November 2020 IB results released

International Baccalaureate (IB) High School Diploma and Career Related Programme results released today
January 03, 2021
The wait is over for the over 3,000 Australasian IB Diploma students who have spent an additional week or two longer than most other State and Territory students to receive their final school results. IB Schools Australasia congratulates students and their schools on the results released 3 January, 2021!

Australian IB Diploma students received their results in the morning of January 3, 2021. These results allow students to apply to Australasian universities in the January round offers.  Many students had already received unconditional university offers on the basis of sitting for the IB Diploma. Results are released to schools and students individually and the IB does not produce 'league tables' of schools. It also does not release the names of students or schools that have perfect scores or other data that would allow comparison between schools and students. Individual schools release information when available.

In Australasia (Australia, New Zealand, PNG and Fiji) 3,280 students sat for the IB Diploma from a total of 19,716 in the November 2020 examination session throughout the world.  In the May 2020 (Northern hemisphere) examination session there were 170,335 candidates combining to a total of 190,051 candidates attempting the IB Diploma in 2020.  86 Australasian schools had Diploma candidates sitting for examinations in the November session. The Australasian average score out of 45 was 34.2 compared to the global average of 29.8.  The pass rate of Australasian students was 93% compared with the global average of 77%.  608 of the 1717 students to achieve above 40 and 39 of the 99 students to achieve a perfect score of 45 came from Australasia.  In this session four (Australian) students also completed the IB Career Related Programme.

Australia had 60 schools with 2,889 Diploma candidates. Their average was 34 with a pass rate of 93%.  552 Australian students achieved above 40 and 35 perfect scores came from Australia.

New Zealand had 13 schools with 360 Diploma candidates. Their average was 33 with a pass rate of 91%.  56 New Zealand students achieved above 40 and four achieved perfect scores. 

The attached document, How the IB awarded results for the November 2020 examination session: Diploma Programme and Career-Related Programme, explains how results were awarded in this exam session.

The IB Diploma Programme overview

The International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme is an academically challenging pre-university matriculation course offered to over 200,000 students in more than 5000 schools in 153 countries worldwide. The IB celebrated its fiftieth year in 2018 and continues to grow rapidly, with Australian Diploma student numbers increasing each year. Students who receive a Diploma apply to Universities in Australia and overseas as it is Internationally recognised as an outstanding preparation for tertiary study.

The International Baccalaureate aims to develop inquiring, knowledgeable and caring young people who help to create a better and more peaceful world through intercultural understanding and respect. These programmes encourage students across the world to become active, compassionate and lifelong learners who understand that other people, with their differences, can also be right. (IB Mission statement: Source: International Baccalaureate www.ibo.org )

Students who study the programme must complete:

  • A first language (Group 1)
  • A language of acquisition (or another first language if they are truly bi-lingual) (Group 2)
  • A humanities subject (Group 3)
  • A science subject (Group 4)
  • A mathematics subject (Group 5)
  • An arts subject (Group 6) or second from groups 2-5
  • A 4000-word research essay in an area of their choice
  • Theory of knowledge: An epistemology course, linking the subjects and developing a questioning of the validity of knowledge. This course is unique to the IB Diploma and develops critical thinking skills.
  • CAS: a creativity, physical activity and community service programme similar to the Duke of Edinburgh Award Scheme.

Academic subject results are awarded on a seven-point scale (1 is the lowest, 7 the highest) so that students can achieve 42 points maximum from such subjects. Up to three bonus points may awarded from performance in the extended essay and theory of knowledge. The maximum total is 45 equalling an Australian Tertiary Admissions Rank (ATAR) of 99.95 (i.e. the top of Australia). IB Diploma scores have direct conversions to University entrance scores in Australia.

 

Independent International and Australian recognition of the strength of the IB Diploma

Australian Universities prefer the IB Diploma to State based programmes. In independent research performed by the Australian Council for Education Research (ACER) in 2007 the IB Diploma was the preferred entry qualification by Universities across Australia. Oxford University’s Centre for Educational Assessment completed research in 2020 that demonstrated that the IB Diploma developed significant critical thinking skills.  The research may be accessed here.

IB Diploma Results in the News:

'It was very stressful': Despite months of uncertainty, IB students shine

 

For further information:

IB Schools Australasia

The official IB website

IB Statistical bulletins