Welcome to International Baccalaureate (IB)

The International School of Brunei (ISB) has an excellent and highly successful International Baccalaureate (IB) Diploma Programme. It is a warm and welcoming school that strives to provide a highly stimulating and engaging learning environment with a global outlook.

The IB Diploma is a comprehensive and rigorous two year curriculum, leading to examinations, for students aged between sixteen and nineteen.

Based on a range of educational philosophies, it is a deliberate compromise between the specialization required in some national systems and the breadth preferred in others.

It is designed to equip young people with skills and knowledge necessary for successful study in institutions of higher education and for life-long learning.  We actively promote the IB learner profile throughout the whole school to ensure that each student fulfils their potential.

An additional aim of the IB Diploma Programme is to develop the whole person. At ISB we offer a wide range of subjects and over and above this, we provide our students with ample opportunities to participate in the CAS (Creativity, Action and Service) Programme. Many of the projects undertaken give a sense of social responsibility and an awareness of the needs of others.

At ISB we believe that our students should enjoy what they study and how they study and therefore we encourage the development of a global awareness and communication skills necessary to bridge international barriers. It is also our intention that the IB graduates will have developed an understanding of their place in the world, recognizing in it opportunity for personal growth as well as the satisfaction that comes from contributing to a successful team effort.

We have a diploma pass rate above the world average and have had 2 students achieve the maximum mark of 45 points during the last 3 years.  We are also very proud in the fact that all of our IB students wishing to move onto higher education do so.  There are ex ISB graduates studying at top universities all over the world.

If you require more information on the IB@ISB then please email me at ib@isb.edu.bn.

Group 1 : Language A1

It is a requirement of the programme that students study at least one subject from group 1.

Language A1 is the study of literature in a student's first language, including the study of a selection of world literature.

IB offers more than forty five languages at either higher level or standard level. Other languages may be studied provided :

   • There is sufficient written literature available
   • A request is received by the IB well in advance of the examination period.

In studying their first language, students are able to develop:

  • A personal appreciation of the literature
  • Skills in literary criticism
  • Strong written and oral skills
  • Respect for the literary heritage of their first Language
  • An international perspective.

The range of texts studied in language A1 courses is broad, and students grow to appreciate a language's complexity, wealth and subtleties in a variety of contexts. A specific aim is to engender a lifelong interest in literature and a love for the elegance and richness of human expression.

Group 2 : Second Language

It is a requirement of the programme that students study at least one subject from group 2.

The aim is to promote an understanding of another culture through the study of a second language. A large range of modern languages are available plus two classical languages (Latin and classical Greek).

The main emphasis of the modern language courses is on language acquisition and use in a range of contexts and for different purposes. Three options are available to accommodate students with different backgrounds.


• Language ab initio courses are for beginners, i.e. students who have no previous experience of learning the language they have chosen. These courses are only available at standard level.

• Language B courses are intended for students who have had some previous experience of learning the language. They may be studied at either higher level or standard level.

• Language A2 courses are designed for students who have a high level of competence in the language they have chosen. They include the study of both language and literature, and are available at higher level and standard level.

Group 3 : Individuals and Societies

It is a requirement of the programme that students study at least one subject from group 3. Five subjects are available at ISB.

     • Business and management

     • Economics

     • Geography

     • History

• Information Technology in a Global Society

All of these subjects may be studied at higher level or standard level.

Studying any one of these subjects provides for the development of a critical appreciation of:

     • Human experience and behaviour

     • The varieties of physical, economic and social environments that people inhabit

• The history of social and cultural institutions.

In addition, each subject is designed to foster in students the capacity to identify, to analyse critically and to evaluate theories, concepts and arguments relating to the nature and activities of individuals and societies.

Group 4 : Experimental Sciences

It is a requirement of the programme that students study at least one subject from group 4. Four subjects are available:

  • Biology
  • Chemistry
  • Design Technology
  • Physics

  • Analyse
  • Evaluate, and
  • Synthesize scientific information

A compulsory project encourages students to appreciate the environmental, social and ethical implications of science. This exercise is collaborative and interdisciplinary: students analyse a topic or problem which can be investigated in each of the science disciplines offered by the school. It is also an opportunity for students to explore scientific solutions to global questions.

Group 5 : Mathematics

It is a requirement of the programme that students study one course in Mathematics.

Three courses in mathematics are available:

   • Mathematical Studies standard level
   • Mathematics standard level
   • Mathematics higher level

These three courses serve to accommodate the range of needs, interests and abilities of students, and to fulfill the requirements of various university and career aspirations. The aims of these courses are to enable students to:

   • Develop mathematical knowledge, concepts and principles
   • Develop logical, critical and creative thinking
   • Employ and refine their powers of abstraction and generalization.

Students are also encouraged to appreciate the international dimensions of mathematics and the multiplicity of its cultural and historical perspectives.

Group 6 : The Arts

The study of a subject from group 6 is optional. Three subjects are available:

   • Music
   • Theatre Arts
   • Visual Arts

These subjects may be studied at higher level or standard level.

The subjects in group 6 allow a high degree of adaptability to different cultural contexts. The emphasis is on creativity in the context of disciplined, practical research into the relevant genres.

The assessment of these subjects reflects an eclectic attempt to combine contrasting aesthetics and forms of assessment from around the world. In particular, there is no indication of a western-oriented bias.

THEORY OF KNOWLEDGE (TOK)

This is an internally and externally assessed part of the IB that explores the different concepts of knowledge found in the individual subjects. Because IB Diploma students study six subjects simultaneously, TOK teachers can, for example, ask the students to compare how a historian would approach a problem in comparison to a scientist.

EXTENDED ESSAY

This is an externally assessed independent piece of research of 4000 words. It allows the student to explore in greater depth an area that interests them. This is one of the ways in which IB Diploma students can specialize in a certain subject area and prepare for university studies.

CREATIVITY, ACTION, SERVICE (CAS)

During the course students are expected to participate in a minimum of 150 hours of CAS activities. At ISB we try to offer the students as wide a range of experiences as possible, which in recent years have included working with young children in local schools through to climbing Mt. Kinabalu. Click here for more CAs events

DIPLOMA PROGRAMME ASSESSMENT

Philosophy

The International Baccalaureate (IB) assesses student work as direct evidence of achievement against the stated goals of the Diploma Programme courses.

The Diploma Programme goals provide students with:

  • A broad and balanced, yet academically demanding, programme of study
  • The development of critical-thinking and reflective skills
  • The development of research skills
  • The development of independent learning skills
  • The development of intercultural understanding
  • A globally recognized university entrance qualification.

Diploma Programme 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, Diploma Programme assessment encourages an international outlook and intercultural skills where appropriate.

Assessment tasks are designed to support and encourage good classroom teaching and learning.

Student results are determined by performance against set standards, not by each
student's position in the overall rank order.

METHODS

A variety of different methods are used to measure student achievement against the objectives for each course.

External Assessment

Examinations form the basis of the assessment for most courses 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 (limited use of these)

There are also a small number of other externally assessed pieces of work, for example, a Theory of Knowledge essay, an Extended Essay and world literature assignments. These are completed by students over an extended period under
teacher supervision instead of examination conditions, and are then marked by external examiners.

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

Assessments are checked by external examiners and normally contribute between 20 and 30 per cent of the final grade.

Some of the arts courses, for example, music, theatre arts and visual arts, have assessment of a major practical component, which can account for as much as 50 per cent of the final grade.

HOW DO I GET THE DIPLOMA ?

Unlike many curricula, the IB requires the students to do well in all subjects plus the Extended Essay, Theory of Knowledge, and CAS to pass. Each of the six subjects is marked on a scale of 1 (lowest) to 7 (highest). 3 extra points can be obtained from the Extended Essay and Theory of Knowledge.

To gain the diploma students must score 24 or more points, out of a maximum of 45 points. Assessment is a combination of continual evaluations over the two-year period plus a final examination in May of Year 13.
IB Points A Level Equivalent

IB Points           A Level Equivalent

40 - 45             5.4 - 6.5 A levels at ‘A' grade

35 - 39             4.5 - 5.3 A levels at ‘A' grade

30 - 34            3.5 - 4.3 A levels at ‘A' grade

24 - 29            2.3 - 3.3 A levels at ‘A' grade

on progress