The dates for IB testing are coming up in May and June. According to www.ibo.org, the first test will be on Fri. April 25. Each test day is divided into morning and afternoon sessions. Some students might prefer to get their testing done during the morning session while others prefer testing in the afternoon to study.
IB(International Baccalaureate) is a 2 year long program and students choose their classes as sophomores. According to IBCP Coordinator David Fingado, ”Those interested in attending elite schools for college should consider enrolling in the DP program. The CP program allows students to choose career related studies and pick at least two IB DP courses to take.”
Based on ibo.org, most of the tests for DP(Diploma Programme) are essays where students score from a scale 1-7, with 1 being the lowest. Students have the opportunity to earn college credit based on their score and the college. At the end of their senior year, students receive a diploma based on the program they’re in.
Taft senior and IBDP student Kathy Huynh said, ”I think the process of the extended essay was okay. I got a lot of help from my teachers. It was difficult to write and to compile my thoughts right away. The curriculum made me think harder and enabled my critical thinking.”
Taft also offers AP courses like AP Calculus during students junior and senior year. These are college level classes that can provide college credit. According to saycollege.com, “High Level IB courses are considered more challenging than the AP course counterparts. On the other hand, the Standard Level IB courses are usually considered easier than the similar AP courses.”
This year, some AP tests will be online. Therefore, chromebooks will need to be fully charged and updated for testing days. Online testing can make the grading process easier and less time consuming.
Huynh mentioned, ”I’m used to using computers and I’ve used them before for the SAT so I think it will be the same for IB testing. I expect there to be a lot of multiple-choice questions and free-response questions for my AP Statistics test. ”
Unlike the IBDP program, the IBCP program focuses more on career based learning. Students endure in service learning and reflective projects, which dives into an issue about their chosen career. They must take a minimum of 2 DP courses alongside their career studies. “One of them being a Language and Literature class and another Diploma class,” added Fingado.
Taft senior and IBCP student Sofia Nunez said, “As a senior in the IBCP program, I first expected it to be really difficult and overwhelming … However, as I went through it, I realized that while it does require effort, it wasn’t as bad as I thought. As long as I stayed organized and studied consistently, I was able to manage the workload. The strategy was balancing my time and making sure I kept up with assignments instead of letting them pile up.”
Each program has its own qualities and requirements. Students have the opportunity to enroll in them as a sophomore and potentially earn college credits. The rigorous curriculum can be challenging however students develop succeeding skills and learn about different careers.
