IB@Dulwich FAQs (14)

I don’t know what I want to do at university; must I make a decision now?

  • No, you don’t need to decide what you want to do at university now and it is very normal not to be sure. However, this is an opportunity to start thinking about the future and considering where your academic strengths and interests lie.
  • The Morrisby psychometric and career inventory test is one tool that can help you explore career interests and aptitudes. We also encourage you to use the research resources the University Counsellors share with you during the University application and preparation assemblies.

Are HL and SL IBDP subjects considered equally important by universities?

  • How you do overall in your IBDP is as important as how well you do in each subject.
  • Some universities make conditional offers, usually requiring a certain total number of points, as well as specific subjects and grades in Higher Levels. However, this is not all universities.
  • It’s important to be confident about Higher Levels, but you can’t afford to neglect Standard Levels.

What is a vocational or professional subject?

  • Something job-related, e.g. Architecture, Business, Engineering, Law, Medicine. If you are thinking about studying any vocational subject, you need to do some research: is this the right career area for you?
  • It is becoming more and more expected that prior to applying to vocational subjects, students will have gained some relevant practical experience, e.g. volunteering at a hospital or in a relevant service activity, working with an architect in the summer, etc.

What careers can I pursue with my IBDP subjects?

  • The IBDP combines breadth and depth and is intended to give you a broad enough foundation to pursue a wide range of possible options at university. Many subjects at IBDP, and many university courses, do not lead to a particular career, but rather equip you with the skills needed to succeed at a professional level.
  • Courses such as English, Geography, Chemistry, and Economics all fall into this category; non-vocational degree courses at university can lead to numerous career paths, some that may not even exist at present. 

Do universities prefer some IBDP subjects over others?

  • Some highly selective universities prefer IBDP options with no more than one non-traditional or vocational subject.
  • US applicants should for more highly selective University applications ensure that they have rigour within their option choices, however this does not mean that taking subjects such as Theatre or ITGS is detrimental to their applications. Another words you can be more flexible!

Can I take three sciences in my IB options choices?

  • No, the IB Diploma has structured their programme to enable a breadth of subjects across science, humanities, maths, english, languages and the arts and Dulwich College Singapore supports this breadth as excellent preparation for all university programmes. Note for example UK Medical schools do not require 3 Sciences for entry.

How does the points system work?

  • Each of the six subjects is graded out of seven. The Extended Essay and Theory of Knowledge are combined to give up to three core points (please see matrix diagram in assessment section.) The total Diploma score is therefore a maximum 45 points.

Will their be a uniform for Upper Senior School - IB Students?

  • No students will be expected to wear formal business dress during the normal school day, of suitable colour. They will be expected to have a formal jacket to wear for occasions such as assemblies, alongside a school tie.

How does the IB compare to A-levels?

  • The International Baccalaureate Diploma is a complete programme of study, and overall is more comprehensive and rigorous than A-levels. The IB has not suffered from grade inflation and therefore is more able to distinguish between good and excellent students. All universities recognise the IB as at least an equivalent qualification, and in many cases, indicate a preference for it.

Is the IB accepted by universities?

  • The IB is accepted by universities in the UK, the US and across the world.
  • Please see these University recognition pages on Firefly which show evidence that for most university systems around the world – the IB Diploma is the best preparation and most accepted programme of study.

Does the IB include coursework?

  • Yes, around 20% for each subject and then presentations and essays for 100% of Theory of Knowledge and Extended Essay coursework. Please see the assessment diagram in the Assessment section for more details.

How many students gain top grades?

  • Approximately about 150 of IB Diploma students worldwide achieve the top grade of 45 points. However, anything above 36 is considered a top grade and as a broad example if applying to University –
    • UK Russell group Universities ask for around 36+ 
    • Oxford’s offers are around 38+
    • Cambridge’s offers around 38 – 40+

How does HL Maths equate to Maths A-level courses?

  • Higher Level Maths is more rigorous than A-level Maths. Not all university courses that would normally require A-level Maths require IB higher level Maths; many will accept standard level Maths.

What is the difference between A, B and Ab Initio language courses?

  • In fact, A and B languages are old terms -
    • A means – courses which are looking at the study of how a Language is used and the Analysis of its Literature. These courses are for native speakers and are correspondingly more advanced.
    • B are courses of language acquisition and so for second language speakers, i.e. those who have been learning the language for three to five years.
    • Ab Initio literally means beginners but are courses for those that have studied the language for two years or less.
  • In essence the IB and Dulwich College Singapore is looking for students to be appropriately challenged in the languages they study.

Can I take two Arts subjects when I choose my options?

  • At Dulwich College Singapore at this stage we are unable to offer this option, however in the future when we begin to offer the Environmental Systems course as an interdisciplinary course for Group 3 and 4 – we may be able to offer students a route to take two Arts.

Is the (I)GCSE program the best preparation for the IB Diploma?

  • The (I)GCSE programme offered at Dulwich College Singapore is an excellent preparation for the IB Diploma. Courses have been chosen such as the World Literature English course to fit perfectly in terms of skills and content that will be needed in the IB Diploma.
  • Dulwich College Singapore also has a flexible three year programme, to enable the building of approaches to learning needed to thrive in the IB Diploma.

What is the IB Courses Programme and how does it differ to the full IB Diploma Programme?

  • The full IB Diploma programme involves the core and 3 HL and 3SL subjects. The courses programme enables students to choose how many subjects and how many at SL and HL they would wish to take, and can also choose whether they participate in the core activities apart from CAS in which all DCSG students will always be involved.

Do students need to be competent at a foreign language to pursue the IB?

  • No as shown above there are a variety of course levels appropriate to those that are beginners to advanced.
  • We offer German Ab Initio, as some students decide to start a new language from scratch at the IB, taking an Ab Initio course that is roughly a little above an (I)GCSE in terms of level and difficulty.

Does the IB cater for both able and less able students?

  • The IB Diploma Programme is designed for average to above average students who are self-motivated and independent learners. However, the rigorous standards and demanding workload require a sustained commitment to study, considerable organisation and initiative.
  • Remember students can achieve from 24 to 45 points to pass the IB Diploma, a considerable level of differentiation.

What is TOK?

  • TOK (Theory of Knowledge) is an interdisciplinary programme where students are encouraged to think about the strength and limitations of different ways of knowing. To put this simply they analyse how knowledge is constructed in different subject disciplines and areas and how this affects their personal knowledge as well the worlds shared knowledge. 

What is the difference between HL and SL courses?

  • At the Higher-Level students study their course for 240 hours over the two years. Standard Level course are run for 150 hours. Within this study time – either the level of difficulty or the amount of content will differ between the SL and HL courses in certain subjects.

Do all students follow the full IB Diploma Programme?

  • The majority of students entering into Year 12 will begin the full IB Diploma Programme but some students may be advised that the full Programme is too challenging for them and/or not ideally suited to their college or university aspirations. In these specific situations, the College will direct the student to follow an individualised set of Diploma Programme courses, designed to best meet their needs and abilities. 

What are the entry requirements for individual subjects in the IB Diploma Programme?

  • Entry to individual courses will be considered after the mock examinations in Year 11. In general students will be expected to be on track to achieve at least an A grade at (I)GCSE to start on a Higher-Level course and a B grade and above for a Standard Level course. Students who have not demonstrated sufficient potential to start on a particular Higher Level or Standard Level course will be asked to provide alternative selections when choosing their options in Year 11.

Can I take four Higher Level subjects?

  • It is possible to take four Higher Level subjects as part of the IB Diploma programme but it is strongly discouraged. The IB Diploma programme is very demanding and can be stressful at times for even the most able students. Universities do not favour students with four Higher levels and taking such a challenging programme could result in weaker performance across the subjects due to the workload pressures. We will consider some students taking four Higher Levels for the start of the IB if they are unsure of which subjects to pursue at a higher level but this would only be for a short period of time and all students would be expected to be on three Higher Levels by the end of Term 1 at the latest. 
  • However, in very special circumstances there may be a sensible reason that will not affect a student’s overall performance that the College will either allow a student to start on 4 Higher Levels, and / or continue to the end of the programme with 4 HL’s. An example maybe their ability at their chosen Language B course is suitable and would impact heavily in workload for them to do HL rather than SL. Please contact the IB Diploma Coordinator for further details.

What is, and how do I achieve, a Bilingual IB Diploma?

  • The Bilingual IB Diploma is awarded to students who complete the full IB Diploma in a language that is not their mother tongue. To be awarded a Bilingual IB Diploma, a student must either:
    • Complete two languages selected from Group 1 with the award of a grade 3 or higher in both. For example, a student may take Chinese A: Literature and English A: Language and Literature.
    • Complete one of the subjects from Group 3 or Group 4 in a language that is not the same as a student’s nominated Group 1 language.

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The results show that students holding an IB Diploma are more likely than students holding an A level qualification to enrol at a Top 20 higher education provider. -  HESA report 2015