The two-year pre-university diploma — six subjects, the core, and a score out of 45. Apex matches your child with a specialist for their exact subjects and levels, plus the Extended Essay, TOK and the internal assessments, live in your timezone.
A two-year pre-university programme for ages 16–19: six subjects — one from each group — studied alongside the core of Theory of Knowledge, the Extended Essay and CAS, and scored out of 45. Each student takes three or four subjects at Higher Level and the rest at Standard Level.
HL subjects carry 240 recommended teaching hours and SL subjects 150. HL goes into greater depth; both are graded 1–7 against the same descriptors.
Source: International Baccalaureate — DP curriculum. Verified 10 July 2026.
Six subjects each score up to 7, for a maximum of 42; the core — Theory of Knowledge and the Extended Essay combined — adds up to 3 more, giving 45. A student needs at least 24 points, with every passing condition met, to be awarded the diploma.
Source: IB — understanding DP assessment & DP passing criteria. Verified 10 July 2026.
At least 24 points — but points alone are not enough. The diploma is awarded only when all the conditions are met: a grade in every subject plus TOK and the Extended Essay, CAS completed, at least 12 points at Higher Level and 9 at Standard Level, and no more than two subjects graded 2 or lower.
Source: IB — DP passing criteria. Verified 10 July 2026.
Each of the six subjects is graded 7 (highest) to 1, giving up to 42 points. The combination of Theory of Knowledge and the Extended Essay adds up to 3 “core” points — a maximum of 45. CAS earns no points but must be completed.
At least 24 points, with a grade in every subject and in TOK and the EE, CAS completed, a minimum of 12 points at Higher Level and 9 at Standard Level, and no more than two subjects graded 2 or lower. Some failing conditions (e.g. a grade 1, or the wrong TOK/EE combination) block the award even at 24+.
Each student takes three or four subjects at Higher Level (240 recommended teaching hours each) and the rest at Standard Level (150 hours each). HL subjects go into greater depth; both are graded 1–7 against the same descriptors.
The Diploma has two exam sessions a year — May and November. A student can retake a subject in a later session to improve a grade, and the highest grade counts. The IB removed the old “three-session” limit in 2023, so there is no cap on sessions.
The Extended Essay is an independent research essay of around 4,000 words that every Diploma student writes, alongside Theory of Knowledge and CAS as part of the DP ’core’. It is the student’s own investigation into a topic they choose, and — combined with Theory of Knowledge — it can add up to 3 points to the final score out of 45.
Each student takes six subjects, one from each of six groups: studies in language and literature; language acquisition; individuals and societies; sciences; mathematics; and the arts. A student may swap the arts for a second subject from another group (groups 2, 3 or 4), so a science-focused child could, for example, take two sciences instead.
Yes. In the UK the IB Diploma is on the UCAS Tariff — Higher Level, Standard Level, Theory of Knowledge and the Extended Essay are each accredited for points (CAS is not). In the UAE the Ministry of Education equalises it with a Grade-12 equivalency certificate, and many US universities grant credit or advanced standing, especially for strong Higher Level grades.
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