IBDP Content

The content of the IB Diploma Programme

All Diploma students must complete the core programme, and they must study 6 academic subjects – one subject from each group.

The IB core programme

The heart of the IBDP is embodied in its three mandatory core components, summarised below. Although there are only few marks allocated to the core, satisfactory completion of the core components is required for the award of the diploma.

In line with university and job market demands, the mandatory IBDP core components encourage personal growth through activities, through service, and through their insistence on reflection, on both an academic and a personal level.

Creativity, Action, Service (CAS)

The three strands of CAS are as follows:

Creativity - Arts, crafts and other experiences that require creative thinking

Activity - Physical exertion contributing to a healthy lifestyle

Service - Voluntary action that has a learning benefit for the student, respecting the rights, dignity and autonomy of all those involved

Though not formerly assessed, students must show sustained and active participation in CAS, in each of the three CAS components, reflect on their CAS experiences as part of the DP, and provide evidence of achieving the seven learning outcomes for CAS, which are for students to:

1. Identify their own strengths and develop areas for personal growth.

2. Demonstrate that challenges have been undertaken, developing new skills in the process.

3. Demonstrate how to initiate and plan a CAS experience.

4. Show commitment to and perseverance in CAS experiences.

5. Demonstrate the skills and recognise the benefits of working collaboratively..

6. Demonstrate engagement with issues of global significance.

7. Recognize and consider the ethics of choices and actions.

Theory of Knowledge (TOK)

This is an epistemological/ philosophical course that considers the ways in which people acquire knowledge as well as the typical strengths and weaknesses of each of these ways. Throughout, an awareness of the impact of culture on knowledge plays a key role.

Not only does this course allow students to explore, express, and contrast their own cultural and personal backgrounds with those of others, but it also allows them to reflect on the different academic disciplines, their commonalities and differences, and so become truly rounded individuals with a proven ability to be objective, balanced critical thinkers appreciating different perspectives of knowledge, be it from the arts, sciences, or language.

The TOK course is assessed through an oral exhibition and a 1,600-word essay.

The Extended Essay (EE)

Students are also required to write an extended essay of 4,000 words, for which there is again no equivalent in most traditional secondary school programmes. The extended essay is a research project on a subject of the student’s choice which involves 40 hours of work outside the taught subject material, guided by a teacher supervisor.

The extended essay has an affinity with research work required at the tertiary level and can be a telling indicator of a student’s drive, passion, and true academic ability. It is very highly valued by admissions officers in universities around the globe.

Subject Choices

Students select six subjects, one from each of the subject groups here. As an alternative to the group 6 options, students may opt to take another subject from groups 2, 3, or 4 as their sixth choice.

Of the six academic subjects, our students will take 3 at Higher Level (HL), comprising 240 teacher-student contact hours over the two-year course for each subject; and 3 at Standard Level (SL), with an expected 150 contact hours per subject. It is up to the student and the school advisers to determine which particular subjects are taken at HL, but typically these will be subjects that students may want to pursue at the tertiary/ university level.