IB Diploma Programme

The International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme (IB.DP) is a two-year educational programme primarily aimed at 16- to 19-year-olds in 140 countries around the world. The programme provides an internationally accepted qualification for entry into higher education and is recognized by many universities worldwide. It was developed in the early-to-mid-1960s in Geneva, Switzerland, by a group of international educators. After a six-year pilot programme that ended in 1975, a bilingual diploma was established. Administered by the International Baccalaureate (IB), the IBDP is taught in schools in over 140 countries, in one of five languages: Chinese, English, French, German, or Spanish. To offer the IB diploma, a school must be certified as an IB school. IBDP students complete assessments in six subjects, traditionally one from each of the 6 subject groups (although students may choose to forgo a Group 6 (art) subject, instead choosing an additional subject from one of the other groups barring Group 5 (mathematics). In addition, students must fulfill the three core requirements; CAS (Creativity, Activity, Service), TOK (Theory of Knowledge) and the EE (Extended Essay). Students are evaluated using both internal and external assessments, and courses finish with an externally assessed series of examinations, usually consisting of two or three timed written tests. Internal assessment varies by subject: there may be oral presentations, practical work, or written work. In most cases, these are initially graded by the classroom teacher, whose grades are then verified or modified, as necessary, by an appointed external moderator. Generally, the IBDP has been well-received. It has been commended for introducing interdisciplinary thinking to students. In the United Kingdom, The Guardian newspaper claims that the IBDP is "more academically challenging and broader than three or four A-levels". In the May 2025 assessment session, the IB reported a Diploma Programme pass rate of 81.9%, with 83,703...