What is the difference between ap and ib

IB courses and programs are not as common in the U. As of July , there were over 5, IB schools and 7, programs offered worldwide. Roughly 1. To earn an IB diploma, students need to take at least six courses. Other aspects of the IB Diploma Programme, such as core requirements, also include fees.

In the U. Some students, however, may qualify for fee reductions or waivers from either the College Board or their school district. Although both AP and IB courses prepare students for college through rigorous work requiring higher-level thinking, the two programs have different focuses. Overall, the AP program aims to provide students with college-level courses while they attend high school. Each course stands alone, and there are no additional components to complete outside the exam.

IB courses, in contrast, focus more on helping students understand the process of knowledge and develop critical thinking skills. The IB Diploma Programme includes additional requirements that often center on global awareness.

To register for an IB exam, a student must be enrolled in and complete an IB course. Students who want to take an AP exam, on the other hand, are not required to complete the AP course associated with that test. That said, most schools do not advise students to take an AP exam without enrolling in the corresponding AP course.

The AP course is designed to prepare students to do well on the exam. Colleges typically do not state a preference for AP or IB courses. Both options are rigorous and can help you earn college credit depending on your exam scores. If your school only offers AP or IB, you may want to simply stick with what is available. If your school offers both, you should decide which program would be the most beneficial for you.

Unlike the IB program, AP offerings allow you to only take courses in the subjects you choose. The amount of college credit you earn for AP exams depends on the score you received, your college's policies, and the AP exam subject.

Most colleges award credit for scores of 4 or 5, regardless of the AP subject. Many colleges also accept a 3, but credit awarded may vary based on the subject. Students may earn credit for IB courses, but the amount of credit also varies.

Some colleges only award college credit to students who hold a full IB diploma, while others may award credit for individual exams. You can also ask your guidance counselor about the exam pass rates for different teachers.

This can give you a sense of a class's reputation and how many students are successful. We've talked about deciding between AP and IB at the same school. But what if your local high school doesn't offer IB and you're considering switching to a school that does? I had to make this decision myself. My district had three high schools, but only one offered the IB program. That high school was pretty far away from my neighborhood, but it drew tons of students specifically for the IB program, and a lot of my friends were going there because they wanted to get into good colleges.

I strongly considered going to that high school just so I could do the IB program. I eventually decided to go to my neighborhood high school that offered only APs.

Going to the other high school would have involved at least an hour of commuting each day, and it would have strained my family's schedule. Since I saved time by not commuting, it was actually easier to get involved in after-school extracurriculars like debate and Model United Nations. I was also able to keep taking piano lessons and doing service work—activities I had done since I was little—because my schedule wasn't squeezed by commuting.

Furthermore, I was able to take a rigorous schedule of AP classes. I earned leadership positions in my extracurriculars by junior year. All of this helped me put together competitive college applications. I likely could have done as well at the other high school, but the point is that even without IB, I was able to pursue a rigorous and challenging high school program. Because I took the most challenging program available at my high school, I didn't hurt my admission chances.

In fact, I might have improved them by having more time for extracurriculars. There's one exception to this worth noting, though. There was an in-state scholarship competition I was in the running for that ended up selecting most of its winners from IB schools. It's possible that for some private scholarships and organizations, IB will look more impressive. But that's a factor that could vary state by state, or even district by district.

The key here is to do your best at whatever high school you attend. Colleges are evaluating you in the context of your school. If you feel as though you won't have many opportunities to be challenged at your local high school and really want to attend a different school, you can make that call. But don't feel pressured to switch just because you think it will look better on an application. Our one-on-one online AP tutoring services can help you prepare for your AP exams.

Get matched with a top tutor who got a high score on the exam you're studying for! Taking either AP or IB classes will look very good on your college applications, as it shows you're challenging yourself with college-level courses. There's no real preference or benefit from doing one program or the other, as long as you do well in your chosen courses.

However, you want to make sure that you are doing well in your classes and not overloading. Find out definitively which one you will be best at with our expert advice. The earlier you start, the more opportunity you'll have for a high score. Find out what scores you'll need to be competitive. We've written a guide for each test about the top 5 strategies you must be using to have a shot at improving your score. Download it for free now:.

Halle Edwards graduated from Stanford University with honors. She also took nine AP classes, earning a perfect score of 5 on seven AP tests. As a graduate of a large public high school who tackled the college admission process largely on her own, she is passionate about helping high school students from different backgrounds get the knowledge they need to be successful in the college admissions process.

Our new student and parent forum, at ExpertHub. See how other students and parents are navigating high school, college, and the college admissions process. Ask questions; get answers. How to Get a Perfect , by a Perfect Scorer. Score on SAT Math.

Score on SAT Reading. Score on SAT Writing. What ACT target score should you be aiming for? How to Get a Perfect 4. How to Write an Amazing College Essay. A Comprehensive Guide. Choose Your Test. College Expert Guide. It is possible to do individual IB courses, but the programme is designed to lead to a full Diploma. AP classes culminate with the end-of-year exams open answer and multiple-choice, some with portfolios or other assessments ; during IB classes students prepare teacher assessments of classwork, lab work, fieldwork, and oral performance, then, at end of year they take final exams open answers, essays, and data response questions.

The IB assessment philosophy encourages revision and multiple opportunities to demonstrate understanding. These elements are either absent in the AP or have been added. Furthermore, the AP focuses on content only, where the IB evaluates students based not only on content but also on skills such as critical thinking and writing.

Despite these considerable differences between the two programs, they can both lead to college credit and to placing out of entry-level college coursework. Furthermore, both of the classes they offer are considered college-level. Read the full answers they gave us! Ruamrudee International SchoolThailand The AP approach is compartmentalized content knowledge with some expectation of application.

Furthermore, the AP assessment model lacks flexibility and is ultimately literacy based with western contexts. The IB is constructivist and rewards higher level thinking skills. Assessments are multifaceted and authentic. These elements are either absent in the AP or have been added in a superfluous manner.