International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme at The Doon School

An Information and Fact Sheet

The International Baccalaureate Organization [IBO] authorized The Doon School to run the Diploma Programme [DP] with effect from August 2006. The IB Diploma Programme is a school leaving certification which is accepted all over the world, including India.  The first batch of IB students began their diploma programme in April 2007 and the final examinations for our first batch of IB students will be held in May 2009.



What is the IB Diploma Programme?

The IB Diploma Programme is a high school certification that is accepted all over the world, including India.  Colleges and universities in North America, Europe (including Britain), Asia (including Singapore), and Australia and New Zealand, the places overseas that our students typically go to, count the IB Diploma Programme as a high school diploma that qualify students for entry into first year undergraduate studies.
The IBO is a recognized leader in the field of international education, encouraging students to be active learners, well-rounded individuals and engaged world citizens.
Founded in 1968, the IB currently works with about 2500 schools in 134 countries to develop and offer three challenging programmes—the Primary Years Programme, the Middle Years Programme, and the IB Diploma Programme, to over 200,000 students aged 3 to 19 years.  Over the past ten years, the number of students has grown between 10% and 20% each year.
 The IB works with schools in 134 countries from its headquarters in Geneva and offices / representatives in Bath, Beijing, Buenos Aires, Cardiff, Geneva, Mumbai, New York, Singapore, Stockholm, Sydney, Tokyo and Vancouver.
The Director General is based at the headquarters in Geneva, Switzerland.  The largest office is the curriculum and assessment centre in Cardiff, UK, where the IB also houses its departments of finance, human resources, information and communications technology (ICT), and strategic planning. The research unit is based at the University of Bath in the UK.
The IBO regional offices support schools in the four IB regions: Africa, Europe, Middle East; Asia-Pacific; Latin America; and North America and the Caribbean.




 What is outstanding about the IB Diploma Programme?
 
1.  The IB Diploma Programme emphasizes an all-round education that fits Doon’s philosophy.  

2. The IB is committed to the idea of independent thought and study and to introducing students to research work.  


3. The IB Diploma Programme is internationalist in its ambition, curriculum, materials, assessment methods, and teacher training.  

4. The IB has a very impressive form of assessment.  
5. The IB is respected all over the world and will help those students seeking to study abroad.   




Do Indian colleges and universities accept the IB Diploma Programme ?

The IB Diploma is recognized by all Indian colleges and universities.  It has been accepted by the Association of Indian Universities (AIU) and must be recognized by all higher education institutions in India as a school-leaving certificate. Mumbai University has officially recognized IB Diploma Programme for its undergraduate courses and offers provisional admission on predicted grades.

It is true that Indian colleges and universities do not get a very high number of IB applicants, but we believe that with the increase in the number of Indian institutions that offer the IB, the acceptance of IB students will increase. The Doon School is in correspondence with Delhi University to offer provisional admission on predicted grades.
The IBO works closely with universities in all regions of the world to gain recognition for the IB diploma.  The IBO is paying much greater attention to India and has taken a number of steps to deal with the Indian system.  For instance students seeking admissions to colleges and universities in India, it is possible to now acquire raw scores instead of grades as these are preferred by Indian institutions.
To help familiarize those who are new to the IB, university admissions officers and government officials have direct online access to all syllabuses and recent examinations.

                                     IB Diploma Programme – an overview

The IB Diploma Programme consists of six subject groups together with a core made up of three separate parts.
This is illustrated by a hexagon with the three parts of the core at its centre.
Students study six subjects selected from the subject groups. Normally, three subjects are studied at the higher level or HL (courses representing 240 teaching hours), and the remaining three subjects are studied at the standard level or SL (courses representing 150 teaching hours).
All three parts of the core – extended essay, theory of knowledge and creativity, action, service – are compulsory and are central to the philosophy of the Diploma Programme.  All Diploma Programme students must engage in these three activities.
A student is expected to take the following array of subjects:
A total of 6 subjects, with 3 subjects at the Higher Level and 3 subjects at Standard Level + Theory of Knowledge (TOK), Extended Essay (EE) and Creativity, action and Service (CAS).

The six subjects must be chosen from among the following:
•    Language A1 (i.e. English)
•    Language A2, B, or ab initio (ab initio means at the most basic introductory level) 
•    An Individuals and Societies subject
•    An Experimental Science
•    Mathematics
•    A Sixth Subject, this may be from Arts, or a second Experimental Science, or a second Individuals and Societies subject.

The following IB subjects are offered at Doon:

Group 1 – Language A1                     Group 2 – Language  B /ab initio                              
                   
English HL and SL                German ab initio or
                                                            French ab initio   or
Hindi B SL

Group 3 – Individuals & Societies                 Group 4 –Experimental Science

Business & Management HL                      Biology HL or SL
Economics HL or SL                Chemistry HL or SL 
History HL                                   Physics HL or SL
Geography HL or SL                Environmental Systems and Societies  SL

Group 5 – Mathematics            Group 6 – Arts & Electives

Math HL                                                               Computer Science HL (Cannot replace math)
Math SL                     Art SL
Mathematical Studies SL            Music SL

The extended essay
The extended essay has a prescribed limit of 4,000 words. It offers the opportunity to investigate a topic of individual interest, and acquaints students with the independent research and writing skills expected at university.  It is written under the guidance of a teacher and must be an original piece of work.
Theory of knowledge (TOK)
The interdisciplinary TOK course is designed to provide coherence by exploring the nature of knowledge across disciplines, encouraging an appreciation of other cultural perspectives.

 Creativity, action, service (CAS)
Participation in the CAS programme encourages students to be involved in artistic pursuits, sports and community service work, thus fostering students’ awareness and appreciation of life outside the academic arena.
How are students assessed?
 
At the end of the two-year programme, students are assessed both internally and externally in ways that measure individual performance against stated objectives for each subject.
In nearly all subjects at least some of the assessment is carried out internally by teachers, who mark individual pieces of work produced as part of a course of study. Examples include oral exercises in language subjects, projects, student portfolios, class presentations, practical laboratory work, mathematical investigations, and artistic performances.
Because of the greater degree of objectivity and reliability provided by the standard examination environment, externally marked examinations form the greatest share of the assessment for each subject.

The grading system is criterion based (results are determined by performance against set standards, not by each student’s position in the overall rank order); validity, reliability, fairness and academic honesty are the watchwords of the Diploma Programme’s assessment strategy.
The final grade awarded to a candidate in each subject is on a scale of 7 down to 1, with 7
being the highest grade. For the Theory of Knowledge and Extended Essay, the grades are on a scale of A to E, with A being the highest grade.
Subject Grades:
7    Excellent performance
6     Very good performance
5     Good performance
4     Satisfactory performance 
2     Poor performance
1     Very poor performance



Theory of Knowledge and Extended Essay Grades:
A     Excellent performance
B     Good performance
C     Satisfactory performance
D     Mediocre performance
E     Elementary performance
  The minimum pass grade is 24 points and the satisfactory completion of the three diploma requirements:  Theory of Knowledge, the extended essay, and CAS activities.
The minimum score of 24 is based on the notion that a Grade 4 represents a passing level in each of the six subjects. The maximum diploma point score is 45 (a grade of 7 in all six subjects and Theory of Knowledge and the extended essay contributing up to a maximum of 3 points).
Individual subject grades can also be used for admissions in select colleges. A candidate who does not attain the required grades can sit again in the next session but would have to register afresh. The internal assessment and other projects of the previous attempt will remain valid.


In case of further queries regarding the IB Diploma Programme, please contact:

Vinay Pande (IB Coordinator) at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it or This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it or by telephone at +91-135-2526540.

To view the website of International Baccalaureate (IBO) click here.