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These three programmes are the following:

1. the Primary Years Programme (PYP) for pupils aged 3 to 12
2. the Middle Years Programme (MYP) for pupils aged 11 to 16
3. the Diploma Programme for pupils aged 15 to 19

The programmes are modelled after educational systems from around the world, without being based on any particular one, incorporating both the breadth offered by some as well as the early specialisation offered by others. Their rigorousness and high standards have ensured its wide recognition throughout the world.

1 Diploma programme

This programme is intended for students in the final two years of secondary school – often before entering university.

Upon its completion, students receive a diploma which may be useful in obtaining admission to institutions of higher education. This degree is regarded as a foreign diploma, so recognition varies widely depending on the university.

Particularly in the USA, some IB courses are recognized as equivalent to college level courses, and colleges may award entering students with credit for high IB exam scores. In this regard it is similar to the Advanced Placement Program, or superior to it, depending on the institute of higher learning in question. However, IB exams are only taken after most colleges send acceptance letters, so IB exam scores do not confer a benefit to college admission in the USA.

In other parts of the world, the IB Diploma is used only to assess a student's suitability to enter university. In some, particularly countries with strong secondary school standards, it is not considered equivalent to a school-leaving diploma. It is therefore advised to know which university you are planning to attend, and to enquire in advance whether they admit IB Diploma holders or not. A list of universities admitting the IB can be found on the IBO web site.

Grades are awarded from 1 to 7 in each subject, and 0 to 3 possible points for good results in the Extended Essay and the Theory of Knowledge class. A diploma student takes 6 courses, and completes the Extended Essay and Theory of Knowledge class, for a total of 45 possible points per diploma. If a candidate fails one part of the final examination, he or she must receive a total of fourteen points in the three higher level courses to receive the diploma. If a candidate chooses not to fulfil all parts of the programme, he or she may receive only a certificate.

1.1 Syllabus

1.1.1 Subject areas

Students pursuing the Diploma take one course from each group, with at least three (but not more than four) taken at higher level (HL), and at least two (but no more than three) taken at the standard level (SL). Higher level subjects require approximately 240 hours of teaching time, and standard level subjects require at least 150. Students may also elect to take fewer IB courses - while these students do not receive the Diploma, they may still receive the Certificate of Merit with less stringent requirements.

• Group 1: Language A1 – Generally the student's strongest language, and has been offered in over 80 different languages in the past. Students may elect to self-study a language of their choice in this category at standard level.
• Group 2: Second Language – An additional language, taken either at A1, A2, B, or ab initio.
• Group 3: Individuals and Societies – Humanities and Social Sciences, such as philosophy, economics, business and management , psychology, social anthropology, geography and history. There are several different history classes – history of the Americas, Islamic history, and European history are also offered, generally dependent on the country the student is from.
• Group 4: Experimental Sciences – Subjects such as physics, chemistry, biology, environmental systems and design technology .
• Group 5: Mathematics – The subjects are mathematical studies SL (for students without the background for calculusFor other uses of the term calculus see calculus (disambiguation Calculus is a branch of mathematics, developed from algebra and geometry, involving two major complementary ideas: The first, called differential calculus is a theory about rates of change,), mathematical methods SL( precalculusFrom the point of view of mathematical education, pre-calculus is a foundational mathematical discipline. Courses and textbooks in pre-calculus are intended to prepare students for the study of calculus. Pre-calculus typically includes a review of algebra and introductory calculusFor other uses of the term calculus see calculus (disambiguation Calculus is a branch of mathematics, developed from algebra and geometry, involving two major complementary ideas: The first, called differential calculus is a theory about rates of change,), and mathematicsMathematics is commonly defined as the study of patterns of structure, change, and space; more informally, one might say it is the study of "figures and numbers". In the formalist view, it is the investigation of axiomatically defined abstract structures HL ( calculusFor other uses of the term calculus see calculus (disambiguation Calculus is a branch of mathematics, developed from algebra and geometry, involving two major complementary ideas: The first, called differential calculus is a theory about rates of change, and statisticsStatistics is the science and practice of developing human knowledge through the use of empirical data. It is based on statistical theory which is a branch of applied mathematics. Within statistical theory, randomness and uncertainty are modelled by proba). This group also includes computer scienceIn its most general sense, computer science CS or compsci is the study of computation and information processing, both in hardware and in software. Introduction Computer science encomposses a variety of topics relating to computation, ranging from abstrac and further mathematics (SL) but these courses are only electives (and not substitutes for the other mathematics courses).
• Group 6: Arts – Subjects such as visual arts, musicMusic often an art/ entertainment, is a total social fact whose definitions vary according to era and culture," according to Jean Molino. 1 It is often contrasted with noise. According to musicologist Jean-Jacques Nattiez: "The border between music and no and theatre arts.

Instead of a Group 6 subject, candidates may select an additional subject from Group 1, 2, 3, 4, or 5. This subject is often referred to as the student's "sixth area;" common choices other than are are a second science or a second history/social studies class.

All subjects are assesed using both an internal and external assesment, including final exams given world-wide in May (usually for Northern Hemisphere schools) and in November (usually for Southern Hemisphere schools). The internal assessments are graded by a teacher in the school and vary by subject. The external assessment is assessed by examiners appointed by the IBO.