The Core

The DP Core is a compulsory part of the IB Diploma Programme and aims to broaden students’ educational experience and challenge them to apply their knowledge and skills. It is an important part of preparing students for university and is what sets the DP above other post-16 programmes when university admissions officers look at applications from AIS students.

There are three required components of the Core:

• Creativity, Activity, Sercvice (CAS)

• Extended Essay (EE)

• Theory of Knowledge (TOK)

Creativity, Activity and Service (CAS)

CAS involves students in a range of activities alongside their academic studies. The three strands of CAS are as follows:

• Creativity – arts, and other experiences that involve creative thinking.

• Activity – physical exertion contributing to a healthy lifestyle, complementing academic work elsewhere in the DP.

• Service – an unpaid and voluntary exchange that has a learning benefit for the student.

CAS enables students to enhance their personal and interpersonal development by learning through experience. It provides opportunities for self-determination and collaboration with others, fostering a sense of accomplishment and enjoyment from their work.

In order to demonstrate these concepts, students are also required to undertake a CAS Project. The project challenges students to:

• show initiative

• demonstrate perseverance

• develop skills such as collaboration, problem solving and decision making. Each student’s CAS programme should last for 18 consecutive months, with a balanced time distribution between creativity, activity and service. Students must be engaged in CAS on a weekly basis. All CAS experiences must meet the approval of the CAS Coordinator and should be both challenging and enjoyable – a personal journey of self discovery.

Assessment

CAS is not formally assessed, however, students must reflect on all their CAS experiences and also provide evidence of achieving the seven learning outcomes for CAS. If a student fails to complete their CAS programme properly, they fail to pass the Diploma Programme.

Extended Essay (EE)

The Extended Essay (EE) is an independent, self-directed piece of research, finishing with a 4,000-word paper.

The EE is:

• All EEs are based on a subject offered on the IB curriculum except for “World Studies”, which brings together ideas from two subjects offered on the IB curriculum.

• All EEs are written in English unless the EE written about another Language A subject (Vietnamese, Korean, Japanese or Chinese).

• If an EE is written in Japanese, the word count is 8,000 characters.

• If an EE is written in Chinese, the word count is 4,800 characters.

• Vietnamese and Korean essays have the same word count as essays written in English. Each IB Diploma student has the opportunity to investigate a topic of interest as an in-depth study. The EE acquaints students with the type of independent research and writing skills expected by universities. Students are supported and encouraged throughout the research and writing with advice and guidance from a supervisor.

Assessment

All EEs are externally assessed by examiners appointed by the IB and are marked according to set criteria. Together with TOK, the EE contributes up to three bonus points to DP students’ final points total.

Theory of Knowledge (ToK)

Theory of knowledge (TOK) asks students to reflect on the nature of knowledge, and on how we know what we claim to know. TOK is a compulsory subject in the IB Diploma: Year 12 students study four TOK periods per week, Year 13 have two periods of TOK.

Students learn about five Areas of Knowledge and various themes to consider their own personal philosophy and values, as well as developing a discerning reflective attitude to philosophy, ethics and knowledge. The course teaches students to be critical thinkers.

Assessment

External Assessment: TOK Essay

• Students are given the choice of six prescribed essay titles. They must choose one and complete a 1600-word essay.

Internal Assessment: Exhibition

• Students deliver an exhibition and a 900 word commentors based around 3 objects that shows how TOK presents itself in the real world. This is assessed by the teacher and is then moderated by the IB. Together with the Extended Essay, TOK contributes up to three bonus points to DP students’ final points total.

IBDP option choices for 2023-24

Students must choose one subject from each of the groups listed below. ESS can count as a group 3 or group 4 subject.

Students must study three subjects at HL and three subjects at SL. For group 6, students can opt for an additional group 3 or group 4 subject (an ‘elective’).

It is not possible to choose Business Management and Economics.

Students may not be able to study their first choice of subject option combination due to timetabling and other issues. Counselling sessions with Year 11 students and families will take place in March to finalise option choices.