Questions to past and present IB Students

Test Preparation AP Test Preparation
1

<p>I’m in a dilemma, I’ve worked out my schedule so that I’d get to take IB Economics SL Senior Year. But since this is only SL, many “Top” Colleges won’t give Credit for it. So I was wondering if I should supplement it with AP Micro and Macroeconomics.</p>

<p>The thing is I’ll probably be taking HL Math, HL Physics, HL History and HL English (the last two are mandatory), so Senior Year will be hectic taking those HL IB Tests.</p>

<li><p>So should I self study for Micro/Macro Economics next year (Sophomore) or should I do it Junior or Senior Year.</p></li>
<li><p>Is taking AP Tests for the corresponding IB Test* recommended (such as AP Euro History for IB History etc)?</p></li>
</ol>

<ul>
<li>What if the IB Test is HL? SL?</li>
</ul>

<li>If doing the above is recommended, then what’s roughly the equivalent of IB Physics HL (/ IB Physics 2), IB English and History (1 and 2) - HL, IB French 5 (SL) and IB Chemistry 1 (SL)</li>
</ol>

<p>Thanks a ton</p>

2

<ol>
<li><p>Self-study it in 10th grade because, I can tell you from experience, you won't want to think about anything other than IB exams during the month of May when you're a senior.</p></li>
<li><p>IB HL subjects are usually equivalent to their AP counterparts, so there would be no advantage to taking the AP exam in a subject that you're doing in IB HL. However, now that I think about it, if you're better at multiple choice, and not so good at writing, you might want to take the IB HL class, and just use what you learned to take the AP exam, because it's mostly MC-based. But, the general rule that IB HL subjects are like AP exams isn't true in all subjects. Psychology SL, for example, is equivalent to AP Psychology.</p></li>
<li><p>For Chemistry, if you have a teacher who's approachable and who would be willing to help you, you could always ask him/her to help you prepare for the chem AP exam. Chem SL and AP chem are pretty different, though. First of all, IB places much more emphasis on organic chem, and doesn't go into detail about some AP stuff. For French, if you feel comfortable, take AP French Lit.</p></li>
</ol>

3

<p>Thanks.</p>

<p>I'm pretty familiar with the AP Tests (AP Gov.) and it was fairly easy. But I've felt I'd better on tests with a lot more writing on them.</p>

<p>Thanks for advice about self studying and Chem.</p>

<p>Is the writing on IB Exams anything like the essays we do in English (Close Analysis, Development, blah blah blah) or is it like "What did Plessy vs Ferguson uphold and how did it shape civil rights in United States?"</p>

<p>Hmm...now I wonder if there's a reason to take IB Economics if I've self studied AP Micro and Macro!</p>

4

<p>There isn't really a reason to take Economics then. You'll already have learned everything more in depth, so it would be very easy for you. Since you're taking four HLs, I don't recommend taking another SL course that would involve too much work. Just stick with Econ, and you have a hope of succeeding in the exams.</p>

<p>Most essays in IB exams are very open, and you usually have a lot of things that you can write about, so they aren't necessarily as specific as AP FRQs. The questions are like the 'Plessy vs. Ferguson' thing, but they're more open than that. Also, a thing you should keep in mind is that no IB exams, except some of the science ones, have any multiple choice questions, at all.</p>

5

<p>Hmm ok. Thanks for the information.</p>

6

<p>Regarding the acquisition of credit, I think it's harder with IB exams than AP ones. You need a 6 or 7 on an IB HL exam to get college credit at most Ivy League schools; obviously, that's not very easy. I know this smart kid who studied like crazy last year and ended up with a 5 on HL Physics. By all means, take the AP counterparts of your IB exams--they're much easier.</p>

7

<p>IB French 5 is equivalent to AP French
IB English - AP English
IB History 1 - AP US History (its called "IB History of the Americas" in my school) and IB History 2 is like a combo of everything</p>

8

<p>Vicky for English and French, is it Language or Literature.</p>

<p>For us our school choose to concentrate of European History for IB History 1 and 2. We take AP US History Sophomore Year.</p>

<p>Thanks.</p>

<p>Also, Taking a test in Foreign Language is a must for the diploma right?</p>

9

<p>
[quote]
AP US History (its called "IB History of the Americas" in my school) and IB History 2 is like a combo of everything

[/quote]
</p>

<p>That's because your school offers "IB History of the Americas." There's more than one type of IB history course.</p>

<p>Yes, a foreign language is a must for the diploma. If you take the foreign language at the A1 or A2 level, and if you get a good final mark, you're elegible for the bilingual diploma.</p>

10

<ol>
<li><p>I don't really see why you're so intent upon getting all that credit anyway. But do whatever you want.</p></li>
<li><p>Our school in Junior year and before prepares us for the AP along with the IB. In senior year, it's pretty much all IB, and then the stronger students can take AP in addition if they want to.
In terms of your classes:</p></li>
</ol>

<p>I did Physics SL and AP Physics B. I don't know about HL, whether it would over/under prepare you for C, or which C test...so I can't help you much there. I could imagine PHysics B would probably be a piece of cake for you, but colleges tend to not give much credit for it.</p>

<p>At my school, Soph year was AP Eng Lang, Junior was Lit and first half of HL, and senior was just IB. But the IB HL curriculum will more than prepare you for either of the English tests (though I believe Lang has been revamped, so be sure to check out the formats).</p>

<p>In order to prepare for AP US Hist, for HL History (Americas), we do US History junior year, and LATAM History plus DBQ/Paper 2 stuff senior year. This makes the AP easy to take. If your school, instead, divides the two years chronologically, as many do (colonial-1850ish Jr year, that point-present sr year) then it may be more difficult to take the US History AP, without significant self-study, because you'll have info in your head that is superfluous, and will likely be lacking the trivia-type info AP often asks.</p>

<p>If you're very strong at French SL you can take AP French Lang, I did, and it's one of the tests I feel most confident about. However, most students are not prepared for AP (many don't even take it, of those, few get 5s), despite our French teacher's excellence in IB prep, so...so you can do it, but only if you're good at French.</p>

<p>I did chem HL and we were prepared for AP, but I highly doubt you would be with SL info, unless you self-studied quite a bit.</p>

<p>I hope that was helpful.</p>

<p>Oh, and you didn't ask about math in your question, but I saw you were taking it, so I'll throw in info on that.
If you're taking HL, you'll be prepared for either Calc AP test. The order of difficulty goes pretty definitively (at least according to people at my school) SL<AB<BC<HL. There are, however, a few things on the BC test (mostly applications of integration, as I recall) that you may have to look up. You also have to memorize more.</p>

11

<p>Yeah, pinnipotto is right. However, about the calculus thing, SL and AB are more or less equivalent. Do you know anyone who's taken Further Maths? I heard that it's really really difficult, and that it makes AP Calc BC seem like a joke...</p>

12

<p>We don't have IB Math beyond Pre-Calc. For HL we do BC Calc and MV Calc. Our school just introduced an "IB Math HL" course for which I have to sacrifice Physics HL or Economics.</p>

<p>pinnipotto, 1. I want to learn Economics at the same time get Intro Econ out of the way for colleges</p>

<p>Thanks for the help.</p>