Assessment in the IB Diploma Programme
Assessment of performance in the IB Diploma Programme is different from that of the German school system
in many ways.
The IB assessment scheme shows 7 grades:
Grade 7
Grade 6
Grade 5
Grade 4 *
Grade 3
Grade 2
Grade 1
Excellent performance
Very good performance
Good performance
Satisfactory performance *
Mediocre performance
Poor performance
Very poor performance
* Grade 4 = Minimum grade required for each
subject by the Standing Conference of German
Ministers of Education for university recognition of
the IB Diploma
One subject may be awarded grade three if in a
subject at the same or higher level 5 grades are
reached.
The final grade is composed of External Assessment (EA) (undertaken by especially trained IB examiners)
and of Internal Assessment (IA) by the teachers of the school, which can be moderated (altered!) by
external examiners. Depending on the different subjects, External Assessment amounts to 70 – 80 %. Thus
IA by the teachers carries considerably less weight than in the German system. BUT: Assessment by the
teacher is much more significant than these percentages seem to express. First, weeks before the final
written exams teachers are required to submit Predicted Grades (PG) to the IB. Second, foreign universities
often require PGs, too.
Oral grades are of little importance for PGs to both institutions. Mock exams and the subject-specific types of
IA are the major basis for calculating the PGs. The main difference between PGs to the IB and to
universities is the time at which they must be provided and submitted: to the IB in April before the exams, to
universities at times fixed by the universities, mostly already in December. The school must be informed in
a written form well before December if students need PGs for university applications. All PGs serve the
same purpose: They are supposed to give honest and reliable information on the expected exam results.
They may be optimistic up to a justifiable point. One good reason for handing in an EE by the respective
deadline is the fact that additional grades earned in an EE and the TOK essay can be included in the total
of the Predicted Grades.
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Teachers are required to submit Predicted Grades to the IB considering all aspects relevant to
the final grade. The examiners get these PGs but can arrive at a different assessment (moderation).
The same is true for IA.
Foreign universities often require PGs for the selection process among applicants. Deadlines for
submitting these PGs differ from country to country, even from university to university. It is the
responsibility of the student to make sure deadlines can be met and the required information is
sent to universities in time.
The report cards are solely based on assessment by the teacher. These are mainly a form of
feedback to parents and students. When calculating the PGs report card grades are of significance
to a minor degree.
Report Cards (Zwischengutachten) are issued at the end of the first three semesters respectively
and have to be signed by a parent / legal guardian, even in the case when a student is of legal
age. Signatures must be shown to the tutor (when classes are resumed) to prove that parents are
informed on the student’s state of learning and the level of achievement. For the calculation of the
report card grades the following are considered: mock exams, written homework and oral
participation. Oral participation amounts to 25 – 50% of the total.
Even though oral participation carries little weight for the assessment procedure, its significance is much
bigger than becomes obvious at first sight. It would be a total misinterpretation of the assessment process to
believe that cramming information into your brains during the last weeks before the written exams could make
up for all those things neglected over the previous course time. Firstly, the precious time before the exams
is necessary for revision (and relaxation!). Secondly, it is just impossible to simply learn what has not
been understood so far. Understanding matters and issues, putting them into a wider context, developing
one’s own views and reasoned arguments does not only require knowledge but also practice, lots of practice,
and this cannot be obtained by merely listening (if at all). Developing these skills is a very personal and active
process over a long period of time. Procrastination and a belief in some fortunate kind of intuition are clear
signs of immaturity and naivety. And a final remark: a lot of work done during the course counts to the final
grade, i.e. getting knowledgeable, inquisitive, skilled and experienced at the very end is just t o o l a t e !