Artsy students do IB to avoid being scaled down

[brendan]

http://www.smh.com.au/news/national/students-see-scales-of-justice-in-baccalaureate/2009/01/05/1231003937325.html

The lack of scaling the IB does make me wonder just how good are the conversion tables between IB scores and the ENTER/UAI

[IntoTheNewWorld]

Seems kind of unfair. Applying a scaling system per subject to convert IB to VCE may be way too complex though. 

[costargh]

But isn't the IB a system where you have to do like a math/science/arts or whatever anyway? So in that effect the gain they may get from doing IB may be cancelled out from weaknesses in those other areas?...

[IntoTheNewWorld]

But isn't the IB a system where you have to do like a math/science/arts or whatever anyway? So in that effect the gain they may get from doing IB may be cancelled out from weaknesses in those other areas?...

And I think you have to do a LOTE as well, which probably hurts many people

[jess3254]

But isn't the IB a system where you have to do like a math/science/arts or whatever anyway? So in that effect the gain they may get from doing IB may be cancelled out from weaknesses in those other areas?...

Yes, exactly. It makes barely any sense, because you HAVE to do a science, a maths, a humanities, LOTE + arts + a compulsory philosophy subject (TOK). In the IB DP, you must complete 6 subjects in one year (7 if you include TOK), and 3 of those subjects have to be at a higher level, however you can only do a certain combination of subjects HL (e.g. you can't do 2 humanities + english at a higher level, you have to do at least 1 science/maths HL). You also have to complete an extended essay, and do 150 hours of CAS (creativity, action, service). I'd also like to point out that when you sit IB exams, you aren't just tested on what you've learnt in the past year (or semester), everything which you have been taught in the past 2 years is tested on heavily weighted end of year exams (for all subjects.)

The majority of people at my school who undertake IB are all-rounders. In reality, you can't undertake the IB diploma programme if you don't possess aptitude in both maths/science and humanities (unless you want to fail year 12). Individuals who are supposedly doing IB because they're humanities/arts orientated and want to avoid the scaling of VCE would be significantly disadvantaged by doing subjects they aren't good at, and would probably be better off doing the VCE program, with no science or maths subjects.

Edit: fixed typos... >.<

[Eriny]

There are some 'humanties' subjects that scale up, too. History (Revs and Renaissance) does, as do LOTEs (of course), Literature and English Language scales up quite nicely, so does Classical Societies and Cultures, both Politics, Philosophy, even two of the music subjects scale up.

Also, very high performing students don't need to worry about their hard work being somehow undermined by scaling. If you get a 50 in any subject, it will not scale down. And only a small minority of subjects scale down from 45.

IB sounds pretty cool though. I think I would have liked it, actually. Although it does seem harder than the VCE.

[bubble sunglasses]

  IB is a killer for people not academically inclined [in many countries it's the only option]

[humph]

As above. IB is a million times more challenging than VCE. And much better, in my opinion. Most of the people I know who've done IB have fared extremely well at university, and I think there's a connection - I think it prepares students for the kind of independent study and motivation in university much moreso than VCE does.

[Glockmeister]

If my school had offered IB Psychology (it didn't) I would've taken the IB.

[vce08]

just get 50 and you won't scale down

[kurrymuncher]

easy for you to say table man