<p>(I posted this on another forum and a reader suggested I post on parents' forum instead)
Does anyone know whether my D can opt out of one or two of her IB exams? She is a cert candidate, not full diploma. I would like her to take the AP test instead for one course, and for the other, an SL class- the colleges don't give credit. I've been researching for awhile on line and have found conflicting info- the main IB site is NO help. I once found an IB thread here on CC but had no luck tonight. I'd appreciate help. The xams are $96 apiece this year.</p>
<p>Wow. Caution. I disagree with the comment “the colleges don’t give credit.” Each college has its own policy on IB courses and many DO give credit for a strong score on an IB exam. </p>
<p>IB is not interchangeable with AP. So, the AP test may cover different material – and that’s not fair to your D if she has to test and has never had the material. </p>
<p>I think you need to ASK your student what she wants to do (even if it is your $96). She may want to test with her friends. She may not want to test in either format. </p>
<p>It is very hard to let go of the control of things at this point in the senior year. There are so many unknowns (where will she go to college, what will it really cost, etc). </p>
<p>To do well in the AP exam, she would need to get the AP prep book and take time to work through it. If she is a senior, then every moment of her life is likely booked full. </p>
<p>Before you push her to do that, please do take time to contact each of the colleges where she is applying and make sure you absolutely know, for sure, each college policy for that particular IB test (because D is going to be upset if she finds out later that the IB test would suffice).</p>
<p>In our HS, most of the IB kids take both the AP & IB tests; they schedule the testing with makeups included in case the test dates conflict. </p>
<p>Our IB program only has full diploma candidates, so I’m not sure about certificate candidates. Will her school allow her to take the class & not the exam?</p>
<p>Most colleges post IB and AP credit criteria. I’ve seen a few offer credit for SL and HL IB. And some top schools that offer nada, IB or AP, If your student knows which colleges are on the radar, start a spreadsheet.</p>
<p>Not many colleges give credit for Standard Level exams – the main exception being the foreign language exams. My younger S was a full diploma candidate and still took a lot of APs to cover his bases on the SL exams (and a couple of HLs in case he didn’t get scores that were high enough for credit). Brutal. </p>
<p>It’s up to your D, but as others have mentioned, IB and AP do not cover identical curricula or have the same way of presenting material. If she’s in an AP/IB class, she has a better shot at not having to do a lot of self-study. </p>
<p>As a response…yes, of course it’s D’s call. I think posters should always assume parents do talk and ask their children. </p>
<p>So thus far, no one has been in this situation.</p>
<p>The HL class she’s taking is being taught from an AP textbook. Our school is new to IB so teachers are learning too. Last year about four kids passed this particular subject. I did check with admissions at two of her top choices (she’s not looking at elite schools BTW) and they said they don’t penalize students who don’t take the tests. None of the schools on her list give credit for SL classes. HL’s require 5,6 or 7 while a score of a 3 on AP gets the same credit. Of course a full diploma student would have to take the exams to get the IB diploma. But for a cert student, I can find no evidence it’s necessary. Boiled down to whether she wants a shot at college credit. We’re in CA so with our $$ troubles at the publics it’s a good idea to go in with some credits. There’s two other HL exams she will gladly take the exams for. She didn’t take these classes to get a “certificate”. She took them based on teaching style of the IB and in courses where we knew the teachers were dedicated (her brother helped her with that).</p>
<p>I had read of Diploma kids taking AP’s too- whoosh, my head hurts to contemplate it. I respect the maturity that these kids have to take on the whole thing. When they announced they were starting IB at our school my D said she wasn’t up for the essay, the CAS and some of the courses. Wise choice in her case. But the teacher talked her into taking the class she’s annoyed with, not me. </p>
<p>If your daughter agrees that there is little or no point in taking the IB exams, then you need to talk to the GC and find out whether the high school requires them.</p>
<p>The high school may require all students in the IB class to take the IB exams because the exams provide the school with important feedback on how well the course is being taught and where it might need improvement.</p>
<p>If you can prove financial hardship, the school might prefer to pay for the exams itself rather than having your daughter not take them.</p>
<p>maenidmom - while not exactly the same - My S had similar dilemma. He was planning on doing full diploma, but then was sick and had surgery during the time when he sould have been finishing and submitting his EE - therefore he ended up with all the classes, all the CAS, and TOK, etc. but short the EE - and therefore no diploma. In his case he decided to sit for all of the HL exams, but none of the SL exams, because - just as in your case - the colleges he was considering did not give credit for SL.
It didn’t seem to hurt him at all in admissions. Good luck with your decision.</p>
<p>Will her high school allow her to choose which exams she will sit for? My D’s school wouldn’t allow that. If you took the class, you had to take the test in order to pass the class.</p>