IB exam results?

[Anonymous]

IB exam results released today. Seems like a brutal year at DC’s high school. I wonder if virtual schooling in the first year impacted pass rates.

[Anonymous]

I don’t think the classes of 2020 or 2021 had exams at all due to covid. That could be impacting this class too. Less recent experience to guide practice exams.

[Anonymous]

Yup. It seems to have been a rough year. DS had four IB exams. He got a 5, a 4 and two 3s. Lower than anticipated for some subjects, but still enough for some college credit. The entire IB experience was...not great. But it wasn't great when my older child went through it pre-pandemic. Ah, well...that's all behind us now.

[Anonymous]

DS did better than he expected on the IB exams--got the diploma and will get credit for all the exams he took. His immediate friends seem to be in the same position, but I don't know anywhere to look at how the numbers were overall.

[Anonymous]

Most US schools don’t understand how to teach IB, and most US colleges don’t understand what it takes to get high IB scores. It’s not like getting a 5/5 on an AP exam. Because of this, my kids are going the AP route. AP courses have a higher chance class of being well taught and colleges like seeing 4s and 5s, which is perfectly doable for studious kids.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Most US schools don’t understand how to teach IB, and most US colleges don’t understand what it takes to get high IB scores. It’s not like getting a 5/5 on an AP exam. Because of this, my kids are going the AP route. AP courses have a higher chance class of being well taught and colleges like seeing 4s and 5s, which is perfectly doable for studious kids.

IB teacher here. I’m clearly biased, but I really disagree with your statement. My students’ scores suggest I’m doing well teaching the course. I feel pretty confident that US teachers can handle IB. I attend annual trainings and I am regularly impressed by the teachers I meet. Over the years we have formed various cohorts to share resources, what worked / didn’t, insights on scores, etc.

My own children will be going the IB route because I appreciate the emphasis IB places on depth of study.

As for colleges, you can no longer say colleges prefer AP over IB, etc. So many schools are going in different directions now and there isn’t a clear trend to follow. Take AP or IB for the rigorous course load, not just because they can potentially give you college credits.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Most US schools don’t understand how to teach IB, and most US colleges don’t understand what it takes to get high IB scores. It’s not like getting a 5/5 on an AP exam. Because of this, my kids are going the AP route. AP courses have a higher chance class of being well taught and colleges like seeing 4s and 5s, which is perfectly doable for studious kids.

IB teacher here. I’m clearly biased, but I really disagree with your statement. My students’ scores suggest I’m doing well teaching the course. I feel pretty confident that US teachers can handle IB. I attend annual trainings and I am regularly impressed by the teachers I meet. Over the years we have formed various cohorts to share resources, what worked / didn’t, insights on scores, etc.

My own children will be going the IB route because I appreciate the emphasis IB places on depth of study.

As for colleges, you can no longer say colleges prefer AP over IB, etc. So many schools are going in different directions now and there isn’t a clear trend to follow. Take AP or IB for the rigorous course load, not just because they can potentially give you college credits.

PP you replied to. I'm sure you are an excellent teacher, and your students are a credit to you. But there is data out there showing that many high schools in this country claim they are IB schools without properly training their teachers, which leads to poor scores on the exams. Just count yourself lucky you're not in one of those, and that you personally have higher standards. Also, you misunderstood my last point. Selective colleges sometimes hold IB students to a higher bar, score-wise, than AP students, because, again, they do not understand that the scoring system is different. Of course, in today's admissions, neither score may matter much at all. But it is well-known that IB students' work is not as recognized as AP students' work.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Most US schools don’t understand how to teach IB, and most US colleges don’t understand what it takes to get high IB scores. It’s not like getting a 5/5 on an AP exam. Because of this, my kids are going the AP route. AP courses have a higher chance class of being well taught and colleges like seeing 4s and 5s, which is perfectly doable for studious kids.

IB teacher here. I’m clearly biased, but I really disagree with your statement. My students’ scores suggest I’m doing well teaching the course. I feel pretty confident that US teachers can handle IB. I attend annual trainings and I am regularly impressed by the teachers I meet. Over the years we have formed various cohorts to share resources, what worked / didn’t, insights on scores, etc.

My own children will be going the IB route because I appreciate the emphasis IB places on depth of study.

As for colleges, you can no longer say colleges prefer AP over IB, etc. So many schools are going in different directions now and there isn’t a clear trend to follow. Take AP or IB for the rigorous course load, not just because they can potentially give you college credits.

PP you replied to. I'm sure you are an excellent teacher, and your students are a credit to you. But there is data out there showing that many high schools in this country claim they are IB schools without properly training their teachers, which leads to poor scores on the exams. Just count yourself lucky you're not in one of those, and that you personally have higher standards. Also, you misunderstood my last point. Selective colleges sometimes hold IB students to a higher bar, score-wise, than AP students, because, again, they do not understand that the scoring system is different. Of course, in today's admissions, neither score may matter much at all. But it is well-known that IB students' work is not as recognized as AP students' work.

I’ve watched IB’s recognition grow tremendously during my 2 decades as an educator. I talked to college admissions experts just last year about IB’s impact on college admissions. (As somebody who writes a lot of recommendations, I do my research.)

I just visited a few selective schools’ websites and looked at the credits awarded for AP and IB work. Seems pretty consistent to me. I can also find plenty of documents with IB college admissions data. Could you point me to your sources? Including the data about improperly trained IB teachers?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Most US schools don’t understand how to teach IB, and most US colleges don’t understand what it takes to get high IB scores. It’s not like getting a 5/5 on an AP exam. Because of this, my kids are going the AP route. AP courses have a higher chance class of being well taught and colleges like seeing 4s and 5s, which is perfectly doable for studious kids.

IB teacher here. I’m clearly biased, but I really disagree with your statement. My students’ scores suggest I’m doing well teaching the course. I feel pretty confident that US teachers can handle IB. I attend annual trainings and I am regularly impressed by the teachers I meet. Over the years we have formed various cohorts to share resources, what worked / didn’t, insights on scores, etc.

My own children will be going the IB route because I appreciate the emphasis IB places on depth of study.

As for colleges, you can no longer say colleges prefer AP over IB, etc. So many schools are going in different directions now and there isn’t a clear trend to follow. Take AP or IB for the rigorous course load, not just because they can potentially give you college credits.

PP you replied to. I'm sure you are an excellent teacher, and your students are a credit to you. But there is data out there showing that many high schools in this country claim they are IB schools without properly training their teachers, which leads to poor scores on the exams. Just count yourself lucky you're not in one of those, and that you personally have higher standards. Also, you misunderstood my last point. Selective colleges sometimes hold IB students to a higher bar, score-wise, than AP students, because, again, they do not understand that the scoring system is different. Of course, in today's admissions, neither score may matter much at all. But it is well-known that IB students' work is not as recognized as AP students' work.

I’ve watched IB’s recognition grow tremendously during my 2 decades as an educator. I talked to college admissions experts just last year about IB’s impact on college admissions. (As somebody who writes a lot of recommendations, I do my research.)

I just visited a few selective schools’ websites and looked at the credits awarded for AP and IB work. Seems pretty consistent to me. I can also find plenty of documents with IB college admissions data. Could you point me to your sources? Including the data about improperly trained IB teachers?

My kid just got his scores and received the diploma. He did well on each of the classes, but only got a C on the Extended Essay, which is probably about what he earned. He got two 5's (in two his 3 HL classes), three 6's, and a 7.

He should get credit for his three HL classes. The biggest problem with getting college credit - as compared to AP classes - is that most colleges only accept HL-classes for credit, and you can only take a maximum of 4 HL-classes. By contrast, over junior and senior year, a good student could take as many as 8-10 AP classes (or even 14, if super, super-ambitious!). This could yield a much higher number of possible college credits.

I still think the overall IB program is excellent, and I'm glad he did it, but in terms of actual college credits - as opposed to college level skills/knowledge - AP is more productive.

[Anonymous]

Colleges are backing off on AP credit, though, so it will even put over time.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Most US schools don’t understand how to teach IB, and most US colleges don’t understand what it takes to get high IB scores. It’s not like getting a 5/5 on an AP exam. Because of this, my kids are going the AP route. AP courses have a higher chance class of being well taught and colleges like seeing 4s and 5s, which is perfectly doable for studious kids.

IB teacher here. I’m clearly biased, but I really disagree with your statement. My students’ scores suggest I’m doing well teaching the course. I feel pretty confident that US teachers can handle IB. I attend annual trainings and I am regularly impressed by the teachers I meet. Over the years we have formed various cohorts to share resources, what worked / didn’t, insights on scores, etc.

My own children will be going the IB route because I appreciate the emphasis IB places on depth of study.

As for colleges, you can no longer say colleges prefer AP over IB, etc. So many schools are going in different directions now and there isn’t a clear trend to follow. Take AP or IB for the rigorous course load, not just because they can potentially give you college credits.

PP you replied to. I'm sure you are an excellent teacher, and your students are a credit to you. But there is data out there showing that many high schools in this country claim they are IB schools without properly training their teachers, which leads to poor scores on the exams. Just count yourself lucky you're not in one of those, and that you personally have higher standards. Also, you misunderstood my last point. Selective colleges sometimes hold IB students to a higher bar, score-wise, than AP students, because, again, they do not understand that the scoring system is different. Of course, in today's admissions, neither score may matter much at all. But it is well-known that IB students' work is not as recognized as AP students' work.

I’ve watched IB’s recognition grow tremendously during my 2 decades as an educator. I talked to college admissions experts just last year about IB’s impact on college admissions. (As somebody who writes a lot of recommendations, I do my research.)

I just visited a few selective schools’ websites and looked at the credits awarded for AP and IB work. Seems pretty consistent to me. I can also find plenty of documents with IB college admissions data. Could you point me to your sources? Including the data about improperly trained IB teachers?

My kid just got his scores and received the diploma. He did well on each of the classes, but only got a C on the Extended Essay, which is probably about what he earned. He got two 5's (in two his 3 HL classes), three 6's, and a 7.

He should get credit for his three HL classes. The biggest problem with getting college credit - as compared to AP classes - is that most colleges only accept HL-classes for credit, and you can only take a maximum of 4 HL-classes. By contrast, over junior and senior year, a good student could take as many as 8-10 AP classes (or even 14, if super, super-ambitious!). This could yield a much higher number of possible college credits.

I still think the overall IB program is excellent, and I'm glad he did it, but in terms of actual college credits - as opposed to college level skills/knowledge - AP is more productive.

This varies by college--and you should ask. Our kid got "general credits" for SL IB exams with a 5 or higher and specific course credits for HL IB exams. This is from a school that says they only give credit for HL--but they will give credit for all if you ask (the advisor told my kid to just ask for it and says everyone does).

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Most US schools don’t understand how to teach IB, and most US colleges don’t understand what it takes to get high IB scores. It’s not like getting a 5/5 on an AP exam. Because of this, my kids are going the AP route. AP courses have a higher chance class of being well taught and colleges like seeing 4s and 5s, which is perfectly doable for studious kids.

IB teacher here. I’m clearly biased, but I really disagree with your statement. My students’ scores suggest I’m doing well teaching the course. I feel pretty confident that US teachers can handle IB. I attend annual trainings and I am regularly impressed by the teachers I meet. Over the years we have formed various cohorts to share resources, what worked / didn’t, insights on scores, etc.

My own children will be going the IB route because I appreciate the emphasis IB places on depth of study.

As for colleges, you can no longer say colleges prefer AP over IB, etc. So many schools are going in different directions now and there isn’t a clear trend to follow. Take AP or IB for the rigorous course load, not just because they can potentially give you college credits.

PP you replied to. I'm sure you are an excellent teacher, and your students are a credit to you. But there is data out there showing that many high schools in this country claim they are IB schools without properly training their teachers, which leads to poor scores on the exams. Just count yourself lucky you're not in one of those, and that you personally have higher standards. Also, you misunderstood my last point. Selective colleges sometimes hold IB students to a higher bar, score-wise, than AP students, because, again, they do not understand that the scoring system is different. Of course, in today's admissions, neither score may matter much at all. But it is well-known that IB students' work is not as recognized as AP students' work.

I’ve watched IB’s recognition grow tremendously during my 2 decades as an educator. I talked to college admissions experts just last year about IB’s impact on college admissions. (As somebody who writes a lot of recommendations, I do my research.)

I just visited a few selective schools’ websites and looked at the credits awarded for AP and IB work. Seems pretty consistent to me. I can also find plenty of documents with IB college admissions data. Could you point me to your sources? Including the data about improperly trained IB teachers?

My kid just got his scores and received the diploma. He did well on each of the classes, but only got a C on the Extended Essay, which is probably about what he earned. He got two 5's (in two his 3 HL classes), three 6's, and a 7.

He should get credit for his three HL classes. The biggest problem with getting college credit - as compared to AP classes - is that most colleges only accept HL-classes for credit, and you can only take a maximum of 4 HL-classes. By contrast, over junior and senior year, a good student could take as many as 8-10 AP classes (or even 14, if super, super-ambitious!). This could yield a much higher number of possible college credits.

I still think the overall IB program is excellent, and I'm glad he did it, but in terms of actual college credits - as opposed to college level skills/knowledge - AP is more productive.

You can take the AP exams without taking the AP course. A friend teaches in a school that encourages IB students to take both exams.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Most US schools don’t understand how to teach IB, and most US colleges don’t understand what it takes to get high IB scores. It’s not like getting a 5/5 on an AP exam. Because of this, my kids are going the AP route. AP courses have a higher chance class of being well taught and colleges like seeing 4s and 5s, which is perfectly doable for studious kids.

IB teacher here. I’m clearly biased, but I really disagree with your statement. My students’ scores suggest I’m doing well teaching the course. I feel pretty confident that US teachers can handle IB. I attend annual trainings and I am regularly impressed by the teachers I meet. Over the years we have formed various cohorts to share resources, what worked / didn’t, insights on scores, etc.

My own children will be going the IB route because I appreciate the emphasis IB places on depth of study.

As for colleges, you can no longer say colleges prefer AP over IB, etc. So many schools are going in different directions now and there isn’t a clear trend to follow. Take AP or IB for the rigorous course load, not just because they can potentially give you college credits.

PP you replied to. I'm sure you are an excellent teacher, and your students are a credit to you. But there is data out there showing that many high schools in this country claim they are IB schools without properly training their teachers, which leads to poor scores on the exams. Just count yourself lucky you're not in one of those, and that you personally have higher standards. Also, you misunderstood my last point. Selective colleges sometimes hold IB students to a higher bar, score-wise, than AP students, because, again, they do not understand that the scoring system is different. Of course, in today's admissions, neither score may matter much at all. But it is well-known that IB students' work is not as recognized as AP students' work.

I’ve watched IB’s recognition grow tremendously during my 2 decades as an educator. I talked to college admissions experts just last year about IB’s impact on college admissions. (As somebody who writes a lot of recommendations, I do my research.)

I just visited a few selective schools’ websites and looked at the credits awarded for AP and IB work. Seems pretty consistent to me. I can also find plenty of documents with IB college admissions data. Could you point me to your sources? Including the data about improperly trained IB teachers?

My kid just got his scores and received the diploma. He did well on each of the classes, but only got a C on the Extended Essay, which is probably about what he earned. He got two 5's (in two his 3 HL classes), three 6's, and a 7.

He should get credit for his three HL classes. The biggest problem with getting college credit - as compared to AP classes - is that most colleges only accept HL-classes for credit, and you can only take a maximum of 4 HL-classes. By contrast, over junior and senior year, a good student could take as many as 8-10 AP classes (or even 14, if super, super-ambitious!). This could yield a much higher number of possible college credits.

I still think the overall IB program is excellent, and I'm glad he did it, but in terms of actual college credits - as opposed to college level skills/knowledge - AP is more productive.

You can take the AP exams without taking the AP course. A friend teaches in a school that encourages IB students to take both exams.

Yes, and the AP exams are often easier. My kid got 5s on AP tests for courses he took IB SL. This doesn't work for every subject of course because the content is different.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Most US schools don’t understand how to teach IB, and most US colleges don’t understand what it takes to get high IB scores. It’s not like getting a 5/5 on an AP exam. Because of this, my kids are going the AP route. AP courses have a higher chance class of being well taught and colleges like seeing 4s and 5s, which is perfectly doable for studious kids.

IB teacher here. I’m clearly biased, but I really disagree with your statement. My students’ scores suggest I’m doing well teaching the course. I feel pretty confident that US teachers can handle IB. I attend annual trainings and I am regularly impressed by the teachers I meet. Over the years we have formed various cohorts to share resources, what worked / didn’t, insights on scores, etc.

My own children will be going the IB route because I appreciate the emphasis IB places on depth of study.

As for colleges, you can no longer say colleges prefer AP over IB, etc. So many schools are going in different directions now and there isn’t a clear trend to follow. Take AP or IB for the rigorous course load, not just because they can potentially give you college credits.

PP you replied to. I'm sure you are an excellent teacher, and your students are a credit to you. But there is data out there showing that many high schools in this country claim they are IB schools without properly training their teachers, which leads to poor scores on the exams. Just count yourself lucky you're not in one of those, and that you personally have higher standards. Also, you misunderstood my last point. Selective colleges sometimes hold IB students to a higher bar, score-wise, than AP students, because, again, they do not understand that the scoring system is different. Of course, in today's admissions, neither score may matter much at all. But it is well-known that IB students' work is not as recognized as AP students' work.

I would guess that this depends on the college. I'm a professor and it seems that there are a lot of IB diploma candidates among the students that get our primary merit awards and are in our honors college--a lot more than you would expect given that IB is rarer than AP in the US. I think for selective schools with holistic admissions (e.g., T50 liberal arts colleges, smaller selective universities like UVA and William & Mary), an IB diploma candidate might stand out.

[Anonymous]

Not really, DC is pleasantly surprised with both SL 7s