In a nutshell, the International Baccalaureate diploma programme (IBDP) is better at encouraging a “global outlook and independent inquiry” in students, while A-levels give students more “detailed and in-depth” expertise, and Advanced Placements (AP) allow students to take special high school courses that can earn college credits.
Comparison Chart
|
|
IB Diploma |
A-Levels |
AP |
|
Curriculum |
International |
UK School Leaving Qualification |
US college-level curricula for high school students |
|
Duration |
2 years |
2 years
|
Flexible (about 1-2 semesters per subject) |
|
Overall Difficulty |
Hardest |
Hard |
Hard |
|
Subject Difficulty |
Hard |
Harder |
Hardest |
|
English language requirement |
Highest |
High |
High |
|
Number of subjects required |
6 |
At least 3 |
No limit |
|
Subject Combinations |
More restraints but flexible within each subject group (eg language, humanity, science, social science) |
Entirely flexible
|
Entirely flexible |
|
Grading System |
7 is the highest in each subject, with maximum possible IBDP score of 45, of which 3 additional points are available for the Extended Essay, TOK & CAS.
|
A* is the highest |
5 is the highest |
|
Hands-on community experience |
Yes |
No |
No |
|
Pros |
All-rounded development Can keep university degree and future career options open
|
More freedom in subject combinations Easier for students who are stronger in certain subject areas, eg all sciences |
Can count towards college credits in university |
|
Cons |
Heavy workload and time commitment
|
High percentage of A* making it hard for universities to differentiate students |
Higher challenge and course difficulty |
|
Suitable for |
Students with fluent English who are interested in a broad range of subjects |
Most students
|
Students targeting US universities |
|
Exams taken in |
May |
May, November |
May |
|
Can individual candidates enrol? |
No |
Yes |
Yes |
|
Common university destinations |
Most countries |
Mostly English-speaking countries |
Mostly in the US |
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