What is the difference between AP and IB programs?
If you’re like many students who find it difficult to differentiate between the AP and IB programs, this guide is for you. It is important to note that the AP and IB are high school programs that offer students challenging courses and an opportunity to earn college credit. However, their goals are different, and so is their philosophy. The AP was created in the U.S to help prepare high school students for college by allowing them to take college-level courses with no particular course program. On the other hand, the IB program was developed in Switzerland and offered a globally recognized diploma. Students need to take a set of courses in different subjects in order to earn the diploma. To learn and understand the difference between the two programs, check out these insights.
International Baccalaureate (IB)
The International Baccalaureate diploma is a global based academic program for high school juniors and seniors. It encourages students to think beyond the limit of their communities and compete on a global scale. Furthermore, the program has received trust, respect, and recognition from a lot of colleges in the United States. While the program emphasizes intercultural enrichment and understanding, it was initially developed as a standard curriculum for high school juniors and seniors who moved from one nation to another. Ideally, it benefited children whose parents often relocated, such as the military and diplomats.
However, today the IB diploma program has become more popular globally, with more than a million students in over 150 countries. Primarily, the program focuses on six main areas, namely; mathematics and computer science, language acquisition, arts, experimental sciences, and individuals and societies. To complete the diploma successfully, you also need to go through three other essential elements: a 4,000-word essay, learning outside classroom, and knowledge course. Similarly, among the many IB subjects, three are studied at an advanced level and are typically considered college-level courses.
To get to this level, you need a qualification score of at least five of seven points in a higher-level exam course to qualify for college credit. While a dozen colleges recognize the IB diploma program, each institution has its own policies and rules on how they grant credit for the exams. Most importantly, the IB diploma program courses can be offered only in accredited schools, and the teachers must complete a thorough training. However, if your schools don’t have the IB program, you can pursue the diploma online.
Advanced Placement (AP)
Advanced Placement is a college-level program created for high school teenagers. This program’s objective is to give high school students a taste of college experience by letting them study college courses while in high school. Some studies show that students who take AP classes in high are likely to become more successful at college than others. Moreover, the AP courses can be an excellent way to encourage high school graduates to join college. In fact, many high school students find AP courses more interesting and helpful than the rest of their class programs.
The classes are said to facilitate academic competence and offer significant challenges as well as rewards. There are typically about 40 AP classes available for high school students across the United States. Most of these courses address primary areas such as English, math, physics, history, and chemistry. For instance, you can enroll in European history, English composition, or biology courses. Nevertheless, you can also take advanced level classes such as environmental science, calculus, studio art, and economics. For language courses, students can choose either German, English, Chinese, Italian, Japanese, and Spanish. The AP course exams are usually scored on a scale of 1-5. In this case, 1 represents failure, while 5 represents the highest scores.
However, as required by many colleges and universities, the standard score is at least 3 or 4. In most cases, when a high school partners with a particular college, their AP exam results can be used in place of prerequisite classes. Furthermore, about 30% of college scholarships recognize and use AP class scores. The AP programs are developed and run through the College Board, a non-profit academic organization collaborating with several schools through the U.S. offering AP courses, college prep resources, and standardized tests. Their roles include administering relevant tests such as SAT and ACT, to public schools across America.
Dual-Credit Programs
Dual-Credit programs allow students to graduate with high school certification along with course credits. The programs can either be an exam or course-based. The dual credit comes in a wide range of options, including Cambridge International, College in the High School, Technical Education Dual Credit, International Baccalaureate, Running Start, Career and Technical Education, and College in the High Dual-Classes. Taking these courses and exams may earn you college credit. One of the most important reasons to take the Dual-Credit is that the program gives you a competitive advantage. This is true because most of the jobs today require post-high school education.
Similarly, taking the Dual-Credit is associated with high chances of college enrollment, degree completion, and school graduation. The exam-based dual program lets students have an exam either on IB, CI, or AP, where they are expected to score at least three points for AP. At least four points for IB., on the other hand, course-based dual programs, which can also be known as concurrent enrollment, allow students to join classes that can offer both college and high school credits. Moreover, these courses can be provided at both high school and college levels. Dual credit programs have several benefits, which include enabling students to earn college credit while in high school and facilitating a smooth transition from high school to college.
Additionally, taking the dual program is an excellent way for students to start their college credits with their high school credits. It’s also clear that students who take dual courses are likely to complete their bachelor’s degrees faster than the others. The dual credit program also gives students exposure to the college curriculum while in high school. It also allows them to test and get used to college coursework. Students can similarly get full access to online research resources, materials, and other classes that are not offered in their school.
Takeaways
The IB diploma course is a global based program that offers an integrated academic approach to high school students. The AP course is a learning program developed for high school teenagers, and its primary goal is to connect high school students with college success