Constructing the examination schedule

There are two sessions each year. The session in May is mainly for schools in the northern hemisphere and the session in November is mainly for schools in the southern hemisphere. But the distinction is flexible and diploma candidates are permitted to retake examinations in the session that is not their school’s main annual examination session.

Because of the wide range of diploma subjects available (nearly 300 at HL and SL) in a May session, each examination schedule must block together several subjects to be taken at the same time. For example, classical languages, ITGS and music may be scheduled for the same morning or afternoon. Such combinations are not random; in each case the IBO combines subjects that candidates rarely choose to study together.

There are many other factors that influence an examination schedule, including:

• the scheduling of grade award meetings
• the duration of each examination paper
• the intellectual demand made by each examination paper (for example, short-answer versus essay papers).

In the end, each schedule is something of a compromise between the needs of schools, candidates, examiners and the IBO. But the interests of the candidates are always paramount.