The International Baccalaureate® (IB) assesses student work as direct evidence of achievement against the stated goals of the Diploma Program (DP) courses.
DP assessment procedures measure the extent to which students have mastered advanced academic skills in fulfilling these goals, for example:
analysing and presenting information
evaluating and constructing arguments
solving problems creatively.
Basic skills are also assessed, including:
retaining knowledge
understanding key concepts
applying standard methods.
In addition to academic skills, DP assessment encourages an international outlook and intercultural skills, wherever appropriate.
Student results are determined by performance against set standards, not by each student's position in the overall rank order.
Using external and internal assessment
The IB uses both external and internal assessment in the DP.
External assessment
Examinations form the basis of the assessment for most courses. This is because of their high levels of objectivity and reliability.
They include:
essays
structured problems
short-response questions
data-response questions
text-response questions
case-study questions
multiple-choice questions – though these are rarely used.
Internal assessment
Teacher assessment is also used for most courses. This includes:
oral work in languages
fieldwork in geography
laboratory work in the sciences
investigations in mathematics
artistic performances.
Read further information on understanding DP assessment.
May Exam Schedule: 2023 Exam Schedule
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