Subject Selection for Diploma Program


*The Core is also part of the Full Diploma candidate's study plan: 

Theory of Knowledge (TOK) is a course taken for at least 100 hours that addresses "How do we know what we know in various disciplines?" It has two assessment components, one internal and one external.

Extended Essay (EE) is a 4,000  word academic research essay guided by a student's own research question within one of the subjects in the Diploma.  It is an externally marked assessment. 

Creativity, Activity, and Service (CAS) is a series of experiences students and at least one project designed and undertaken over the 18 months of the program. 

A:  The Full Diploma Program Model

Students take 6 subjects over 2 school years and "the core"*. Generally one subject is taken from each group, with some exceptions permitted.  

3 subjects will be taken at Higher Level (240 hours) 

3 subjects at Standard Level (150 hours).

When one is a Full Diploma candidate, it will give basic eligibility to apply to University, if successfully completed.

Before requesting subjects, students should research University program websites to see if there are any pre-requisite courses needed to be able to apply.

A student's Diploma Program should reflect:

a) their interests

b) their capabilities and prior knowledge

c) their goals for future University studies

B: Eligibility to take the Full Diploma

As a basic rule, to be a Full Diploma candidate, you must have at least passed all subjects from the preceding school year. 

Certain subjects, for example: Math AA HL or Physics HL, require a demonstrated higher level of proficiency than passing level, in order to take it in the Diploma Program. These policies and guidlines are delineated in Section E.

If you are not eligible for the Full Diploma, you might instead be offered to become a course candidate. Course candidacy does not merit basic eligibility to apply to all Universities, but might yield some merit for some international Universities. 

Course candidacy is discussed more in our Assessment Policy.


C: Subject Selection Presentation

You can click through on this page (by updating page number you want to see), or, you can click to open in another window to view the slideshow. 


Subject selection guidance for 23-34.pptx

D: Working backwards: 

The (Final) Assessment Model, How to Earn the Diploma, University info (Sweden)

The Assessment Model in the Diploma Program

Over 18 months, students will study the 6 subjects and complete the "core". 

Each subject has several assessment components.  One of which is always something like a larger piece of work which students are guided through at school with their teacher.  These are called internal assessments.  Your teacher can and does guide you and give you feedback for improvement, however, under certain conditions specified by the IB and our own policies. 

The rest are called external assessments. They are usually exams called Paper 1, Paper 2, and so on.  Or they can even be something the student works on at school under guidance of the teacher, but that is sent to the IB for marking externally. 

The exams are done on paper in May in the final year. The exams get sent to the IB for marking. The results of the exams and the internal assessments are collected by the IB and it is the IB who awards the student their final grade in July. 

Below is a model to show an example of one subject and its assessment components.  The example is a subject many students take called Language and Literature and the example shows details for Higher Level. Language and Literature is one of the only subjects that has 5 summative assessment components at HL. Usually an HL course will have about 4 assessment components, whereas an SL course will usually have 3. 

The model shows what percent each componant is worth towards the final grade.


Here is another example of one of the sciences: Physics at Higher level.  

To recap, each of the 6 subjects has the assessment components students and teachers are working towards completing successfully. Three of the six subjects will be done at Higher Level and three at Standard Level.  Plus, there are 2 assessment components for Theory of Knowledge, a 4, 000 word Extended Essay students write, and, in students' spare time they will also participate in Creativity, Activity and Service.  

Thus you can imagine that ensuring the most appropriate subject placement for each student is crucial for balancing their workload and creating the best conditions for student success.

Earning the Diploma

The Diploma is earned holistically. Meaning, at the end of the program, you can earn the Diploma if your subject grades, which can range from 1-7:

Additionally, you must complete the Theory of Knowledge and the Extended Essay at a passing level (at least a D on a scale from A-E).

And finally, you must also complete Creativity, Activity, and Service successfully.  

This list is not exhaustive and you are encouraged to see Article 13 of the General Regulations for the full list of requirements needed to earn a Diploma.

Swedish University: Links and Resources

The following section is information about Swedish University specifically. We do require that, before making subject requests,  students research at least 1-2 programs in Sweden and 1-2 programs internationally to see if their possible program of desire has any special subject requirements and to get used to the process of searching and finding information.  More information about how to search is in the presentation above.

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The governing authority is Universitets och högskolerådet (UHR) and if one applies to any University in Sweden, they do so through this body, through the website www.antagning.se. 

In Swedish, there is very detailed, specific information through Antagning.se: 


To see programs whose language of instruction is English (where the Swedish level requirement is waived):  https://studyinsweden.se/ 

Instructions for how to find Swedish University Programmes and entry requirements

E: List of Subjects We Typically Offer at Hvitfeldtska

Placement and Guidance Policies for each

List of subjects we typically offer:

We cannot promise the possibility to take Bio, Chem and Physics altogether.  You can request it and we will investigate if it's possible to design a schedule that accomodates it. 


Group 1: 

English Literature HL or SL 

English Language & Literature, HL or SL

Swedish Language & Literature, HL or SL

Self-Taught Literature SL only


Group 2: 

Swedish ab initio SL only

Swedish B HL or SL

French HL or SL

Spanish HL or SL

German SL only

English B has not been on offer as we haven't had a big enough group. English B will be considered if there is a referring teacher and not available for request from the student.


Group 3: 

Economics HL or SL

History HL or SL

Psychology HL or SL


Group 4: 

Biology HL or SL

Chemistry HL or SL

Physics HL or SL

Design Technology HL or SL


Group 5: 

Math AA HL or SL

Math AI HL or SL


Group 6: 

Visual Arts HL or SL

(or one doesn't take Art and chooses another subject from Groups 2-4)


Each group has more detailed information below including links to the IB Subject Brief (syllabus in short), guidance on selection considerations, and how it is considered by the Swedish University authority.


Group 1: Studies in Language and Literature

All students MUST have at least one A-Language.  If you are at a bi-lingual level, you can choose two A-language from Group 1. (one Lit course + one Lang&Lit course is recommended in that case).  With two languages in Group 1, you do not have ot choose a B-language (Group 2), but, you may.

We usually have the following subjects available in Group 1. Each subject is clickable and takes you to the IB DP Subject Brief for that subject. Which/how many will be offered at HL will be determined after we see student requests.

English Language and Literature 

Swedish Language and Literature 

Swedish Literature 

English Literature

Self Taught Literature  (Note! Another language whereby you find a tutor yourself (and pay yourself) outside of school and we offer once a week lessons with a self-taught coordinator to guide you (in EnglishI) through the course structure and assessment requirements)


Assessment components for all Group 1 subjects:


Guiding principle: It should be your strongest academic language. It is often, but not  necessarily, your mother tongue.

The IB has published placement guidance you may be interested to read here: DP language courses: overview and placement guidance 


Guiding questions for appropriate subject placement:

Swedish University Guidance

English 6 is required. Any English you take as a subject (from Group 1 or 2-if offered) will be accepted as English 7 if you pass with at least a 4. So in Sweden, you can even yield 1 merit point.  

Swedish equivalence to SVE03 or SVA03 is required only for swedish speaking programs. The only IB equivalence is Swedish in Group 1. One can only take Swedish in Group 1 if one is eligible, i.e., we can verify you have the requisite level of knowledge to take the course.


Group 1-2: Swedish Specific Policy and Guidance

Guiding principle: You should not be able to easily meet the goals of the course. 

Students in pre-IB at Hvitfeldtska

 Students who take the following Swedish courses in pre-IB at Hvitfeldtska will select the Diploma courses as described below. When in doubt regarding the selection of the adequate course and level students need to consult their teacher.

Students coming to Hvitfeldtska from other schools

MYP students who are enrolled in "Language and Literature" will continue as such into Swedish in Group 1. 

For students coming from other Swedish or English schools in Sweden the guidelines above will be applied. 

When in doubt:

If needed a written and oral test can be done in order to place the student in the course that best fits their level of Swedish.

Students coming to Hvitfeldtska from abroad

Group 1-2: English Specific Policy and Guidance

Guiding principle: You should not be able to easily meet the goals of the course. 

Additional guidelines for IBDP subject choices: English


Course focus

The focus of the English Group 1 courses are directed towards developing an understanding of the techniques involved in textual analysis, and promoting the ability to form independent arguments.


The focus of the English B course is on language acquisition, while exploring the cultures connected to it.


Level of proficiency needed 

Students who have completed the pre-IB English course (English 5) with a grade of A or B normally have the level of proficiency needed for the Group 1: English A courses (Language&Literature or Literature).  


For those coming from another school or abroad, we will review your placement test results to recommend correct placement.


For additional guidance, please refer to the information below.


English A, HL or SL, 

(Language&Literature or Literature) 

is recommended for students who can… 


Receptive Skills

…demonstrate a good understanding of the meaning of purpose of written and oral texts, including literary texts.

…recognize some subtleties of specific language use and their effects.

Productive Skills

…speak mostly clearly and fluently and use a varied range of language mostly accurately.

…write fairly detailed and analytical texts

…demonstrate a good command of vocabulary with a good level of grammatical accuracy.

…use complex language accurately.

…show an ability to communicate in academic register. 

…express ideas and organize work coherently.

Interactive Skills

…handle ideas mostly effectively with generally full interaction.

…deal independently and analytically, although with some difficulty, with more complex questions. 



English B, HL, 

is recommended for students who can…


Receptive Skills

…demonstrate a good understanding of the meaning of purpose of written and oral texts.

Productive Skills

…speak generally clearly. 

…respond appropriately to most questions but struggle with responding to difficult questions.

…demonstrate an adequate command of vocabulary and grammatical accuracy.

…use basic and some complex language accurately.

…show a reasonable ability to adapt writing to suit the intended audience and purpose.

…express ideas and organize work appropriately.

Interactive Skills

…respond appropriately and demonstrate comprehension.

…use pronunciation and intonation which facilitate the understanding of the message.

…make independent contributions.

…produce clear messages.


Adapted from IBO: DP language courses: overview and placement guidance, 2020 

Group 2: Language Acquisition Policy and Guidance


Guiding principle: You should not be able to easily meet the goals of the course. 

Acquisition means you are still acquiring the language. Thus Group 2 are subjects that are not your strongest academic language, but one you have been in the process of learning for a shorter time period. 

Remember, you must have at least one subject from Group 1.  You must also have a 2nd language, however, the 2nd one can be from Group 1 again, or Group 2. If a student opts out of Group 6, Visual arts, he/she may even potentially have three languages, depending on the student language profile, interests and future study goals.

We usually have the following subjects available. Which/how many will be offered at HL will be determined after we see student requests. Each subject is clickable and takes you to the IB DP Subject Brief for that subject. 

Note: Ab initio means from the beginning, whereas Language B is usually a language you have been learning for about 2-4 years already. 

Swedish AB Initio

Swedish B

English B (not always on offer in the program)

French B

German B

Spanish B

DP language courses: overview and placement guidance


Assessment components: 

3

Guiding questions for appropriate subject placement:


Swedish University Guidance

Note: When you take a Language B (not English or Swedish) and pass with at least an IB grade of 4, you will earn 1.5 merit points when applying to Swedish Universities.   If you take English B here and pass with at least a grade of 4, you can also earn 1 merit point when applying to Swedish Universities. 


Group 3: Individuals and Societies

Nearly all students must have at least one Group 3 subject, with very few exceptions. That is discussed further in Group 4.  A student may take two Group 3 if they opt out of Group 6, Visual Arts.

We usually have the following subjects available. Which/how many will be offered at HL will be determined after we see student requests. Each subject is clickable and takes you to the IB DP Subject Brief for that subject.

Psychology

Economics HL   SL

History  HL  SL

Assessment Components:


Guiding principle:  What subject(s) have you studied before and/or what subject(s) are you most interested in for further study?

Guiding questions for appropriate subject placement:


Swedish University Guidance

Note: any of these courses when taken as part of the full Diploma, grant basic eligibility to Universities in Sweden (if passed with at least a 4). All of the IB social sciences suffice as equivalent to "Samhällskunskap 1" in the Swedish system,  Economics suffices for "Samhällskunskap 2", and History suffices for a "Historia 1b" requirement.


Group 4: Sciences Policy and Guidance

Every student must take at least one Group 4 subject.  A student may take a second Group 4 if they opt out of Group 6, Visual arts. 

Some students may inquire after a so-called irregular diploma whereby they have Bio, Chem, and Physics, and thus no Group 6 or Group 4. This is not recommended and must be discussed with the program principal to request permission. 

We usually have the following subjects available. Which/how many will be offered at HL will be determined after we see student requests. Each subject is clickable and takes you to the IB DP Subject Brief for that subject. 


Design Technology  HL   SL   We are one of two schools in Sweden who offer this subject.  For more information about the course, see below.

Biology    In Sweden, this is equivalent to Biologi 2, regardless of level

Chemistry  In Sweden, this is equivalent to Kemi 2, regardless of level.

Physics  In Sweden, this is equivalent to Fysik 2, regardless of level.

Current students have requested that the school start Computer Science . The school is exploring this as an option and students who complete a formal subject request will have a chance to indicate if they would be interested in this course. 


Assessment components:


Guiding principle:  What subject(s) have you studied before and/or what subject(s) are you most interested in for further study?

Guiding questions for appropriate subject placement:



What is Design Technology?

Maybe you've looked at the subject brief, linked above, and still want more details.  This website: http://www.ruthtrumpold.id.au/destech/  is basically like an online textbook that can really give you a taste of what the subject entails.

In Design Tech, students do not complete not laboratory experiments, instead, there is something called an Individual Design Project, aka the "Design Project":

The Design Project is a big part of the link between theory and practice in the coursework, and offers students an opportunity to identify a real-world problem that is being experienced by a target audience. Through applying the Design Cycle, a multi-faceted iterative process, students will work to develop, create and evaluate the effectiveness of their protype to solve the problem. While no previous experience is required for taking DT, students need to be prepared to learn a wide range of computer programmes and production techniques in a very short period of time in August to November, and even before the course officially starts, beginning with a Summer Assignment to kickstart your Design Thinking".  


Swedish University Guidance

Note: Taking any science as part of the full diploma gives basic eligibility to many basic programs in Sweden. Check the University Bachelor programmes you plan to apply to first to see requirements.  A course will be equivalent to the Swedish course if passed with at least a 4 with some exceptions. 


Group 5: Mathematics Policy and Guidance

Every student must take a Mathematics subject.

We usually have the following subjects available. Which/how many will be offered at HL will be determined after we see student requests. Each subject is clickable and takes you to the IB DP Subject Brief for that subject. 

Math Applications and Interpretation    

Math Analysis and Approaches  

Assessment Components

Guiding principle:  Placement is determined by review of past grades in Math and the Math entrance test. 

Prior learning topics students are expected to have learned earlier

Hvitfedtska's guidance and support document for Math subjects

Guiding questions for appropriate subject placement:

Guidance (specific) for grades we'd expect to see in PreDP or MYP 5 to be placed in the DP math subjects:

Swedish University Guidance

Note: Any math you take in the IB (and pass) as part of the full Diploma will give you basic eligibility in Sweden. Up to 1.5 merit points can be earned when applying to Swedish Universities. It depends on what math is required vs. what math you have taken that is above and beyond the requirement. You can see the chart that explains it here.   

AI SL is equivalent to Matematik 3c in Sweden.  

AI HL is equivalent to Matematik 5 in Sweden.

AA SL is equivalent to Matematik 4 in Sweden.   

AA HL is equivlant to Matematik specialisering in Sweden. 

Group 6: The Arts

It is not obligatory to have a Group 6 subject, but it is obligatory to have a 6th subject. So, students can choose to have Visual Arts or they can decide not to, and instead, request another subject from Group 2, 3, or 4.  Click the link to be taken to the IB published Subject Brief to get to know even more.

Visual Arts HL  SL 

Assessment Components

Guiding principle: Arts is part of a broad and balanced Diploma Program.

Guiding questions for appropriate subject placement:


Swedish University Guidance

Note: Taking Visual Art as part of a full Diploma and passing it gives basic eligibility to University in Sweden.


F: Principles of subject request and placement in the Diploma Program

G: Consolidating your knowledge and requesting subjects

Test your readiness to request subjects

Submit your FINAL subject request (after you have at least done the "test your readiness" quiz above.)