Scored out of 45 points, the IBDP requires students to select a course in each of the following six subject groups:
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Group 1 – Studies in language and literature
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Group 2 – Language acquisition
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Group 3 – Individuals and society
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Group 4 – Sciences
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Group 5 – Mathematics
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Group 6 – * The Arts
* Students may opt to study an additional sciences, individuals and societies, or languages course, instead of a course in the arts.
Students will take some subjects at higher level (HL) and some at standard level (SL). Each student takes at least three (but not more than four) subjects at higher level, and the remaining at standard level. Standard level subjects take up 150 teaching hours over the duration of the two year programme and Higher level comprises 240 teaching hours.
Students must also complete three core elements to graduate with the full IB diploma. The DP core aims to broaden students’ educational experience and challenge them to apply their knowledge and skills. These core elements are:
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The Extended Essay (EE) – an independent, self-directed piece of research, finishing with a 4,000-word paper
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Theory of Knowledge (ToK) – students reflect on the nature of knowledge and on how we know what we claim to know
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Creativity, Activity, Service (CAS) – students complete a project related to those three concepts