The IB Diploma at a glance: subjects, TOK, EE, CAS and 45 points

This guide is for parents looking at IB schools or whose child is about to start the IB Diploma Programme (DP). It summarises the IBO's official information on structure and scoring.

The IB programmes around the DP

• MYP (ages 11-16): eight subject groups with at least 50 hours each per year, a long-term project and a community project. Final-year eAssessment is optional.
• DP: the two-year pre-university programme.
• CP (ages 16-19): at least two DP courses plus a four-part core and a career-related study.

Subjects: six groups, three or four at HL

Students choose from language and literature, language acquisition, individuals and societies, sciences, mathematics and the arts. The arts can be swapped for another science, humanities or language subject. Three or four subjects are Higher Level (HL, 240 hours) and the rest Standard Level (SL, 150 hours).

The core: TOK, the Extended Essay and CAS

• TOK (Theory of Knowledge): reflecting on how we know what we claim to know.
• Extended Essay: an independent, self-directed research project of 4,000 words.
• CAS: activities across creativity, activity and service. It is not graded but must be completed.

Scores: 45 maximum, 24 minimum

Each subject is graded 1-7 and TOK plus the Extended Essay add up to 3 points. A diploma needs all of these:

1. At least 24 points
2. Every subject at least 2, and no more than two 2s
3. No more than three grades of 3 or below
4. At least 12 HL points and 9 SL points
5. No E in TOK or the Extended Essay, and CAS completed

Checklist

• Have you matched HL choices to likely university courses?
• Do you know which of the six groups are strengths or stretches?
• Have you asked when the Extended Essay topic is chosen?
• Is there a way to log CAS activities regularly?
• Do you know the failing conditions besides 24 points (a 1, an E in TOK/EE)?

Ask the school

• Which HL and SL subjects are offered and which combinations are allowed
• Whether Korean or another home language can be studied as language and literature
• How TOK and the Extended Essay are supervised, and when

Subject offers differ by school, so confirm the latest details with the school and the IBO.