1. Ready to Join the International Baccalaureate
Diploma Programme (IB DP)?
Here Are Tips and Practices That Work!
Nikos Tasopoulos
Ilias Liakatas
IBDP Geitonas School
Athens, Greece

2. Presentation Outline
● Introducing the IBDP
● Grades and curricula
● Assessment
● Practical work
● Group 4 Project
● Extended Essay
● Resources

3. What is the IBDP?
● The International Baccalaureate (IB) Diploma
Programme is a challenging two-year curriculum
● Primarily aimed at students aged 16 to 19
● It leads to a qualification that is widely recognized
by the world’s leading universities.

4. The IBDP hexagon
Students examined in
●
6 modules
●
1 from each Group 1-5
●
1 from Group 6
(Arts or another one
from Groups 1-5)

5. The Core of IB Hexagon
• 1. Theory of Knowledge, an externally assessed
course that contrasts ways of knowing in all six
subject areas
• 2. Extended Essay, an externally assessed,
independent research project of 4,000 words in
one of the six subject areas
• 3. Creativity, Action, Service (CAS), active
involvement in a minimum of 150 hours of
community service, artistic, and physical activities.

6. Overall grade
• Maximum grade per subject is 7
• 6 modules x 7 = 42 marks (max)
• Bonus marks TOK & EE = 3 points (max)
• Minimum passing grade = 24
(failing conditions apply)
• Overall maximum grade = 45 marks

7. Group 4 Modules
• Biology
• Chemistry
• Physics
• Design Technology
• Environmental Systems & Societies
(transdisciplinary)

8. Curriculum Model (SL)
Total teaching hours 150
Theory 110
Core 80
Options 30
Practical work 40
Investigations 30
Group 4 project 10

9. Curriculum Model (SL/HL)
Total teaching hours 150/240
Theory 110/180
Core 80
Additional higher level (AHL) - /55
Options 30/45
Practical work 40/60
Investigations 30/50
Group 4 project 10

10. Teaching time allocation
• 2 years (IB1 and IB2)
• Weekly schedule
SL: 2 hours theory & 2 hours practical work
HL: 4 hours theory & 2 hours practical work
• SL and HL classes run independently
• Coverage of 55%-60% of material by the end
of IB1 year
• Coverage of 100% of material by the end of
February of IB2 year

11. Assessment Outline
SL HL
External Assessment 76% 76%
Paper 1 20% 20%
Paper 2 32% 36%
Paper 3 24% 20%
Internal Assessment 24% 24%
Investigations & Gr4 project
Total 100% 100%

12. External assessment
Specifications for SL
Syllabus
Component Duration Points Weighing Format
Coverage
30 multiple-choice
Paper 1 45 min 30 20% Core
questions
Short answers and
1h&
Paper 2 50 32% extended response Core
15 min
questions
Short-answer
Paper 3 1h 40 24% Options
questions

13. External assessment
Specifications for HL
Syllabus
Component Duration Points Weighing Format
Coverage
40 multiple-choice
Paper 1 60 min 40 20% Core
questions
Data-based, short
2h&
Paper 2 90 36% and extended Core
15 min
response questions
1h& Short-answer
Paper 3 50 20% Options
15 min questions

14. School assessment
• IB1 year: October Mid-term test
December Term exam
February Mid-term test
March Term exam
May Mock exam
June End-of-year exam
• IB2 year: October Mid-term test
December Term exam
February Mock I exam
March Mock II exam
May IB diploma exams

15. School assessment - TIPS
• Exams are cumulative
• Exams follow the IB final exams format
• Use of IB past paper questions
• Use of IB examination markschemes
• 1 mark for 1.5 min of exam time
• Read the Subject Reports for feedback
on previous exam sessions

16. Internal Assessment
Practical scheme of work
● Teacher assessed – Externally moderated
●24% of the final IB grade!
● Types of investigations
➢ Laboratory practicals (short/long term)
➢ Computer simulations
➢ Questionnaires, surveys
➢ Data-analysis exercises
➢ Fieldwork
● Not all investigations need to be assessed

17. Internal Assessment
Criteria
● Design—D
● Data collection and processing—DCP
● Conclusion and evaluation—CE
● Manipulative skills—MS
● Personal skills—PS
➢ D, DCP, CE are each assessed occasionally throughout the course
➢ MS is assessed summatively over the whole course
➢ PS is assessed once only during the Group 4 project
Maximum grade per criterion is 6

18. Internal Assessment
Grade Calculation
D × 2 = 12
DCP × 2 = 12
CE × 2 = 12
MS ×1=6
PS ×1=6
Maximum Grade 48
This grade is then scaled to give a total out of 24%

19. Form for criterion-based
assessment of lab reports
V
V 3/6
V
V
V 4/6
V
C=2 P=1 N=0

20. Practical work - TIPS
• Familiarize students with the aspects of the
assessment criteria
• Self and peer assessment of lab reports
• Do not assess all investigations using the IB criteria
• Use the IB assessment criteria carefully
• Students should use a log-book
• Assess individual and NOT group work
• Read the Subjects Reports for feedback on Internal
Assessment

21. ICT in Practical Work
The use of the following ICT applications is encouraged by the IB
1 – Data logging
2 – Graph plotting software
3 – Spreadsheet
4 – Database
5 – Computer model/simulation
Try to use one of each in your scheme of practical work!

22. Group 4 Project
• 10 hours of the Internal Assessment
component
• Collaborative activity of all students
(all experimental sciences)
• Common scientific or technological topic
• Possible collaboration with other schools
• Stages: planning-action-evaluation

23. Group 4 Project - TIPS
● Teachers choose main topic and list of investigations
● Mixed student groups
➢ Students from all sciences
➢ Maximum 7-8 students per group
● Groups rotate through several workstations
● Write-ups and evaluation at the end of the project
● Indoor or/and outdoor (more fun!)
● 1-2 days duration

24. Extended Essay is...
• compulsory for all IBDP students
• a piece of independent research/investigation
• externally assessed
• a formal piece of scholarship of max 4,000
words on one of the 6 subjects
• the result of approximately 40 hours of work
• concluded with a short interview with the
supervising teacher (recommended)

25. Extended Essay - TIPS
• Study the IBDP EE Guide for analysis and application
of the assessment criteria
• Prefer essays based on data collected by the student
and not on literature review
• Guide the student, offer advice but
do not do the work!
• Be very careful of plagiarism!
• Biology: read IBO guidelines on animal experimentation

26. EE Planning - TIPS
• Start early (April of 1st year)
• Guide students on choice of topic
• Have students committed to a plan of work
during summer
• Get drafts periodically
• Get final draft in September
• Conduct the interview in September and
record it

27. Resources
 Online Curriculum Center (online.ibo.org)
 Subject reports per exam session
 IBO Questionbanks (CD)
 IBO Past Papers per exam session (CD)
 IBO teacher training workshops
 Our CD!

28. AP vs IB
AP IB
Centralized assessment Centrally moderated assessment
Extensive US recognition Internationally recognized (102)
Grades 1-5 Grades 1-7
In English only Available in 3 languages
Grades from exams only Bonus points from TOK & EE (⋜3)
Multiple choice questions Multiple choice questions
Free response questions Extended response questions
Data-response questions
Prescribed labs Prescribed lab time (SL:40/HL:60)
Group 4 Project
Extended Essay

29. Thank you for your kind attention!
Nikos & Ilias
(...hope it wasn't...all Greek to you!!!)

30. Appendix

31. Maths requirements
●
addition, subtraction, multiplication and division
●
means, decimals, fractions, percentages, ratios, approximations
●
standard deviation, percentage error, uncertainties
●
standard notation (for example, 3.6 × 106)
●
direct and inverse proportion
●
simple algebraic equations
●
graphs (with suitable scales, axes, error bars)
●
significance of gradients, changes in gradients, intercepts and areas
●
interpretation of bar charts, histograms and pie charts
●
t-test

32. Biology - SL
Syllabus outline
CORE OPTIONS
1 Statistical analysis A Human nutrition and health
2 Cells B Physiology of exercise
3 The chemistry of life C Cells and energy
4 Genetics D Evolution
5 Ecology and evolution E Neurobiology and behaviour
6 Human health and physiology F Microbes and biotechnology
G Ecology and conservation

33. Biology - HL
Syllabus outline
CORE OPTIONS
Topics 1-6
D Evolution
plus additional for HL: E Neurobiology and behavior
F Microbes and biotechnology
7 Nucleic acids and proteins G Ecology and conservation
8 Cell respiration & photosynthesis H Further human physiology
9 Plant science
10 Genetics
11 Human health & physiology

34. Chemistry
Syllabus outline
CORE OPTIONS
1 Quantitative chemistry A Modern Analytical Chemistry
2 Atomic structure B Human Biochemistry
3 Periodicity C Chemistry in Industry and Technology
4 Bonding D Medicines and Drugs
5 Energetics E Environmental Chemistry
6 Kinetics F Food Chemistry
7 Equilibrium G Further Organic Chemistry
8 Acids and bases
9 Oxidation and reduction
10 Organic chemistry
11 Measurement and data processing

35. Physics - SL
Syllabus outline
CORE OPTIONS
1 Physics and physical measurement A Sight & wave phenomena
2 Mechanics B Quantum and nuclear Physics
3 Thermal Physics C Digital technology
4 Oscillations & waves D Relativity & particle Physics
5 Electric currents E Astrophysics
6 Fields and forces F Communications
7 Atomic & nuclear Physics G Electromagnetic waves
8 Power, energy and climate change

36. Physics - HL
Syllabus outline
CORE OPTIONS
Topics 1-8 E Astrophysics
F Communications
plus additional for HL: G Electromagnetic waves
H Relativity
9 Motion in fields I Medical Physics
10 Thermal Physics J Particle Physics
11 Wave phenomena
12 Electromagnetic induction
13 Quantum and nuclear
14 Digital technology

37. TOK – EE matrix

38. Restrictions for obtaining the
IB diploma