IBDP Core Requirements

To be awarded the IB Diploma, students are required to complete a substantial commitment to each of the three CAS components. The CAS programme contains a balance of creativity, activity and service. For an experience to be regarded as CAS there must be an adult supervisor in charge who will monitor and evaluate the student’s engagement.

Project Week is a key part of Grade 11 and the CAS programme (Creativity, Activity, and Service). It offers a chance to work on meaningful projects in small groups, either locally or with selected overseas OED or NGO GC partners.

Students are required to reflect regularly on their CAS experiences, using Managebac and a personal digital portfolio. CAS aims to challenge and extend students by developing a spirit of discovery, self-reliance, skills and interests. In many cases CAS experiences benefit others or the environment and make a positive contribution to the student’s development, self-awareness and sense of responsibility.

The Extended Essay (EE) is an in-depth study of a focused topic of the student’s choice selected from one of the six IB subject groups. It is a mandatory assessment for all full IB Diploma students. The purpose of the EE is to develop academic research, critical thinking, selfmanagement, and communication skills whilst also reflecting on what has been learnt through the research and writing process. With the guidance of a teacher supervisor, students choose one of their IBDP subjects (or two in the case of World Studies – an interdisciplinary approach) and develop a research question on which to focus. They will then work over several months to produce a formally structured essay of a maximum of 4,000 words. In addition, the students and their supervisor will have three mandatory reflection sessions throughout the process which will be written up in no more than 500 words. The EE and three reflections are externally assessed by the IB. Students must achieve a ‘D’ grade or higher in order to be awarded the IB Diploma. Up to three core IBDP points are awarded according to the quality of the combined standard of a student’s Extended Essay and ToK Essay. The Extended Essay and ToK Essay are each awarded a grade from A to E, and core points are calculated from a matrix (see ToK section below). An award of an ‘E’ in either the Extended Essay or ToK Essay is considered a ‘failing condition’ and the diploma is not awarded.

Theory of Knowledge (ToK) provides an opportunity for students to reflect on the nature of knowledge as well as the different types of knowledge across the Diploma Program. The course emphasises the connections between different areas of knowledge and aids the student to become aware of his or her own perspectives so that they can address fundamental questions about knowledge and themselves as knowers.

Theory of Knowledge is a course about critical thinking and inquiring into the process of knowing, rather than about learning a specific body of knowledge. It is a core element which all Diploma Programme students take. The ToK course looks at the ways in which we acquire and produce knowledge, the problems involved in the IBDP subject areas, as well as in areas such as politics and religion. It focuses on other influences on our understanding of the world, such as the language, technology and culture.

Students read about and discuss a wide variety of topics. This exposure develops their presentation and writing skills, and enhances an appreciation of alternative points of view, providing a better understanding of complicated problems of knowledge. It aims to teach students how to acknowledge and analyse these problems rather than solve them once and for all.

Internal assessment – 35% "Exhibition" 

For this component, students are required to create an exhibition that explores how TOK manifests in the world around us. This component is internally assessed by the teacher and externally moderated by the IB at the end of the course. The submitted work will include photo of 3 objects and a typed commentary on each object that identifies each object and its specific real-world context, justifies its inclusion in the exhibition and links to the IA prompt (e.g., What counts as knowledge?).

External assessment - 65%. "Essay" (1,600 Words).

For this component, students are required to write a response to one of the six prescribed titles (e.g. "Is subjectivity overly celebrated in the arts but unfairly condemned in history?" ) The titles are issued by the IB in September, students will 'unpack' these titles and then craft their own arguments using examples that are important to them. This is the main focus of Grade 12. As an external assessment component, it is marked by IB examiners.