i am a rising junior in the IB diploma program. I now know that there are IB SL classes and HL classes, i was wondering if the points awarded to these two types of classes are the same even though HL is harder? Also i hear that IB SL classes are easier than AP classes but IB HL classes are harder, is this true? How does AP compare to the two levels of IB?
Yes, I believe that points awarded are the same. If you look at the IBD requirements, you’ll see that you need 3 HL exams for the IBD and a minimum # of points. It is expected that some points will come from SL, some from HL, etc.
As to harder or easier than AP, it depends on the course. Chem SL was considered harder than AP, Spanish SL easier, and Math SL (not Math Studies ) was the same. I think in most cases HL is harder than AP. The content is a bit different and the assessments are different so exact comparisons are not always possible.
I think the important thing to remember is that the IBD is a full curriculum, and while you have options within it, to get a second diploma (in addition to what your HS offers), you need a high level of proficiency in several subjects and a higher one in several more, all as part of a well-rounded preparation for university.
Yes, there is no “weight” in IB regarding the SL classes - a 5 is a 5 whether in HL or SL. All the scores are simply added up to get your final IB score out of 45.
To give you some perspective on difficulty levels my kid got a 5 on Chem AP and a 5 (out of 7) on IB Chem HL. So yeah, quite a bit more difficult. She also got a 5 on both Econ AP’s and a 5 on Econ SL.