If you want to go to a world class institution, you must take advanced classes during your high school years. Joining such advanced classes enables you to push yourself academically by exposing yourself to a course syllabus and challenging coursework. Furthermore, taking these classes demonstrates your desire to take responsibility, research topics of interest, and tackle more challenging courses with complete independence. This is the quality that admissions committees look for in top students.
A variety of criteria might assist you in determining which curriculum is best for you. Selecting the certification with the evaluation process that better serves your study preferences will assist you in obtaining the grades required to apply to top colleges and prepare you for your ideal profession. Here, we evaluate the most regularly studied worldwide curricula A Levels, AP and IB courses.
Academically, A Levels, APs and IB are the most preferred high school alternatives that students want to go to. For all of them, the final result is an academic certification verifying that an achievement level better than a diploma from high school has been attained, allowing individuals to apply to elite colleges. However, despite their similarities, they have substantial distinctions.
The IB is a global body that strives to make its students globally aware by utilising worldwide resources and curriculum. The British administration creates A levels with mostly British content modified for the worldwide market. In contrast, AP courses are created by the US organisation College Board with primarily American content.
A Levels and International GCSEs are among the most widely studied curriculum worldwide. They are made based on the UK's high educational system and have been updated for a worldwide student base. Courses are designed to adhere to a coherent, structured curriculum with all of the learning goals that a learner should anticipate achieving during the duration of their certification written out.
This path is quite simple, beginning in Year 11 or sooner, with pupils taking up to six International General Certificate of Secondary Schooling courses. These courses are designed to serve as introductions to the individual subject matters they address. Students in some nations start in Year 10 and take 8 10 classes over two years. During Year 12, learners go to A Levels, which are further divided into two components: the AS Level, sometimes known as "Advanced Subsidiary", which is generally completed in Year 12, and the A2 Level, which is usually done in Year 13.
Traditionally, learners do four to five AS Level courses before moving on to three to four A2 Level subjects. Suppose you study an AS Level topic and its examinations the following year without taking the A2 Level. In that case, you will not finish the A Level certificate and will only earn the AS certification. The AS certification is also accepted for university admission in New Zealand.
A learner can take IGCSEs. Alternatively, they might directly proceed to the A degree (starting their AS Level). A learner can study one course during their AS Degree and the second during IGCSE, but not simultaneously.
The International GCSEs are externally evaluated at completing your studies through a series of tests. There are typically two examination dates per year, which provides the students with scheduling flexibility. Furthermore, this allows students to retake exams if they believe they underperform. Students take individual tests (papers) for a specific subject within an assessment series.
The syllabus of each course specifies the weighting of each exam. The weighted sum of these papers will determine the student's final mark. Edexcel International allows students to retake specific courses within each topic, giving them many chances to achieve the highest possible result.
Pearson Edexcel Global GCSEs are graded using the UK government's new nine point grading system (9 1), which was implemented to boost quality and acknowledge top performing learners Each student's raw score is graded on a bell shaped curve against the achievement of all other learners who took the exam as a part of this new method. You don't have to answer 90% of the correct answers to obtain a 90% on the progress report Your results are comparable with those of your classmates.
Students in the A2 and AS Levels earn grades after each module following their tests. Their ultimate average grade is a weighted sum of the modules students take during the A2 and AS parts, with a set weighting that can be seen online in each subject's syllabus. Students are given both a percentage score and course grades on their graduation certificates, most commonly used in college applications.
The new grade 9 marks a new level of achievement and has been implemented to distinguish your topperforming children. The bottom of grade 7 roughly corresponds to the bottom of grade A.
There is more variation in the centre of the range, with three new grades (6, 5, and 4) replacing the previous two classes (B and C). The bottom of grade 4 roughly corresponds to the bottom of grade C.
The bottom of grade 1 corresponds closely to the bottom of grade G.
Worldwide fame - Over a million individuals in 160 countries study at international A and GCSE Levels in over 10,000 schools. Level credentials are recognised by over 1,400 universities globally. They are recognised by every UK university, 600 US universities (and all Ivy League universities), and many other essential student locations, including Australia, Canada, Singapore, Germany, South Africa, and the Netherlands.
Curriculum design - The A and International GCSEs Levels are demanding academic pathways with a broad depth and breadth of content. In Year 11, students begin with International GCSEs before progressing to A2 and AS Levels. It establishes the groundwork for the education that will be necessary as they continue. Due to the introductory character of International GCSEs, the subject content is relatively easy yet broad enough to qualify for the AS stage, representing a significant increase in difficulty. It is because AS Level requires you to consider the topic more thoroughly and integrate what you have learned to solve problems in novel situations.
Subject selection flexibility - In Year 11, students might select up to six courses according to their interests, and there aren't criteria like the IB. There may be admittance requirements for each school, and students may choose depending on what they wish to study at university, but there are no further limits. It helps students choose from various disciplines based on their preferences.
Pattern for examination - The A Levels and International GCSEs are externally evaluated, with students having the option of sitting exams on two or three days during the year. Participants can take tests after each course three times a year as part of Edexcel's composable International A Levels rather than one long set of assessments after the year encompassing the entire curriculum. Edexcel also provides an Extended Project Qualification, which is aimed at helping students build critical, analytical, problem-solving, and autonomous learning abilities while preparing them for further education.
The IB or International Baccalaureate Programme is a curriculum that is internationally recognised and strives to develop globally oriented and well-rounded pupils. The programme is available in around 5,000 schools worldwide. The IB was first proposed for high school pupils only in the 1960s. It has since evolved into a K to 12 curriculum, with the Early Years Programmes, Middle Years Programmes, and Diploma Programme.
Theory of Knowledge in which students consider the nature of knowledge.
An extended essay is a self directed research effort culminating in a 4,000 word article.
Students who participated in extracurriculars through Creativity, Activity, and Service.
Literature and Language & Performance and Literature are examples of Language and Literature studies.
Learning a Language
Beginners' classes from the ground up Language B programs for those who have had some experience with the language
Individual and Society, such as Economics, Geography, Business Management, History, Philosophy, Global Politics, Psychology, Anthropology, Information Technology, and World Religions
Chemistry, Biology, Physics, Design Technology, and Computer Science are examples of sciences.
Mathematics
Music, dance, film, visual arts, and theatre are a few examples.
Learners must enrol in one topic from the numerous academic topic groupings. They might then choose either a topic from group 6 or a second topic from groups 2 5. Furthermore, three or four of a student's core majors must be studied at Higher Level, with the remaining subjects at Standard Level.
The IB Curriculum is exceptional in that final grades are based on external and internal evaluations. Internal evaluations are frequently in the form of long-term initiatives such as papers, reports, and presentations. Internal assessments are judged by your teachers and often account for 15 to 25% of the final IB grade for that subject. Later, your school will give a small, randomly picked sample of school projects to the IB for "moderation", which verifies that your institution is evaluating correctly. The remaining IB is externally assessed, primarily through final exams. Because IB tests are aggregate, all courses are tested in a single exam after your second academic year.
Each academic subject is graded out of a possible seven, with seven being the maximum possible result. The DP Core assessment components are graded on an A E grade. The IB Diploma requires CAS as a pass/fail prerequisite. Thus, after the IB Diploma, you will obtain a score of 45, 42 of which will be allocated to academic topics. You will gain between 1-3 points for the mixture of your ToK and EE scores, making your maximum available score 45.
All prominent colleges recognise the IB Diploma Program, which immediately places you on a worldwide scale and summarises your applications.
The IB allows you to develop not just as a scholar but also as a person. The CASE component emphasises social and emotional growth by involving learners in activities outside of the class. It assists pupils in developing softer skills such as empathy and teamwork.
The IB Diploma is essentially a "university preparation programme". It educates you with skills and methods of learning that will prepare you for success in higher education. You will have learned fundamental abilities such as university level reports and written assignments, source citations, and how to do independent research after two years of experience.
One of the Diploma program's goals is to build well rounded learners. As a result, they offer a diverse choice of disciplines for students to explore as part of their education. This range demonstrates your versatility, character power, and capacity to push oneself. Students in the IB will take specific courses at the superior stage (HL) and some at the Standard Level (SL), with the former requiring 240 instruction hours and the latter 150. It implies you can concentrate more on your top three courses (or four if you're dedicated) and less on your weakest subjects.
Duration of Study - The IB is not for the faint of heart. Consider it a run, but a long run, not a sprint. To succeed in the IB, you must be a "far-distance learner." It takes two years of steady labour and solid performance. Everybody else is "on" for one year, but you must be "on" for two.
The workload is excessive - The IB includes not only all the coursework and projects associated with the six required courses but also the papers, projects, and presentations related to the three core elements: EE, CAS and TOK. It renders it a considerably more challenging and content-heavy course, which is why diligence and organisation are more crucial than intelligence.
Less adaptability - Even having so many subject options, the IB has less flexibility due to the required depth of study. The IB Diploma is a strict curriculum with a six-subject permit spread across six categories or five if the art category is skipped. It is about as customisable as it gets. Not only that, but the number of disciplines available is determined by what the school provides. Because of these criteria, if you excel in your school curriculum, you have a significantly better chance of being admitted into a top-ranked institution than if you do "just good" in the IB!
AP courses are weighted in your GPA and include an independent, standardised exam at the conclusion. Based on your score (1 5), your target institution may provide you with academic credit, which might prepare you earlier for specific credit related advantages. AP courses are offered throughout the educational program year, with tests held over the two weeks in early to late May. While most learners self study for such tests in less time, absorbing the information required to achieve a high exam grade is challenging.
What are AP classes, and what makes them essential? Advanced Placement courses are a series of US curricula developed by the College Board to allow students to attend classes and earn college credit based on their exam scores.
AP exams are graded out of five, and colleges and institutions typically give credit to students who achieve 3 (occasionally 4) or higher. Admission requirements for one institution may not apply to the other.
Consider the number of scores on AP exams as suggestions rather than grades. A grade of 1 means that the college board does not propose a student for a degree, while a score of five indicates that the college board would offer that individual credit. However, each school of higher education must make that assessment based on its standards or qualifications so that a score of three may be sufficient for course credit at one institution but not at another.
Get an advantage in high school
Top AP course scores are the most acceptable method to showcase your academic skills to colleges and distinguish out from your peers.
Learn about college academic expectations by studying collegelevel content early on. Taking AP classes can also get college credit and seek more advanced training.
Take a deep dive into your areas of interest
Explore topics of expertise, such as Philosophy or Computer Programming, and demonstrate your academic studies.
Try something new
AP classes are complex and challenging, providing mental stimulation you will not find anywhere else.
Only in the United States and Canada are AP courses accepted for university credit. They do not enjoy the same international recognition as the IB and A Levels.
Since AP classes require students in high school to accomplish college level work, kids who take too many may become overwhelmed. It is preferable to take limited Ap classes and score well than to study more Ap classes and underperform.
21K School World provides all full time as well as part time enrollment possibilities, so whether you choose to stay in your school and complement your core research with added Pearson Edexcel Worldwide A Levels or you want to join a school that allows you to give multiple International A-Levels and accelerate your knowledge far beyond your peer group, we have an alternative for you. We can help you get into a renowned foreign university, whether in your last years of high school or just starting to determine which high school program is ideal for you.
If you're still unclear about which curriculum is appropriate for your interests and strengths, arrange a free one on one session with one of our Academic Counselors, who will help you get started on the right track.
