Frequently Asked Questions

The IB programme is practical and application-based. It has a broader spectrum of subjects that lead to all-round development. IB examinations test students’ knowledge, not their memory and speed. There are no externally evaluated examinations till the Middle Years Programme (Class 10). The focus of the IB pedagogy is on ‘how to learn’ rather than ‘what to learn’. The purpose of the IB is to produce global citizens, but it can be well-integrated with the local curriculum. Hindi can be offered as a second language in the IB Diploma Programme. The IB curriculum is more challenging than educational boards like the CBSE and ICSE. The challenge is in the quality of assignments, not in the amount of work assigned.

Schools recognized by the International Baccalaureate Organization and offering the IB curriculum are known as IB World Schools. The list of authorized schools is available on the IBO website www.ibo.org.

• The PYP is designed for students aged 3 to 11. It focuses on the development of the whole child as an inquirer, both in the classroom and in the world outside like all International Baccalaureate (IB) programmes, is transdisciplinary, meaning students learn across subject areas while investigating big ideas. The curriculum framework consists of five essential elements: concepts, knowledge, skills, attitudes, action. The knowledge component is developed through inquiries into six trans-disciplinary themes of global significance, supported and balanced by six subject areas.
• The word ‘transdisciplinary’ refers to connections across individual academic disciplines. Transdisciplinary study involves the links or interconnections across disciplines, which is in a sense the way the real world works – we rarely focus on only one aspect of learning or one discipline at a time in our daily lives. A transdisciplinary concept may reach across disciplines such as Mathematics, Science, English, Art, Social Studies, PSPE (Personal, Social, Physical Education) and ICT , and link them all together. This transdisciplinary approach is at the heart of the PYP.

The school will offer the Middle Years Programme (MYP) of the IB.

• The MYP is designed for students aged 11 to 16. It provides a framework of learning that encourages students to become creative, critical and reflective thinkers. The MYP emphasizes intellectual challenge, encouraging students to make connections between their studies in traditional subjects and the real world. It fosters the development of skills for communication, intercultural understanding and global engagement, qualities that are essential for life in today’s world.
• The MYP aims to help students develop their personal understanding, their emerging sense of self and responsibility in their community. The MYP also relies on connecting classroom pedagogical practices and content to the world outside through the Global Contexts and the Learner Profile. The IB MYP prepares students for the IB Diploma Programme, which was established to provide students with a balanced education, facilitate geographic and cultural mobility and to promote international understanding.

The IBDP is a comprehensive two-year course and is a rigorous academic program. It is designed as a pre-university program for students aged 16 to 19 that is accepted by leading universities around the world.. There are a wide range of courses designed to meet the interests and requirements of different students. In addition to the courses offered, it is unique because only the IBDP includes the Creativity, Action and Service (CAS) program, the Extended Essay and the Theory of Knowledge course showcases not only the knowledge of the students but the skills they have developed as lifelong learners. Service is an important component of all the three programmes ensuring that the students reflect on their contextual learning and are motivated for self-initiated action for their community. Together these offer IBDP students experiences and skills they will not find in any other program.

DP students choose one subject from each of the following six ‘Subject Groups’:

• Group 1: First Language (English)
• Group 2: Second Language (French, German ab initio, Hindi, etc)
• Group3: Individuals and Societies (History, Economics, Business and Management, etc)
• Group 4: Sciences (Biology, Chemistry, Physics and Environmental Systems)
• Group 5: Mathematics and Computer Science
• Group 6: Electives (either Visual Arts or a second subject from Groups 3, 4 or 5) In addition, all DP students must study a two-year course called Theory of Knowledge (TOK); work to produce on Extended Essay (EE); and engage in Creativity, Action, and Service (CAS).

There is more breadth and depth in higher level subjects. The content in HL subjects requires 240 teaching hours versus 150 hours for standard level. Generally higher level subjects are more rigorous than standard level.

The choice of IB subjects should be according to:

1. Areas of strength
2. Future career
3. University requirements for each country

Theory of Knowledge is an essay of 1,200-1,600 words written on a given title (from a choice of ten), followed by a ten-minute presentation of the essay by the student in class.

The Extended Essay is an original independent research leading a DP student to produce a comprehensible written piece of 3,500-4,000 words in any chosen subject and title.

Under Creative, Action and Service (CAS), each DP student must complete at least 150 hours of work spread over one-and-a-half years, engaging in some form of creativity, participating in sport or other physical action, and doing social service.

Although the PYP, MYP and DP form a continuous sequence, each can be offered independently too. A student can join the IB Diploma Programme after completing the Grade 10 level qualifications from CBSE, ICSE or any other State Board. The Diploma Programme is equivalent to 10+2 level qualification through CBSE.

The rigour and high standards of the IBDP ensure that colleges and universities around the world recognize the IB Diploma as a superior academic program and a strong university entry credential. The Association of Indian Universities (AIU) rates the IB Diploma at par with Class 12 CBSE, ICSE, NIOS or State Boards. Many educational institutions and colleges have published their policies and entry criteria for IB students on their websites. For example, Delhi University colleges have specified their conditions for entry of IB students. The information is also available on the IBO website www.ibo.org Universities in over 110 countries recognize the IB Diploma and it will allow entrance to the most competitive universities around the world. The university admission authorities recognize the academic rigor of the IBDP, and value the “extra” parts of the Diploma, such as TOK, CAS and the Extended Essay.

• Most universities in Europe require the full Diploma as a qualification for entry.
• It is considered to be worth ‘four and a half’ A Level.
• Higher Level Courses are broadly equal to British A-Level courses.
• Higher Level courses are considered equivalent to American Advanced Placement (AP) courses Successful IB Diploma students may be offered credit (particularly for Higher Level courses and TOK) for first year university courses in Canadian and American universities overseas.

The IB Diploma has been recognised by the Association of Indian Universities since 1983, which is applicable to all universities in India. The number of students completing the IB and applying to higher education institutes in India has grown substantially in the past few years. The IBO maintains a current list of universities with written statements recognizing the IB Diploma Programme, which can be downloaded from the ‘‘Guidance on university recognition in India (2016)’’ guide at http://www.ibo.org/about-the-ib/the-ib-by-country/i/india/. The written statements are an evidence of the awareness and support by these universities. It can be useful to take print outs of recognition policies to admission officers as they may be unaware or new to the IB Diploma programme. Prior to commencing the DP, students and parents must be familiar with the required subject combinations and levels required for the course of study. Please check the university/college website, make direct contact with the university/college and talk to the DP coordinator and college counsellor at the school for college specific details.

1. The IB Diploma has earned a universal reputation for rigorous assessment, giving students access to the top colleges and universities in India and the world. IB is fast becoming the program of choice for Indian students preparing to pursue higher education abroad.
2. The IB curriculum equips students with the tools needed to succeed in higher education, such as self-confidence, preparedness, research skills, organizational skills and being actively engaged in self learning.
3. Some universities even offer scholarships to IB diploma holders.
4. University admissions around the world are getting competitive by the day. Admission officers are increasingly looking for other evidence that a student will succeed in the university – such as exposure to quality curriculum, research abilities, an international outlook and social service – all enhanced by the IBDP.

Universities can be confident that this is a rigorous and transparent process.

All curriculum documents are reviewed on a seven-year cycle. This cycle is not fixed and if significant change occurs in a body of knowledge (for example, computer science), then changes will be introduced more quickly. The cycle allows for:

• Worldwide research by curriculum personnel
• Design of curriculum models through consultation with practitioners in IB World Schools
• Presentation of draft documents to the Diploma Program committee and IB World Schools
• Analysis of feedback before final publishing, training of teachers and then teaching and examining of the new curriculum.

At the end of the two-year program, students are assessed both internally and externally in ways that measure individual performance against stated objectives for each subject.

There are two kinds of IB assessments: External and Internal.

Some assessment methods include portfolios/dossiers, written essays, studio-work, experimental work, oral commentaries, as well as written exams and are tailored for different learning styles.

Considering that exams may or may not reflect what a student really knows and what he or she is able to do, having a variety of assessment tools allows the IB organization to fairly assess the student’s true ability.

In addition, the grading system for all the IB programs is criterion-referenced, to allow each student’s performance to be measured against well-defined levels of achievement. Assessments with oral and written components are assessed by examiners worldwide and monitored by chief examiners with ample experience.

The IB MYP Grade 10 Grade 12 e-assessments are typically conducted in May of each academic year.

Continuous assessments keep taking place in the form of formatives and summatives. Our strategies for assessing would include tests, presentations, performances, open ended tasks that would be criteria based. As parents you would be receiving term end report cards. Attending parent teacher meetings, student- led conferences and other school events that showcases student learning will help you know about your child’s progress. Students will also be maintaining their individual portfolios that will give an overall understanding of their academic development.

The IB is designed as a model of holistic education for the mid-range student and above. Statistically speaking, most students who earned the IB Diploma worldwide were of average or above average ability. It is not a programme designed only for geniuses. What the IB programme requires students to have are a strong work ethic, good time-management and solid study skills.

The IB DP is a rigorous two-year programme. It offers courses at different levels (Higher Level and Standard Level). In addition, language courses range from introductory level to native-speaker level.

The level of stress can vary from one student to another and can be reduced, depending on the student’s acquisition of healthy study and organizational skills. A student who procrastinates and does not know how to manage time effectively will find it difficult to reduce the stress. At Aarth, all students will be encouraged to complete assignments on time and meet the internal assessment deadlines. We also will be arranging separate sessions on how to manage time and reduce exam stress from industry experts to help our students.

The Diploma/Career Related Programme of the IB (Grades 11 and 12) are recognized as a school leaving qualification in India by AIU as well as across the world. Your child has the option of going to college/university in India or abroad.

A number of universities in India give provisional admission on the basis of predicted grades as the admissions in most Indian universities are completed by the end of June and the Diploma Programme results are declared on July 6. The percentage of transcript requests to Indian universities from IB schools in India has increased substantially from 44% in 2014, 46% in 2015 & 49% in 2016. In May 2016, the IBO processed 2103 transcript requests to colleges and universities in India. The most popular higher education destinations in India are the University of Mumbai, University of Delhi, NMIMS University, University of Pune, Christ University, Ashoka University, Manipal University and VIT University. Students must talk to their IB Diploma Programme Coordinator or College Counsellor at their school to help them through the process of admission to such universities.

The IB prepares students for a range of university programmes. However, subject choices in Grades 11 and 12 need to be aligned to the requirements of specific professional programmes, entrance test dates for professional courses need to be considered in relation to the DP academic calendar, and the date of release of DP results also need to be factored in when planning for college. We recommend that you regularly interact with our College Guidance Counselor as your child progresses through the school so that you can make an informed choice at the appropriate time.

At Aarth, we recruit our educators from various backgrounds and they all have to undergo rigorous in house training programmes before they start taking classes. All educators have to update their skills and knowledge by attending ongoing in-school PD(Professional Development) programmes as well as IB workshops.

Parents would be expected to provide a rich learning environment in their home to support their child’s academic achievement. Other parent involvement activities would be to communicate with the teacher and the school; attend school events; discuss school activities with their child and monitor and supervise the school activities.

Any IB school is a candidate school for the first two-three years, after which the IB conducts an assessment and then authorises the school to offer the PYP. The MYP authorisation follows a similar system. During candidature the school is fully functional and offers the PYP or MYP under the supervision of the IB. We are an IB World School, authorised for the PYP and now in the candidacy phase for the MYP.

IBO is a non- profit organization which is not a board or does not provide a curriculum. It has four distinct programmes- Primary Years Programme, Middle years programme and the Diploma Programme along with the Career- related programme. It provides a framework with a flexibility for schools to tailor their curriculum based on the national educational benchmarks. The approach is inquiry based where students are taught the skill of finding out their own answers. Focus is more on the concepts rather than the content so that it’s relevant, significant and engaging. Whereas, CBSE and ICSE are national educational boards of India that provide a specific curriculum for every subject. Examinations are conducted in a CBSE or an ICSE set-up. However, in an IB school one has open- ended assessments in the PYP, E- exams in the MYP and Diploma exams in grade 12 that are centralised from Cardiff, Geneva.