IB Acronyms & Vocabulary

IB Acronyms

  • IB-International Baccalaureate; also known as the IBO (International Baccalaureate Organization)
  • PYP-Primary Years Programme (K-5); currently offered at Liberty Magnet Elementary
  • MYP-Middle Years Programme (6-10); currently SRMS offers 6-8
  • DP-International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme, a two-year comprehensive programme, designed for ages 16 - 19 or grades 11 and 12. A school must successfully complete authorization in order to become an IB World School
  • TOK-Theory of Knowledge; A requirement for the IB diploma. TOK is the IB Diploma Programme capstone course, which asks students to reflect on the nature of knowledge. This course integrates all six subjects with the goal of teaching students that all knowledge is related.
  • EE-a requirement for the IB Diploma. The EE is a 4,000-word research paper written by a Diploma Candidate, Students choose their own topics and are supervised by a faculty advisor
  • IA-Internal Assessment; IB required assessments provided by the teacher. Depending on the subject the IA could be oral exams, projects, essays, experiments, case studies, etc. that are scored by the teacher. IB externally moderates to ensure quality. A randomly selected sample of these assessments are sent to IB to ensure that the IB teacher is scoring according to the IB rubric.
  • EA-External Assessment; 11th/12th grade essays, papers, projects, etc. which are graded by INTERNATIONAL, IB-trained examiners using IB assessment rubrics
  • CAS-- Creativity, Activity, and Service: a requirement for the IB Diploma. Student learning and experiences outside of the classroom. 18 month commitment to exploring areas in creativity, activity and service. Seven areas of growth are documented through goal setting and reflection
  • HL-Higher Level: A course of study with increased depth and breadth of subject. All HL courses are a two year course sequence with examinations the senior year.
  • SL-Standard Level; A course study of study consisting of less depth and breadth when compared to a higher level course. Many courses are one year in length, but some do occur over two years. (Students may take up to two SL tests after one year of study. This is dependent on course availability and student level of study in a subject area.) A diploma student must take 3 HL courses and 3 SL courses over the junior and senior years. 

IB Vocabulary

  • Anticipated Student: A junior student who is completing the requirements for the IB Diploma
  • ab initio: "From the Beginning”: A Standard Level World Language Course. The ab initio language exam must be taken at the end of grade 12 and is equivalent to three language levels
  • Course Student: A junior or senior student who is not working toward the IB Diploma, but is taking an IB course and therefore is taking an IB exam.
  • Diploma Candidate: A senior student who is completing the requirements for the IB Diploma
  • Group Subjects: IB students are required to take classes in six subject areas: 3 higher level and 3 standard level:
    • Group 1: Literature
    • Group 2: World language-Foreign Language
    • Group 3: Individuals and Societies (History)
    • Group 4: Experimental sciences (biology, chemistry)
    • Group 5: Math
    • Group 6: The Arts or a second subject from other groups
  • IB Diploma: A document issued by the International Baccalaureate Organization once a student has earned the minimum number of points after completing the requirements for the IB Diploma.
  • Marks: IBO's language for grades given to internal and external assessments as well as exams.
  • Orals: Students in English A1 (Group 1) and World Languages (Group 2) must complete oral presentations. These presentations are sent to IB examiners for assessment. (Students in Film and Visual Arts complete a similar process.)
  • Paper: IBO's language for an exam in a subject area. An IB exam is never just one exam, but rather a series of “papers,” often administered over the course of two days.
  • Predicted Grade
  • Scores: Scores for IB exams range from 1 - 7, 1 being the lowest score and 7 being the highest. Scores are determined by points assessed by the various components for the exam, then broken down into defined ranges for each score of 1 - 7. Both TOK and the Extended Essay are awarded letter grades and dependent on one's grades in these two requirements, students may earn up to 3 bonus points, applied to their total Diploma score.