DP Subject Briefs

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:

• • • HL has 4 components

    • SL has 3 components

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:

• What is your best academic language?  Is it on offer as a Group 1 subject or will you need to take it as "self taught"?

• On your latest report card, what subject or subjects did you have where you were not only learning grammar and style but also reading  and analyzing literature?     What grade was earned? 

• In your University research, did you find a specific Language A course you need to have, specifically in regards to English or Swedish? 

• What are your future educational goals? Most students will benefit from having one Group 1 language and one Group 2 language to best balance their overall workload.

• How much do you enjoy reading? Once it is clear which is your Group 1 language, how do we decide between Language and Literature or just Literature?  It may depend on your interest in reading. 

  • Literature HL reads 10 literary works

  • Literature SL reads 7 literary works  (note Self taught is only offered by the IB at SL)

  • Language and Literature HL reads 6 literary works and studies 5-6 bodies of work (non-literary texts)

  • Language and Literature SL reads 4 literary works and studies 4 bodies of work (non-literary texts)

    • Note that a literary text can be a novel, a play, an autobiography, a biography, a selection of poems or short stories

    • Note also that in the Language and  Literature course students also study non-literary texts (so called bodies of work). Language study can include the  study of language history, dialects, persuasive language, song lyrics and images in advertising and politics There should be a balance between the time allotted to the literary and non-literary texts. The non-literary bodies of work must include a wide range of different text types.

• The school will also review your latest results in English as a subject, and the English Placement test results, to help determine appropriate placement in the subject.

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.

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:

• Looking at your latest report card(s). Were you learning a modern foreign language at all? If so, which one?  For how long? Which stage/level were you at?  What grade was earned?  Is a language we offer in the DP?

• Are you enrolled in a Swedish school?  Have you been having Swedish (SVE) as a Language A or Swedish as an additional language (SVA)? For how many years? What is your latest grade in the subject?

• Have you been studying English as Language A or English as an additional language, like Language B?  Ask your current school for more information if you are unsure. For how many years have you studied that course or courses like that? 

• What are your plans for future study? Will you attend in Sweden?  If yes, Is it a competitive program to get into?  If so, you might benefit from being able to earn all of the merit points you possibly can. In this case, you should consider if you are eligible to take French, German or Spanish.

• At HL, students read 2 literary works. Is your language level proficient enough to be able to do that?

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. 

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.

• Svenska 1 (SVE): Students need to take Swedish from Group 1 in DP if they have an E (passing) in Svenska 1. They cannot choose Swedish B. 

• Svenska som andraspråk (SVA): Students are en route to Swedish B HL/SL.  Students with at least a B in SVA may even choose Swedish SL from Group 1 in DP, but need to consult their Swedish teacher prior to subject selection.  

• Ab Initio (for beginners): Students with little or very little prior knowledge of Swedish shall take Swedish Ab Initio in DP if Swedish is a desired option at all.

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

• Swedish A: Students coming from abroad with Swedish as a mother tongue will take Swedish A. If they have not studied Swedish while abroad, Swedish A SL is most likely recommended. If needed, a written and oral test can be done in order to place the student in the course that best fits their level ofSwedish.

• Swedish B SL: Prior knowledge of Swedish according to the CEFR standard, A1/A2

• Swedish B HL: Prior knowledge of Swedish according to the CEFR standard, B1/B2

• Swedish Ab Initio: Students with no or very little prior knowledge of Swedish will take Swedish Ab Initio.

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 

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:

• HL 4 components

• SL 3 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:

• Which social science(s) have you studied previously?   What grade did you get?

• Which did you enjoy the most?  Is that subject available to continue with?

• What are your future study goals? Do we offer a subject that could be a good foundation for those goals?

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.

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    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:

• • • Bio, Chem, Physics HL or SL: 3 components

    • Des tech HL 4 components

    • Des tech SL 3 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:

• Looking at your latest report card(s). What subject or subjects did you have in this group before?  What grade was earned? 

• When you do the University research, which science is required?

• Guidelines for prior knowledge especially recommended:

  • For Bio, Chem, Physics, or  SL:

    • Passing grade in General Science in MYP 5 or Grade 10 is preferred

    • Passing grade in basic mathematics for Physics SL and HL is preferred

  • For Bio, Chem, and Physics HL:

    • C (or its equivalent) in Bio, Chem, and Physics respectively is preferred.

  • For Design Technology SL or HL

    • Summer prerequisite assignment for all incoming Des Tech students

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. 

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

• • HL 4

  • SL 3

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:

• Looking at your latest report card(s). What subject or subjects did you have in this group before?  What grade was earned? 

• Do you tend to enjoy more theoretical math or practical?  (AA-more theoretical, AI-more practical)

• Do you enjoy learning how to use a graphic calculator? (AI-uses graphic calculator more)

• When you do the University research, what math course is required?  Note the school recommends that if, say, Math AI SL is the requirement, that a student not take a level higher unless he/she has a good basis for doing so.

• The school will also look at the results of your math placement test to assist in appropriate placement, you may not be eligible to take a HL math if you do not have the requisite knowledge.  To see more about what grade you need in PreDP to be able to access each math subject, see Hvitfedtska's guidance and support document for Math subjects

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

• Math AA HL:  PreDP grade of B in Math 2c. MYP 5 Mathematics grade of 6-7

• Math AI HL:  PreDP grade of C in Math 2c. MYP 5 Mathematics grade of 5   (updated)

• Math AA SL: PreDP grade of D in Math 2c.  MYP 5 Mathematics grade of 4    (updated)

• Math AI SL: PreDP grade of E in Math 1c. MYP Mathematics grade of 2

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 equivalent to Matematik specialisering in Sweden. 

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 or SL

Assessment Components

• • HL or SL: 3

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

Guiding questions for appropriate subject placement:

• How interested are you in developing art skills and creating final works? 

• How interested are you in engagement in the full process and documentation of art making from ideation to completion? 

•  How interested are you in looking closely at art, analyzing it, and  writing about art using others' research and subject specific terminology? 

Swedish University Guidance

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