IB Diploma /AP Course
International Baccalaureate (IB) VS Advanced Placement (AP)
IB Diploma (IB)
Meant for students aged 16-19, the DP is made up of six subject groups as well as five core subjects: theory of knowledge, creativity, activity, service and extended essays. There are also independent research and community service projects within the curriculum. DP results are used for university admissions.
Advanced Placement (AP)
Prior to the creation of advanced topic courses, SAS's only option for rigorous, college-level courses was what was offered by the College Board through the Advanced Placement (AP) program.
Structural Differences between the AP and IB Exams
- The IB program is a diploma program, meaning that at the end of high school, students not only get a high school diploma but also an IB diploma.
- All the IB coursework is interconnected.
- The AP program, on the other hand, has no unifying core. A student can sign up for as many or as few AP courses as he/she wants. The more AP courses you take, the more demanding your schedule becomes, but each course lasts 1 year as opposed to 2 for the IB. There are also no set requirements for how many AP’s a student should take. Each AP is its own individual course and can stand-alone.
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Time commitment: Short term vs. long term
IB stands for International Baccalaureate. It is an alternative to AP, or advanced placement that is more prevalent in American public schools. However IB, as suggested by the name, is more internationally recognized. Over 4000 schools from around the world follow the IB curriculum, whereas AP was created by College Board and is primarily active in the United States and Canada.
Summary of Content Differences
- Critical thinking is important for AP but essential for IB
- Breadth of knowledge is important for AP but breadth and depth of knowledge is important for the IB.
- AP is content driven. IB is process driven. The AP cares about the right answer. The IB cares about how you got the right answer
- It will be an unfair comparsion, since The AP tests individual topics. The IB is an entire curriculum.
How students taking International Baccalaureate applying for admissions be assessed by the Universities
Admissions to Universities undergraduate programmes is based on merit and competition. The score in their IB Diploma will be used to assess the students. Depending on the programmes they apply, the students may be required to go for an interview or sit for a selection test. Applicants with exceptional achievements in an area or field of study can be considered for admissions under the non-academic achievements or discretionary admissions scheme, in addition to academic grades.
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