<p>AP starts with A, IB ends with a B.
An A is better than a B.
Therefore, AP is better than IB. :P</p>
<p>^ genius…</p>
<p>Ib > Ap.</p>
<p>:D</p>
<p>Studying for knowledge itself rather than for standardized testing > AP & IB</p>
<p>It’s probably because AP lacks EE, TOK, CAS, and other frivolous activities.</p>
<p>As for those who say AP is all memorization - I concede that it is. But at most schools, IB is, too.</p>
<p>ib certificate > ap
teaching/testing thought and analysis rather than memorization</p>
<p>
What planet are you living on, exactly?</p>
<p>Studying for knowledge itself rather than for standardized testing > AP & IB</p>
<p>if you got that concept down, you are set for life.</p>
<p>well that’s a skill you are more likely to develop through the IB curriculum than through preparing for AP exams .. in my humble opinion</p>
<p>Not this again…oh well</p>
<p>IB is better than AP, so all the haters shut up *******</p>
<p>**** off, friedrice. Don’t get all butthurt just because you couldn’t handle AP classes.</p>
<p>IB strikes me as particularily strange. You write long-ass ‘free thinking papers’ do some mandatory activities and get a peice of paper in return. And then most people can cram that up their hole because COLLEGE ISN’T LIKE IB /omgrage! It’s closer to AP than anything.</p>
<p>I just don’t understand how IB teaches you to “think and analyze” more than AP. All you do differently is take a philosophy class (dumb!), write a long essay (which, having written plenty of those myself, requires neither thought nor analysis), and do a bunch of community service. And last time I checked, IB is still a program that teaches you to take the IB exams.</p>
<p>So where’s all this thinking I’m missing?</p>
<p>Zamzam:</p>
<p>First of all, ToK is not the same as philosophy (I do both, and although they have similarities, they are very different!). Nor is it a dumb class, provided you have a good teacher. The whole point of ToK is to learn how to think: the central question is “how do I know this?”, and the course involves learning how to think and reason and evaluate the validity of various things, as well as seeing problems from different angles and perspectives. </p>
<p>The EE does require thought and analysis; without that, you’ll get a pitiful grade, as the analysis is part of the grading criteria. Sure, lots of essays can be done by BSing. The EE is not one of them. </p>
<p>One thing you’re missing out that is a major difference between the IB and AP is that in the IB you are graded not only on your exams, but also on your IAs (internal assessments). This is one of the things I think makes the IB far superior to AP, as you get to show different skills than just good test-taking. For example, in TOK (which you seem quite negative towards!) we have to do an oral presentation and write a 1600 word essay. Both of these require you to identify a contemporary knowlege issue, explain it, weigh the different sides, and ultimatly reach a conclusion. This is not all that easy, if you are to do it well - especially if, like me, you aren’t that good a speaker. In the IB you are forced to learn how to present information orally as well as writtenly (is that even a word??). In English A1 something like 30% of your final grade is based on oral work - one of which is an unseen commentary. Trying to write an analytical essay on an extract you’ve seen for 20 minutes is difficult; trying to speak about it in an organized, well-structured manner for 15 minutes is a LOT harder! Anyway, the point with this stuff about the IAs is that the IB does NOT only teach you how to take the IB exams, since the IB is not just about the exams (in some cases, 50% of the grade is based on IAs). </p>
<p>That said, it depends a lot on your teachers. I have one teacher who has taught me practically nothing, and so in that subject the IB has been worhtless. But in the subjects I have good teachers in, I have learned a tremendous amount. But simply comparing the two programs - IB and AP - without consideration to how they are in any particular school or with certain teachers, I personally prefer the IB. </p>
<p>This thread seems to have turned into ANOTHER IB vs AP, when the OP merely told a joke…</p>
<p>ok psychgirl, you are talking like we dont do any analytical work or presentations in our class. Well, currently im taking AP US history and we do quite a bit of that. We analyze every possible way the civil war could have happened and do presentations on them. I have learned quite a lot and next year with 4 APs it is going to be even better. According to you, some TOK class will teach you every analytical skill . GOOOD ONE!</p>
<p>and anyway who cares, we will end up in the same boat either way.</p>
<p>Paki786:
No where did I say that you DON’T do any analytical work or presentations in AP. I’m sure at lots of schools, such as yours, you do. But the AP program does not require it in the same way that the IB program does. That was my point.</p>
<p>Neither did I say that TOK will teach “every analytical skill”. That would be an absurd statement. ToK does teach an awful lot, though, and having several hours a week dedicated especially to honing critical thinking, argumentative and analytical skills is certainly helpful.</p>
<p>I was told by an alum that IB is thought more highly of, because it is more consistant. With AP, the difficulty and depth of a specific class can range from school to school. At the same time, however, I’m sure that many students do not like the many demands required of IB (TOK, Extended Essay, certain tests, etc) so AP is better for them.</p>
<p>That is my take on it, and now I shall never reply to this thread again, because I feel like there’s a storm brewing here…</p>
<p>thanks psychgirl, didnt mean to come off so rude but yeah it can vary. I mean AP is quite challenging but again it depends on the person and the school.</p>
<p>Almost nobody who has taken multiple classes in both (myself included) will say that IB is easier than AP.</p>
<p>I think either IB or AP can be better, depending on the teachers. Some will just drill for an exam, others will teach valuable information/critical learning skills. You can think critically in either AP or IB classes- if all AP students are just ‘memorizing,’ then something is wrong with their classes. I do plenty of thinking. Also do plenty of writing. The teacher controls that more than IB or AP, I think.</p>
<p>We only have AP here, but I definitely have nothing against IB. I’d be lucky to have either of them.</p>