Is the IB Right for You?
Choosing the IB Diploma over A-Levels or AP isn't only about academic difficulty - it's about university fit, workload tolerance, and the kind of learner you (or your child) actually are. These guides offer direct, unflinching comparisons: workload differences, university recognition in the UK and US, the breadth-vs-depth trade-off, and the real cost of the core (TOK, EE, CAS).
We cover IB versus A-Levels for UK-bound students, IB versus AP for US-bound or international students, and a separate "is it worth it?" guide that lays out who genuinely benefits from the Diploma and who would be better off in a national curriculum. There's also a parents' guide that translates the IB's jargon and assessment quirks into plain language.
Read these before you commit to a curriculum, or in the first months of DP1 if you're seriously considering a switch - the subject changes guide in IB Exams covers the procedural side of that decision.
Guides in this category
- IB vs A Levels: Which Should You Choose? - IB vs A Levels compared across structure, scoring, difficulty, and university preference - plus a clear framework for deciding which suits you.
- IB vs AP: Scoring, Workload and University Recognition - IB Diploma and AP compared: the 45-point and 5-point scales, workload, US college credit, Russell Group recognition, and which suits which applicant.
- Is IB Worth It? An Honest Guide for UK Students - Is IB worth it? This guide covers workload reality, UCAS points, university outcomes, and who should choose IB over A-Levels.
- Parents Guide to IB: What You Actually Need to Know - A parents guide to IB covering the diploma structure, grading, key deadlines, subject choices, and how to support your child without overstepping.