Difference between the Advanced Placement (AP) and the International Baccalaureate (IB)
Through this blog I will help you get a crisp clarity on the comparison and contrast between two popular programs-AP and IB. While they both are flexible and open-minded to offer you the freedom of choice, it’s your responsibility to research on both in length and depth before you freeze on to the right choice. Choosing the right curriculum has always been tedious and challenging, for which you need to bank upon the correct sources of information. Before taking up either programmes for your college applications, you need to get a thorough understanding on how each works with its aims and objectives. I will take you through the ride of AP and IB, where I would be talking on the history of the curricula, their places of origin, approaches, aims and assessment objectives. Both IB and AP are very rigorous and comprehensive courses which colleges cherish to see on your high school transcripts. Also, both serve as the Launchpad for many career opportunities. If the goal of a student is to get into a top college, both programs will give the student an advantage and possible credit for work completed.
Contents
Difference between the Advanced Placement (AP) and the International Baccalaureate (IB)
Why do you need to take AP classes?
How many AP courses to take up?
Number of times you take AP exam
AP and its advantages?
The courses of AP are tailored to prepare you for an intro-level college class while you are there in the high school itself, giving you an extra-mileage to step ahead with the college credits you earn. The students may take up multiple AP classes in the high school.
Advanced Placement is a program conducted by the College Board (the makers of the SAT). You are eligible to take special high school courses at par with the college level, which will not only earn you higher credit but also sets you ready to start your college with more advanced coursework. AP is a conduit to add extra weightage to your GPA through good performance. While it prepares you with a higher level academic competence, it also benefits your pocket and time by respectively saving some amount and time with the introductory classes in the AP specific subjects. Also, if you happen to be an AP candidate with a good score between 3 and 5, you are a very prospective candidate to your college counsellor.
Origin and growth of AP
Advanced Placement exams began in the 1950s with the objective to reduce the considerably vast gap between high school and college level content. Though a pilot program was launched in 1952 had 11 subjects, the official launch was in 1956, when the College Board took over and named it the College Board Advanced Placement Program. With a diverse combination of 38 subjects offered in humanities, mathematics, science, languages, art history and studio art drawing, AP is a college preparatory coursework with a readiness to beat the industry competition.Â
AP has grown over the years and have become quite popular. The College Board statistic shows the steep rise in the number of AP candidates.
Why do you need to take AP classes?
AP exam evaluates your knowledge constructed in AP class. You are evaluated on a scale of 1-5, where 3 is the passing. Any score between 4 and 5 sets you ahead with an advantage of being recognized by the colleges.
Though it’s not mandatory for you to take up the AP class training and work independently, it is highly advantageous to take up the classes to improve your score.
Remember, a 5 in any AP subject means you are at the 80-90 percentile zone. A 4 or a 5 shows how you have demonstrated your potential and acumen in handling the challenges. Yes, no doubt that it demonstrates your passion for a subject to be learnt in depth. Also, you are high possibility of gaining AP credits in college admission.
AP classes would give you deeper insight into a subject of your choice. So, it is not only about the score but also about how solid your foundation blocks are built on a subject which you like, though it is redundant to mention that you would consider AP for a subject of your area of passion.
AP recognition
Ivy League schools and other competitive colleges do give credit to the student who run a longer mileage over and above their high school classes.
How many AP courses to take up?
There is no restriction on the number of AP subjects you take up. There are some of the students who take courses between 7 and 12. Yes, it is true that colleges treasure students who challenge themselves in the high school, however, colleges will not deprive students who have not opted for or opted for very few of the higher level classes.
Number of times you take AP exam
Unlike the SAT exams, AP exams are only held once a year. Some students do prefer spacing out some AP subject exams in grade 11 and remaining in grade 12.
When are AP Tests usually conducted?
AP exams are usually scheduled during the first two weeks of May (2020 AP exams were pushed to mid-May due to the coronavirus pandemic). Each day of the two-week testing period is very structured with a clear division of two exam slots, each of four hours. The two slots begin at 8am and 12 pm local time. The calendar is blocked with a 2 pm time slot in the first week of testing for the Physics C: Electricity and Magnetism test only. Tuesday/Wednesday through Friday in the third week of May is reserved for any compensatory or make-up tests which are beyond the regular testing schedule.
IB overview
IB owes its origin to the French educator Marie–Thérèse Maurette. Her contributory book “Educational Techniques for Peace. Do They Exist?” in 1948, created the robust framework for what eventually became the IB Diploma Programme (IBDP). With its design in Geneva Switzerland, it has traversed more than half a century with its innovation and reinvention and has grown over the years considerably.
The IB Diploma is a 2 year comprehensive programme. To be awarded with an IB Diploma, you have to take courses from six subjects: one each from groups 1-5, and either one from group 6 or a substitute from groups 1-4; along with the core. To qualify for the IBDP each student must take at least three (but not more than four) subjects at higher level, and the remaining at standard level.
While Standard level (SL) subjects take up 150 teaching hours, Higher level (HL) comprises 240 teaching hours. The IB Diploma is a 2 year course of study. IB subjects are graded on a 1- 7 scale with 7 being the highest score. To qualify for the award of the IB Diploma a student must acquire a cumulative score of 24 points across 6 subjects with at least 12 points from higher level subjects and a minimum of 9 points from standard level subject. In addition to the 6 subjects, IB Diploma candidates are supposed to complete the three Core elements – Theory of Knowledge, the Extended Essay, and CAS. Out of a total score of 45, 42 is derived from the subjects and 3 points from the core. The maximum points that can be awarded to an IB Diploma student is the full score of 45 with 42 points generated across the 6 subjects and 3 bonus points derived from Theory of Knowledge and the Extended Essay.
To go the depth of IB, I have shared a few IB specific blogs on DP, subject overview, common mistakes to be avoided, TOK, EE and so on, which would be benefitting you.
AP versus IBDP
IBDP is more comprehensive but AP is more popular. The reason can be connected to the practicality in operations. To run IBDP, a school has to be a recognized IB World School which has to support you with all the criteria for IBDP. On the other hand, even with few AP subjects a school can cater to the AP requirements of the students. Hence, the operational cost for a school to run AP is lower which points out to the possibility of it charging a lower fee.
To appear for IBDP exam you have to be enrolled to an IB programme, while for AP you can still adopt the self-learning path.
The curricula goals are different. The IB goals are more inclined towards triggering the critical and creative thinking skills, nurturing the growth mind set and evolving you as a person, whereas AP goals are more focused to the content. For AP what matters is your final subject scores, but for IB (whether certificate or DP) you need to be consistent every step with your IAs (internal Assessments), classwork, lab work, field work along with your EAs (External Assessments).
Yes, it is true that if your school offers both the programmes, you can mix and match between IB and AP. In such cases, some candidates are very subject oriented and want to go for the IB certificate than the IBDP, where they can do away with the core and take up subjects of their choice. So, they do a mix of some IB HL subjects and some AP. However, remember that you are given extra mileage by your college for HL subjects, and not SL. The other side of the picture is also true, where nothing can replace the approach to learning the IBDP core.
You get extra college credit for scoring 5 or above in IB HL subjects, and 4 or above in AP subjects.
The answer to the question that which is preferred by your college or university, I would say that it is college or university specific. However, I prefer to leave a room for further discussion in this in the following blogs.
