IB DP: The HLs' & SLs'

by Nandana Surendran

The IB Diploma Programme (DP) is a rigorous and academically challenging programme of education aimed at students aged 16-19 to prepare them for success at the university level and in life. The DP focuses on providing students with the opportunity to develop in both disciplinary and interdisciplinary sense that meets the rigorous standards set by institutions of higher education all over the globe.

What is HL and SL

To ensure that students possess both breadth and depth of knowledge and understanding, they have the option of choosing courses from five subject groups (studies in language and literature; language acquisition; individuals and societies; sciences; mathematics; and the arts). Majority of subjects are taken at either standard level (SL) or higher level (HL). To earn the full diploma a student must take at least three subjects at HL.

The IB DP operates on the philosophy of engaging the students with a variety of subjects and at the same time explore specific areas of personal interest. SL courses give the students a chance to be exposed to a range of subjects and areas that they might otherwise opt-out of, and HL courses allow students to study in-depth the subjects they are more interested in by exploring options in addition to the SL core curriculum. In this sense, all DP courses, regardless of whether they are SL or HL, are integral to the programme.

Both SL and HL courses are to span the two years of the DP. SL courses are recommended to have at least 150 hours of instructional time, and HL courses are recommended to have at least 240 instructional hours. In most cases, both SL and HL courses consist of the same core syllabus and curriculum and assessment models. HL courses typically also include a range of additional elements designed to allow students to explore areas of interest within the subject in more depth. The assessment criteria are equally demanding for both levels, and SL exams are marked and standardized at the same level as the rest of the IB coursework.

Subjects

The six IBDP subject groups and course offerings are summarised below.

  • Group 1: Studies in language and literature.
    Taken at either SL or HL, this is generally the student's native language, with over 80 languages available. There are two options for Language A: Literature and Language and Literature. The interdisciplinary subject Literature and Performance can also be taken at SL.

  • Group 2: Language acquisition.
    An additional language, taken at the following levels: Language B (SL or HL), or Language ab initio (SL only). Latin and Classical Greek are also offered and may be taken at SL or HL. Also, B SL students can study one of the texts as a replacement for the optional topics.

  • Group 3: Individuals and societies.
    Humanities and social sciences courses offered at both SL and HL: Business Management, Economics, Geography, History, Information Technology in a Global Society (ITGS), Philosophy, Psychology, and Social and Cultural Anthropology and Global Politics. The course World Religions and the interdisciplinary course Environmental Systems and Societies are also offered at SL only.

  • Group 4: Experimental sciences.
    Five courses are offered at both SL and HL: Chemistry, Biology, Physics, Design Technology and Computer Science. The course Sport, Exercise and Health Science and the interdisciplinary courses Environmental Systems and Societies and Nature of Science are offered at SL only.

  • Group 5: Mathematics.
    Listed in the increasing order of difficulty, the courses offered are Mathematical Studies SL and Mathematics SL and HL. In 2019, the previous Math SL and HL courses were replaced with Mathematics: Applications and Interpretation (AI) SL and HL and Mathematics: Analysis and Approaches (AA) SL and HL. AA Mathematics has an emphasis on algebraic methods and mathematical thinking, whereas AI Mathematics has an emphasis on modelling and statistics, with a focus on using technology to solve problems with real-world applications.

  • Group 6: The arts.
    Courses offered at both SL and HL: Dance, foreign languages, Music, Theatre, Visual Arts, and Film. Instead of taking a Group 6 course, students may choose to take an additional course from Groups 1–4 or either Further Mathematics HL, a Computer science course from Group 4, or a school-based syllabus course approved by IB. The interdisciplinary subject Literature and Performance is also offered, although currently only at SL.

  • Environmental Systems and Societies SL is an interdisciplinary course designed to meet the diploma requirements for groups 3 and 4, while Literature and Performance SL meets the requirements of Groups 1 and 6.

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