The International Baccalaureate is an international educational foundation that directs a pedagogy of international education for a global community of schools. The core organisation, the International Baccalaureate Organisation (IBO), founded the IB curriculum in 1968 in Geneva, Switzerland.

The IB curriculum aims to provide comprehensive programmes of international standard to students worldwide. The pedagogy is targeted at providing comprehensive education to students within the age range of 3–19 years of age.

The three programmes are:

• PYP: Primary Years Programme for 3–12 Years Old (Kindergarten to Class 5).
• MYP: Middle Years Programme for 11–16 year olds (Class 6 to Class 10).
• DP: Diploma Programme for 16–19 years old (Class 11 and Class 12).

All three programmes are targeted at the comprehensive development of children in intellectual, emotional, personal, and social aspects to become responsible citizens of a global community.

6 Subjects

Against all myths, this statement is true. The IB Diploma Programme is officially accepted by all universities and colleges in India. The Association of Indian Universities (AIU) has given the IB Diploma equal status as the Plus Two (10+2) class of all other boards prevailing in India.

IBDP students are evaluated based on the grading system, which ranges from 1 to 7. Universities and colleges give admission to IBDP students based on their percentages or marks in Class 12. Results in the IBDP are declared in July of every year, but as admissions to Indian universities are completed before July, the IB board provides their students with predicted scores, which are based on their prior academic performance. Universities provide provisional admission to IBDP passouts based on these scores.

The following table is used by most of the universities in India to convert the IB score into percentages:

Traditional boards have a unidimensional curriculum, which means the focus is always on knowledge. All a learner does is learn, either by understanding or by memorizing. On the contrary, in the IB Diploma Programme, learners have to both understand what they are learning and develop their skills simultaneously, which makes this education multi-dimensional. The teaching approach used by International Baccalaureate schools in Bangalore is multidisciplinary, which helps the students grow into individuals with a global mind and thinking process.

To succeed in a competitive exam, aspirants need to practice timing and strategy, irrespective of which board they belong to. The fundamental concepts are similar on every board; however, how you interpret and conceptualise your learning is taught by schools. Since the IB curriculum focuses on a comprehensive understanding and implementing their knowledge, the students are very competent to excel in competitive exams.

This is again a myth that needs to be shattered. Students of the IB board are equally accepted by all the universities and colleges in India. There are a lot of IB school students who want to pursue their higher studies only at an Indian institution. It is also true that studying in the International Baccalaureate gives students a competitive edge over others in abroad studies because of the inclusion of foreign languages in the curriculum. Additionally, all the disciplines are taught to the IB Diploma Programme students with breadth and depth, which makes learning more intense and helps students realise their potential.

In the International Baccalaureate (IB) programme, students are required to take six subjects. These subjects must include one from each of Groups 1 to 5, and either one from Group 6 or an approved substitute from another group. Additionally, students must take three subjects at Higher Level (HL) and the remaining subjects at Standard Level (SL)

For students undertaking the IB programme, it is recommended to select at least two, preferably three, subjects from Biology, Chemistry, Mathematics, and Physics at Higher Level (HL). The most suitable combinations typically include Biology and Chemistry, Chemistry and Physics, and Mathematics and Physics.