Parents and students have always perceived the International Baccalaureate Diploma Program curriculum as writing-focused.
Compared to the UK's GCE A-Level and the US Advanced Placement courses, the IBDP involves significantly more writing in terms of both quantity and frequency.
So, why does the IBDP give such an impression in its curriculum design?
Below, we discuss the IBDP's writing requirements across its various subject groups.
Question 1: What are the textual requirements for Language A subjects?
In the IBDP curriculum design, students need to choose different languages in Group 1 (Studies in Language and Literature) and Group 2 (Language Acquisition).
The former generally involves the student's native language, while the latter involves studying a second, perhaps foreign, language.
In both Group 1 and Group 2 language subjects of the IBDP, students are required to write a considerable number of essays.
For example, students studying English A Literature must tackle two exam papers primarily on writing. Those taking the Higher Level must submit an 1,200 to 1,500 word HL essay.
Question 2: What are the writing requirements for the Individuals and Societies group?
In Group 3 (Individuals and Societies) of the IBDP - which includes subjects such as psychology, history, geography, business management, and economics - students must also have writing skills to articulate their arguments.
For example, history students must write an internal assessment paper limited to 2,200 words and face written challenges in public examinations.
For instance, the first exam paper for economics is writing-focused. Paper 2 also requires students to write a long-form essay response. Moreover, the Economics IA consists of three commentaries where students express their opinions on current economic events, each capped at 800 words.
Question 3: How are students in Experimental Sciences assessed through writing?
Group 4 of the IBDP, Experimental Sciences, includes subjects such as physics, chemistry, biology, and environmental systems and societies.
Though these subjects focus on fostering a spirit of scientific inquiry, students in the IBDP are also required to do internal assessments.
Compared to the UK's GCE A-Level and the US AP courses in science, the IBDP demands the most extensive writing, with the IA (also called a lab report) capped at 12 pages.
Question 4: Are there no essay writing requirements for mathematics?
Some might think that mathematics, focused on computation and logical thinking, would not involve essay writing.
However, the IBDP has an IA called the Maths Exploration Paper, where students must write between 12 and 20 pages to express their understanding of mathematical theories.
Question 5: Beyond subjects, what other writing elements exist in the IBDP?
As mentioned, all five subject groups in the IBDP curriculum require extensive writing, surpassing the GCE A-Level and AP courses. However, the scope of writing in the IBDP extends even further.
There is a compulsory part of the IBDP called the extended essay, which is capped at 4,000 words, and students must also submit a Theory of Knowledge essay of 1,600 words. These are required components of the course.
In contrast, even though the UK's GCE A-Level includes an Extended Project Qualification requiring a paper of up to 5,000 words, and the US AP consists of a capstone research course without a word limit, both are optional for students.
Unlike these programs, the IBDP incorporates extensive mandatory writing within its curriculum design, making it a predominantly writing-forward program.
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