Earning the IB Diploma

***IB Teachers, the IB Coordinator, and IB Guidance Counselors explain the information below to all DP students***

In order to EARN the IB Diploma, students must:

  • Accrue a minimum of 24 points out of a possible 45 points
    • A student MUST earn a MINIMUM of 12 points OVERALL for the three HL level courses (English Lit A, History of the Americas, and Biology)
    • Within the MINIMUM of 12 points total, no HL course can have a score of 2 or lower
      • There is an EXCEPTION: if a TOTAL of 12 points for the three HL courses is not reached, or if a student scores a 2 on one of the HL courses, a student earning 28 or more points in TOTAL will earn the Diploma.
      • Scoring really HIGH on the SL courses, which are somewhat easier assessments, will help.
  • Complete 150 CAS (Creativity, Activity, Service) hours and the CAS Project.
    • The CAS Project is 40 hours AND is part of the TOTAL 150 hours required in CAS.
  • Successfully complete the Extended Essay (EE)
    • The IB Diploma will not be given if the EE is a failing grade
  • and, successfully complete the Theory of Knowledge (TOK) assessments
    • The IB Diploma will not be given if TOK is a failing grade

How are points awarded?

  • Each of the 6 subject groups are assessed on a scale of 1-7.
    • The Internal Assessment (IA): the application of knowledge learned in an IB subject. Depending on the course this could include oral commentaries for English and foreign languages; written commentaries, investigation papers, projects, dossiers, fieldwork.
    • Each IB exam consists of two or more parts (known as "papers"). The Fine Arts are assessed through performance review and reflections of the creative process.
    • Each component (the IA and each "paper") receives a percentage of the overall grade. Each component is assessed by a different examiner located in a different part of the world.
    • In addition, the IB instructor is required to submit a predicted grade (PG); that is, what the instructor believes the student's final score will be.
  • A grade for each subject requires successful completion of all components.
  • A student can earn 7 points per subject for a total of 42 points.
  • A student can also earn up to 3 BONUS points from the Extended Essay (EE) and the Theory of Knowledge (TOK) assessments. This is where the Matrix below comes into play.

Theory of Knowledge

  • If a student earns an A on the Extended Essay and TOK, the student earns 3 points
  • If a student earns an A on the Extended Essay and a D in TOK, the student earns 2 points
  • If a student earns a D on both the Extended Essay and TOK, the student would earn ZERO points.

Diploma requirement codes

A candidate will not qualify for the award of the diploma if certain requirements have not been met. The following codes indicate which requirements have not been met.

  • CAS requirements have not been met.
  • Candidate's total points are fewer than 24.
  • An "N" has been given for theory of knowledge, extended essay or for a contributing subject.
  • A grade E has been awarded for one or both of theory of knowledge and the extended essay.
  • There is a grade 1 awarded in a subject/level.
  • Grade 2 has been awarded three or more times (SL or HL).
  • Grade 3 or below has been awarded four or more times (SL or HL).
  • Candidate has gained fewer than 12 points on HL subjects (for candidates who register for four HL subjects, the three highest grades count).
  • Candidate has gained fewer than 9 points on SL subjects (candidates who register for two SL subjects must gain at least 5 points at SL).

***IB Teachers, the IB Coordinator, and IB Guidance Counselors explain all of this information to all DP students***