Parents of students ACS(I) - R U Happy with the IP program

[Faun]

How do our local Universities measure the performance of the A level and IBDP graduates for adminssion? They can’t use the same yardstick. Do they set aside a quota for IBDP students?

[autolycus]

Faun:

How do our local Universities measure the performance of the A level and IBDP graduates for adminssion? They can't use the same yardstick. Do they set aside a quota for IBDP students?

For NUS, the whole list (it is long and interesting) is http://www.nus.edu.sg/oam/apply/international/admissionreq/BYA-admissionreq.html.

For NTU, the links to pages for the main criteria are http://admissions.ntu.edu.sg/UndergraduateAdmissions/Pages/ApplytoNTU.aspx.

For SMU, the equivalent page is http://www.smu.edu.sg/admissions/index.asp.

In terms of yardsticks, remember that the S'pore-Cambridge GCE A-levels are considered tougher than most other A-level examinations. However, UCAS publishes a tariff that compares the A-levels with the IB Diploma.

As for quotas, there is a 'natural' quota which is partly market-driven and partly bias-driven. It's somewhat equivalent to the difference between DSA 'quotas' and COP when considering admission to secondary schools. Different universities have different institutional biases.

[Faun]

Autolycus,


:thankyou: for the links.

[Faun]

autolycus:

Actually, the ACS(I) IP is unusual in that the students DON'T do A-levels. They do the http://www.ibo.org/ instead. There is no basis for comparison because at the moment ACS(I) is the largest IB school in the world and the only one with such a selective mass intake.

Can you please tell me how Chinese is treated as a subject for IB? There's no need to do Higher Chinese for Year 1-4 since you don't need the extra points for going to JC. Is this right?

[gleemom]

Yes Higher Chinese is offered at ACSI pre-IB program (sec 1 to 4). If the boy opts for HMT, the marks (max 7 pts) will be taken as Chinese language (ie no extra bonus pts). HMT boys can take ‘O’ level Chinese at Sec 3 (or again at Sec 4 if not happy with grade). This grade is not counted in overall IB marks but I guess it’s a good cert to have. The boy still takes IB Chinese in IB year. Most do the exam in IB year 1 (similar to JC 1), so that they can concentrate on the other subjects in year 2.


My feedback for the IB program is good. My boy used to be strong in Science & Maths, but now also appreciate Lang Arts and Humanities. I like the broad based curriculum. It is a tough curriculum, nonetheless, with lots of projects and presentations peppered throughout the year, and there is a minimum aggregate the boy must achieve to move onto the next year. This is good as it keeps the boy on his toe and prepares him well for the actual IB years. I have no regrets sending him to this program.

[Faun]

gleemom:

Yes Higher Chinese is offered at ACSI pre-IB program (sec 1 to 4). If the boy opts for HMT, the marks (max 7 pts) will be taken as Chinese language (ie no extra bonus pts). HMT boys can take 'O' level Chinese at Sec 3 (or again at Sec 4 if not happy with grade). This grade is not counted in overall IB marks but I guess it's a good cert to have. The boy still takes IB Chinese in IB year. Most do the exam in IB year 1 (similar to JC 1), so that they can concentrate on the other subjects in year 2.


My feedback for the IB program is good. My boy used to be strong in Science & Maths, but now also appreciate Lang Arts and Humanities. I like the broad based curriculum. It is a tough curriculum, nonetheless, with lots of projects and presentations peppered throughout the year, and there is a minimum aggregate the boy must achieve to move onto the next year. This is good as it keeps the boy on his toe and prepares him well for the actual IB years. I have no regrets sending him to this program.

Is good to hear positive feedback about the IB. What is the minimum aggregate the boys must have to move on to Yr6 IB. Is it 38points? Are the exam papers all set by the IB office? Do they set papers specifically for Singapore or is the paper standard based on region?

I also like the broad-based curriculum the IB offers. I think it is good for the young mind to be trained holistically. I heard many British people wants to do the IB but cannot. I think it's to keep the Cambridge Exam Board wallet padded. There has been much said about the GCE being too exam oriented and causing grade escalation.

Thank you if you can answer my query.

[autolycus]

Faun:

Is good to hear positive feedback about the IB. What is the minimum aggregate the boys must have to move on to Yr6 IB. Is it 38points? Are the exam papers all set by the IB office? Do they set papers specifically for Singapore or is the paper standard based on region?


I also like the broad-based curriculum the IB offers. I think it is good for the young mind to be trained holistically. I heard many British people wants to do the IB but cannot. I think it's to keep the Cambridge Exam Board wallet padded. There has been much said about the GCE being too exam oriented and causing grade escalation.

Thank you if you can answer my query.

The minimum aggregate varies from year to year. In theory, 38 points is the requirement for entry to Oxbridge, so the former principal used to set that expectation level for all students. In practice, it is around 34 points. This is because it is somewhat negotiable.

Exam papers are all set by the IB Organisation. ACS(I) students take the November papers together with most Southern hemisphere schools (mostly South American and Australian), rather than the June papers taken by most Northern hemisphere schools.

[phankao]

gleemom:

HMT boys can take 'O' level Chinese at Sec 3 (or again at Sec 4 if not happy with grade). This grade is not counted in overall IB marks but I guess it's a good cert to have. The boy still takes IB Chinese in IB year. Most do the exam in IB year 1 (similar to JC 1), so that they can concentrate on the other subjects in year 2..

Probably bc having O/A-level Chinese is a requirement of MOE? Does MOE provide for IB Chinese as an alternative ?

[autolycus]

phankao:

gleemom:

HMT boys can take 'O' level Chinese at Sec 3 (or again at Sec 4 if not happy with grade). This grade is not counted in overall IB marks but I guess it's a good cert to have. The boy still takes IB Chinese in IB year. Most do the exam in IB year 1 (similar to JC 1), so that they can concentrate on the other subjects in year 2..

Probably bc having O/A-level Chinese is a requirement of MOE? Does MOE provide for IB Chinese as an alternative ?

Having a Mother Tongue language is part of MOE's bilingual policy. If this requirement is fully met by Year 4, the student may choose another language as a second language for the IB course. Hence a number of students who have already complete Higher Mother Tongue by Year 4 go on to do other languages like Spanish, French or German as an IB second language.

The IB Chinese paper is set at a true second-language level; i.e., not as a mother tongue. It is therefore very easy to do well in, and hence a safe source of IB points. The large majority of ACS(I) Year 5 students get 7/7 points for that paper.

[phankao]

autolycus:

phankao:

[quote=\"gleemom\"] HMT boys can take 'O' level Chinese at Sec 3 (or again at Sec 4 if not happy with grade). This grade is not counted in overall IB marks but I guess it's a good cert to have. The boy still takes IB Chinese in IB year. Most do the exam in IB year 1 (similar to JC 1), so that they can concentrate on the other subjects in year 2..

Probably bc having O/A-level Chinese is a requirement of MOE? Does MOE provide for IB Chinese as an alternative ?

Having a Mother Tongue language is part of MOE's bilingual policy. If this requirement is fully met by Year 4, the student may choose another language as a second language for the IB course. Hence a number of students who have already complete Higher Mother Tongue by Year 4 go on to do other languages like Spanish, French or German as an IB second language.

The IB Chinese paper is set at a true second-language level; i.e., not as a mother tongue. It is therefore very easy to do well in, and hence a safe source of IB points. The large majority of ACS(I) Year 5 students get 7/7 points for that paper.[/quote]What I meant was - is it MOE does not take the IB Chinese paper as a valid fulfilment of requirement, hence the need to take the O level CL/HCL papers instead.