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Friday January 27th, 2023
Welcome to your first edition of 2023! In this issue, we will be exploring the differences between A Levels and the International Baccalaureate Diploma (IB) and considering the various benefits each can bring.
Parents often ask us to help find a UK independent school that offers IB for their child, because they assume A Levels won’t be accepted as part of the university entry process in other countries. But that’s not the case. As well as being the nationally standardised qualification most sixth formers take in the UK, A Levels are widely recognised as a standard of academic achievement in many other countries too, across Europe and further afield. In the United States, they are considered equivalent to the high school diploma. And although US universities typically don’t require A-Level results for admissions, some may accept them as part of, or as supporting evidence towards, the application process. Read on to find out more – and don’t hesitate to get in touch should you have any questions.
We tend to use IB as shorthand for the International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme, an internationally recognised qualification equivalent to A levels. It’s actually part of a range of qualifications for pupils aged 3 to 18. And it was created by The International Baccalaureate Organisation (IBO) when it was launched in 1968 to cater for a growing demographic of mobile families living, working and studying overseas.
Students in more than 145 countries take the IB. In contrast, A Levels are mainly examined in the UK – although there are international A Levels for students studying overseas. IB has been taught in UK schools for more than 40 years, but currently only around 60 UK schools – a mix of state and independent – offer the IB as an option to their sixth formers. The vast majority of UK sixth formers still sit A Levels.
Subjects are grouped as follows:
IB students must pick at least one subject from groups 1 to 5. For their sixth course, they can choose between a further subject in groups 1 to 5 – or an arts subject. They’ll study half their subject courses at standard level (150 teaching hours) and the other three to higher level (250 teaching hours).
Yes – as well as six subject courses, IB students must pass the three-part ‘core’ of the diploma with activities ranging from pure theory through research to practical application. One is a very reflective piece on the theory of knowledge (TOK) – how do we know what we think we know, etc. There’s also the extended essay (EE), self-directed research culminating in a 4,000-word paper, and the creativity, activity and service (CAS) project.
A Levels are 20 or so years older than the IB. They’re the nationally standardised qualification that most UK students will sit in Year 13 (i.e. sixth form). Typically, students select three or four subjects from more than 80 options. No subjects are compulsory – but timetabling sometimes dictates the combination of options open to students, and the breadth of choice will differ between schools. In most cases though, A Level students will be able to choose a combination of:
In summary, A Levels are more subject-orientated (though students can opt to do an EPQ or extended project qualification, much like the IB’s extended essay). And the IB offers a broader education, with six subjects versus three or four at A Level (although some schools allow students to take one-year AS Levels alongside their two-year A level courses).
A-Level subjects that will help you keep your options open for your university course:
IB students take a mix of internal assessments and externally marked examinations. The former can often be two-year assignments; the latter are sat at the end of the two years of study. A Levels also include self-directed components (coursework) alongside exams, although the balance will depend on the subject. AS Level exams are sat after one year of study; A Level exams typically at the end of the second year.
IB students are graded from 7 (highest) to 1 in their six subject courses. In addition, the three ‘core’ elements receive separate grades and can contribute three points to a student’s overall score. So, for the IB diploma, the maximum score is 45 and the pass mark is 24.
A Level students receive pass marks from A* to E (a U is ungraded or unclassified). Grade boundaries shift year on year – especially with results being skewed by two years without exams because of Covid-19 – but 90% equates to an A*, with students needing to achieve at least 40% to secure a pass (E).
Both qualifications have different benefits. If you know your intended career path; for example, you want to study medicine at university, A Levels might suit you best. This is because you can choose the subjects that best relate to your course without any restrictions. If you’re less sure about career or even university courses, then the IB could be ideal. The IB offers a broader education, and additional, transferable skills such as reflective thinking, independent research and project-based work.
On paper, UK universities recognise both qualifications equally, as do European and American universities. Interestingly, five years ago UK university admissions officers were invited to rate both qualifications on how they develop a range of different skills and qualities in students. These ranged from open-mindedness to coping with pressure, but the biggest discrepancy was seen in subject expertise versus independent thinking. The results showed a wide-spread perception among admissions officers that A Levels offered better in-depth subject expertise, while the IB nurtured a more ‘global outlook’ and better independent enquiry and self-management skills in students.
Not at all – don’t base your choice of school or IB / A Level on that assumption. In short, universities appreciate the breadth of study and the development of independent research skills that the IB encourages. But for some degree choices, the correlation between the subjects you’ve studied, the grades you’ve achieved and the course you’re choosing might be more important. In other words, evidence of in-depth, subject-specific skills gained in three or four A Levels can easily outweigh the transferable skills that the IB is said to encourage. After all, the core modules of the IB only account for three of the total possible 45 points.
Offers obviously differ hugely between courses but in the UK tend to be contingent on results within the range of A*AA to AAB at A level and 6 or 7 at IB for the most prestigious institutions. Some UK universities will stipulate those IB results need to be in the subjects relating to your chosen course and studied to the higher level (you’ll recall the 250 vs. 150 teaching hours split among the six subject choices for IB). Which brings us back to the fact that depth of study and subject-specificness can be just as important as those transferable skills when it comes to university admissions.
US university admissions are not typically dependent on A Level or IB results (partly due to timing – letters of acceptance are sent to applicants several months before UK exams are sat). Instead, US universities tend to ask for GCSE and AS Level (where available) results, alongside an academic progress report for the final year so far. However, where A-Level or IB results are available (for example if a student has deferred their application) then some US universities may be happy to accept them as part of the application process. As we mentioned in the introduction, A Levels are considered equivalent to the high school diploma in the United States. Selective US universities will have the same entry expectations as the more prestigious UK universities.
If you’re wondering what the next steps might be – in terms of subjects, qualifications, schools or university – we can help you work through the options. Our skills and expertise lie in matching your child’s attributes, achievements and aspirations with the myriad of choices available. Drop us a line today to find out more.
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“ REGENCY EDUCATION WAS ABLE TO HELP US WITH EVERY STEP OF THE APPLICATION PROCESS ENSURING THE EDUCATIONAL SUCCESS OF OUR CHILDREN - AN INVALUABLE SERVICE. ”
