyourselfwhenitcomestofinalexams-allothergreatpiecesofadvicefromourtutorswhichwehearfrequently.Themostimportant,wefeel,however,istorememberwhennottospendtimeonthings.

TheIBOsuggestcandidatesreceive240hoursoftaughtlessontimeperHLsubjecttheyundertake,and150hoursperStandardLevelsubject.ThisshouldserveasaroughindicationofthedifferencesinworkloadacrossanaverageSLandHL,althoughofcoursethisvariesbroadlyacrosssubjectgroups.Studentswillknowwheretheirinterestsandacademicstrengthslie,andsowhilstitcanbetemptingtospendlargeperiodsoftimetryingtosecurethathigh7intheirfavouriteHLsubject,anSLlanguishingona2mayrequiremoreshort-termattention,particularlywherethisisinasubjectwherethestudenthasnothistoricallybeeninterested.Wesuggest,however,rememberingthatmanyUKuniversitieswillstipulateHLgradesandanoveralltotal,soitis

besttoalignmorestudyingtimeandenergytoyourHLsubjectsoverthecourseoftheDiploma,aslongasyourStandardsdonotslip!

KeyDates2017-18

Oneofthefirstquestionsweaskprospectivetutorsis:“WhatarethedefiningattributesofasuccessfulIBstudent?”Withoutfail,thefirstthingtheymentionistimemanagement.Withsuchaheavyworkloadspreadacrosssixsubjectsandthreecoreaspectswhichdemandongoingconsideration,itisimperativethatstudentsarepreparedforallassignmentsanddeadlines.WehavecompiledanIB-widecalendar,here,whichincludessuggestedIAdraftdeadlines,IBsubmissiondeadlinesandIBexamdates,tonameafew.

Resources

TextbooksIt’snotidealtorelyononetextbook,ormorespecifically,oneresource.DifferentIBtextbookswillvaryslightlywithregardtoexamplesandhowtheyoutlineeachtopic.Ifyouareconcernedaboutcosts,youmaywanttoconsiderpurchasingIBbookswithagroupoffriendsandsharingthembetweenyou.WorkedexamplebooksarealsoincrediblyhelpfulforMaths&Sciencesubjects.

ToooftenstudentsattainconsistentlyhighmarksintheclassroombutaredisappointedbyresultsintheirmocksandfinalIBexams.Usingavarietyofresourcesisyourbestbet–thiswillkeepyourbrainstimulatedandthroughdoingthis,allthe‘gaps’shouldbefilled.However,itcannotbestressedenoughhowcriticalitistolookatpastpapers-sowe’resayingitagain!Trytoreplicateexamconditions–printoffpastpapers,timeyourself,anddon’tlookatyournotes.Howyouperformonthesepapersisbyfarthemostaccuratewayoftrackingyourprogressandpredictingwhatyourfinalmarkwillbe.Oncecomplete,learninghowmarksaregivenonIBexamsisalsoparamount.GetaccesstoMarkSchemesandlearnthedifferencebetweenan‘A’markandan‘M’mark.ItisamazinghowdifferentthemarkingschemecanvarybetweenPaper1andPaper2!

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RevisioncoursesPerhapsthemostobviousreasonforsuggestingrevisioncoursesisbecauseitisincrediblyusefultospendaconcentratedperiodoftimedrillingthekeyfacts,themes,formulas,studiesetc.intoyourbraintoensurethatyouconsolidatetheknowledgeyou’vebeenacquiringthroughoutmonthsoflearning.However,perhapsmostimportantly,throughtakingrevisioncoursesyouareexposedtoacompletelydifferentstyleofteaching.Notwoteachershavethesameteachingapproach!The‘epiphanymoments’experiencedbystudentstypicallyoccurwhentheydonotknowthattheyhavenotactuallyfullyunderstoodatopic–orworse,havemisinterpretedit.Thisisbecausetheobviousproblemareasarecommonlyrecognisedanddealtwith,eitherthroughtuitionorindependentresearchandpractice.Insummary:youmaydiscovernewproblemareasyoudidnotknowyouhad,plusyou’llhavethetimeandguidancetomaketheseyourstrongpoints!

AskanEliteIBRevisionCourseYoucanfindoutabouttheprogrammeofrevisioncoursewecoordinatethroughouttheacademicyear,atkeymilestonesoftheIB,ontheEliteIBwebsite,orbygettingintouch:eliteib.co.uk/coursescourses@eliteib.co.uk+44(0)2033023868

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Remainfocussedontheultimategoal

“Wheredoyouwanttoapplyforuniversity?Whatmarkswillyouneedtosecureaplace?Whattypeofcareerdoyouwishtohaveoneday?Writedownallofyourgoalsonapieceofpaperandhangitaboveyourdesk.Wheneveryou’refeelingdiscouragedoroverwhelmed,lookatitandremindyourselfofwhereyouwanttobe.Sometimesit’snecessarytolookatthebiggerpictureandputthingsinperspective,buttherearetimeswhenyoumayhavetofocusonthesmallertargetsthatwillgetyouthere.Whateverthecircumstance,havingthesegoalswrittendownwillhelpyouremainfocussedandontrack.”

Donotonlyrelyonyourteachers

“ThisispossiblyoneofthegreatestpiecesofadviceIhaveeverreceived.Wemustrememberthatourteachersaretheretoteach,mentorandguide,buttheyarenottheretowritetheexamforyou.Teachersareonlyhuman,andsomemayteachinawaywhichdoesn’tquiteworkforyou-imaginethedifficultyoftailoringyoursubjecttotwentydifferentstudents-andsoitisimportanttobeabletoteachyourselftopasstheexams,andtogaindifferentperspectivesonwhatyouarelearninginclass.Afterall,yourIBresultsareyourown,andsoyou’llwanttofeellikeyoutookownershipofyoursubjectsandcarriedonlearningoutsideoftheclassroom.Yourteacherswillofcoursehelpasmuchastheycan,butourtakeawaymessageisnottorelyonyourteachersforeverything,don’ttakeeverythingtheysayas‘gospel’,anddooutsidereadingonyourown.You’llbethankfulthatyoudid.”

Bepreparedtomakealotofsacrifices!

“Presumablyyouandyourfriendswillbeapplyingtoawiderangeofuniversities,eitherwithintheUKoraroundtheglobe,forawiderangeofcourses.Naturally,youwillallhavedifferentaspirations.Thepersonalgoalsthatyouhavetoreachinordertobuilduptoyouraspiration–smallorlarge–willthereforenotbethesameasyourclassmates’.Itisimportantthatyouremainfocussedonyourowngoalanddon’tletanyoneside-trackyou.Asscaryasitis(weknow–we’vebeenthere),inthenextyearortwo

you’llmakedecisionwhichwillhaveahugeimpactontherestofyourlife.”

Peer-checks

“Don’tbeafraidtodiscussworkwithyourpeers.Thisisoftenmosthelpfulwhenyoutakedifferentsubjectsorarelearningdifferenttopics.Haveafriendwhodoesnottakeyoursubjectreadyouressay–doesitmakesense?Aretheretypos?Cantheysuggestimprovementsthatcanbemade?Equally,ifyouandyourfriend(s)dotakethesamesubject,eachchooseatopicyoufeelmostorleastconfidentinconfidentinandtakeitinturnstoexplainittotherest.Formulatingpotentialexamquestionsforyourfriendstoansweralsoprovestobeausefulwayofbothbroadeningandconsolidatingyourknowledge.”

Don’tpanic

“Everyonegetssomethingwrongatsomepoint-don’tpanic!Withthemanysubjects,eachwiththeirowndeadlinestomeet,allIBstudentswillmissadeadlineorforgetapieceofhomeworkatsomestage.Thekeythingistotakechargeofyourmistake,prioritisefixingit,andtakestockofallupcomingdeadlinetoensureno‘knock-on’damage.SpeakwithyourteacherorIBCoordinatorifitisasignificantdeadline,andcompletetheworkattheearliestopportunity.”

Enjoyit!

AsateamweallthoroughlyenjoyedourIBstudies,andhaveusedtheskillsfosteredbytheIBtofollowarangeofacademicandnon-academicinterestsandprojects.WebelievetheDiplomaProgrammeisthebestpost-secondaryeducationalprogrammeavailabletoday,andencourageallthosewhofeeltheymightbeinterestedinittoresearchitand,ifyoudecideit’sforyou,toenjoyeverymoment!WehereatEliteIBremainonhandtoanswerallandanyqueriesyoumayhave,sodon’thesitatetocontactuswithanyquestionsyouhave.

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IBExamAdvice-LastChecks!

Here’sourchecklistofthesmallstuff,thatoftengetforgotten,torememberbeforeyoubegin:

• Asparecalculator,orattheveryleast,sparebatteries,• Abottleofwater,labelremoved,• Awatch-ifyou'refarawayfromtheexamhallclock,

youmightbegratefulyoubroughtyourowntime-keepingmeans-butremembernosmartwatchesareallowedduringtheexam,

• YourstudentID–it’snogoodturningupifnoonebelievesyou’reyou,

• Stationery–alwaystakeenoughpensandpencilswithyou,rememberyoucanaskforscrappaperduringtheexam,butdon’tforgettocrossoutyourworkingsout,otherwisetheycouldcounttowardsyourfinalmark!

• Yoursyllabushasasetof‘keywords’whichexplainwhatthequestionisaskingyou.Readandre-readthese.Forexample“writedown”meanstherearenomarksgivenforworking-youeitherknowtheansweroryoudon’t,soitwillmostlikelynotimpactonthenextpartofthequestion.

• Checktheexaminationvenueandtime-incasetheworsthappensandGoogleMapsfails,andsoyouwon'tbelate

Andonceyou’reinyourexam,breathedeeply,and:

• Writeclearly,andrememberthatexaminersneedtoreadmanyscripts,sotheyarealwaysthankfulforgoodhandwriting!

• Readandre-readthequestion;don’tpanic,makesureyoutakethetimetoreadthequestionslowly,underliningkeywordsandmakingsureyoudon’tmisinterpretwhattheexaminer’saskingofyou.

• Makearoughtimemanagementplanbycalculatinghowmanyminutesareallocatedtoeachmark.Atwo-hourexam,forinstance,worth60marksallows2minutesper

mark,andsousethisestimatetopreventyouspendingtoomuchtimestuckonalow-markquestion.

• Usewhatyou’regiven-aformulaebookletisagift!Learnwhateachvariablestandsforforeachandeveryformulaebeforesteppingintoyourexam.Itisamazinghowmanymarkscanbeawardedforsimplyknowingwhateachvariablemeans!

• Takeadvantage:Knowingdefinitions,keyterms,orkeydatesorfactscanprovide‘free’marksbeforeyouhavetostartcreatinglonger-fromanswers.Don’tover-complicatetherequirementshere,andmakesureyouutiliseeachopportunitytoscorethesemarks.

• Staycalm:TherewillbeamomentatsomepointinyourIBexamswhereyoufeeloverwhelmed,oryouarefacedwiththequestionyoureallydidn’twanttocomeup.Don’tworry,everyoneelseisfeelingthesameaboutsomething-justtakeamomenttogroundyourselfanddon’tletthisaffectyourrhythm.It’salwaysbettertoskipaquestionandcomebackthantospendhalftheexamstaringattheexampaper!

FrequentlyAskedQuestions

Wetrytoputtogetherhandyguidestodifficultsubjectswherewecan,andsopleaseseehereourIBResitsmostfrequentlyaskedquestions(FAQs).Tokeepuptodateonourlatesttipsandadvice,aswellasaccessEliteIBFAQsinotherareas,pleaseseeourblog,whereyoucanfind,amongstothers,thefollowingarticles:

“BeinganIBgraduatehimself,TimextolsthebenefitsoftheCoreElementsoftheIBDP,whichencouragestudentsto‘learnhowtosolveproblems,writeessaysandapproachresearchacrosssixdifferentsubjectsmeansstudentsaregenerallywellpreparedtoapproachboththeirExtendedEssayandTOKwhenthetimecomes.’”-PrepareforEE&TOK

"IthinkattendingandfundraisingforthetripwithOperationWallaceatoSulawesi,Indonesia…allowedmetoexperiencethingsthatIhadneverdonebefore,whichhelpedmegrowasapersonandgavemealotofselfconfidence,whichsupportedmethroughoutmylastyearofIB."

Askusyourquestions!YoucangetintouchwiththeEliteIBteamatanytimeforanswerstoyourquestions.YoucanfindoutmoreabouttheIBanddownloadourIBresourcesontheEliteIBwebsite!

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"WhenIwasapplyingforEconomics,IspokeofhowIhadbeenabletoapplymytheoreticalunderstandingofEconomicstothethereal-lifesituationofmanagingabudgetandsettingsuitablepriceswhilstbeingapartofmyschool’sDanceCommittee.EventhoughmostofmyCASactivitieswereirrelevanttomyapplication,Istronglybelievethattheyarestillveryusefulforuniversity,eitherformyfitness,socialawarenessortime-management."-SummerCASActivities

"Aswithanyacademicstudying,theIBcanbeaseasyorashardasyouwishtomakeit.Thereisnodoubtthatthecontentiscertainlydifficult,butthebestwaytomitigatethisandstayontopofyourworkistoorganise,organise,organise!OneofTim’stoptipsistoworktothesyllabus,settingoutallthetopicsthatyouneedtoknowforyourchosensubjects.Gothrougheachone,bebrutallyhonestandgradeyourselfonyourknowledge.Areyouveryconfident,confident,notsoconfident,orcompletelybaffledbythetopic?Thiswillallowyoutoplanyourrevision,focusonareasofweakness,andensureyoudedicatethenecessarytimetoeachtopic.Itis,also,nevertooearlytobeginthisexercise!"-SchoolTalks

"Startrevisionearlyandbreakuptheworkloadgradually.Ibenefitedfromthisasitallowedmetocontinueplayingsportsandsleepingcorrectly,whichIbelieveiskeytoworkingefficientlyandmanagingstress.Themorepreparedyouare,thecalmeryouwillbeintheactualexamandthebetteryouwillperform!"-AdvicefromCourseAttendee

“Lowconfidencecanmakehomeworkorcourseworkunnecessarilydaunting,andaskingforhelpisalwaysmoreproductivethanworryingaboutnotachievingyourgrades."TopTipsfromTutorTom

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Appendix1:FullSubjectLists,2017-18

Group1LanguageA:Literature.Availablecurrentlyin57languages,althoughnotallareofferedinboththeMayandNovembersessions:

Albanian,Afrikaans,Amharic,Arabic,Belarusian,Bengali,Bosnian,Bulgarian,Catalan,Chinese,Croatian,Czech,Danish,Dutch,English,Estonian,Estonian,Filipino,Finnish,French,German,Hebrew,Hindi,Hungarian,Icelandic,Indonesian,Italian,Japanese,Korean,Latvian,Lithuanian,Macedonian,Malay,ModernGreek,Nepali,Norwegian,Persian,Polish,Portuguese,Romanian,Russian,Serbian,Sesotho,Sinhalese,SiSwati,Slovak,Slovene,Spanish,Swahili,Swati,Swedish,Thai,Turkish,Ukrainian,Urdu,Vietnamese,Welsh.Othersavailableonspecialrequest.

LanguageA:Language&Literature.Currentlyavailablein17languages,againnotallavailableinbothsessions:

Arabic,Chinese,Dutch,English,French,German,Indonesian,Italian,Japanese,Korean,ModernGreek,Norwegian,Portuguese,Russian,Spanish,Swedish,Thai.

LanguageA:Literature&Performance.AvailableinEnglish,Spanish,andFrench,althoughFrenchandSpanisharebyspecialrequestonly.

Group2LanguageB:23languagesofferedLanguageabinitio:12languagesofferedClassicallanguages:2languagesofferedLanguageBlanguages:Arabic,Chinese-Cantonese,Chinese-Mandarin,Danish,Dutch,English,Finnish,French,German,Hebrew,Hindi,Indonesian,Italian,Japanese,Korean,Malay,Norwegian,Portuguese,Russian,Spanish,Swahili,Swedish,Tamil.

Languageabinitio:Arabic,English,French,German,Indonesian,Italian,Japanese,Malay,Russian,Spanish,SwahiliClassicalLanguages:ClassicalGreek,Latin

Group3Individuals&Societies:Business&Management,Economics,EnvironmentalSystems&Societies(ESS),Geography,GlobalPolitics,History,InformationTechnologyinaGlobalSociety(ITGS),Philosophy,Psychology,Social&CulturalAnthropology,WorldReligions.

Group4Sciences:Biology;ComputerScience;Chemistry;DesignTechnology;EnvironmentalSystems&Societies;Physics;Sports,ExerciseandHealthScience.

Group5Mathematics:MathematicsHigherLevel,MathematicsStandardLevel,MathematicsStudies,FurtherMathematics

Group6Arts:Dance,Film,Literature&Performance,Music,Theatre,VisualArts

Askusyourquestions!YoucangetintouchwiththeEliteIBteamatanytimeforanswerstoyourquestions.YoucanfindoutmoreabouttheIBanddownloadourIBresourcesontheEliteIBwebsite!eliteib.co.uk/resourcescontact@eliteib.co.uk+44(0)2038026862