Section A: Introduction to the Diploma Programme

Overview

Overview

This 2009 Handbook of procedures for the Diploma Programme contains all the important information about the Diploma Programme procedures and deadlines that coordinators, heads of schools and teachers will need during the 2009 academic year. We ask coordinators to ensure that information contained in this handbook is passed on to other appropriate individuals within the school community, and used to provide exact and adequate information about the Diploma Programme to students and parents.

Please note that the forms referred to in this edition of the handbook are the latest version. It is the responsibility of the Diploma Programme coordinator to ensure that these are the ones being sent to the International Baccalaureate Curriculum and Assessment Centre.

Please use the links in the table below or the tabs at the top of the screen to navigate around the handbook. All forms can be accessed via the link to the left of the screen.

Any comments or suggestions that you may have for improving this handbook will be most welcome, and should be sent via email to Graeme Donnan at graeme.donnan@ibo.org.

Section A	Introduction to the Diploma Programme
Section B	Important information for coordinators
Section C	Support and services
Section D	Academic honesty
Section E	Special circumstances and arrangements
Section F	Fees
Section G	Registering candidates for examinations
Section H	Assessment procedures
Section I	Arrangements for the written examinations in May and November 2009
Section J	Electronic calculators
Section K	Issue of results
Core	Information specific to theory of knowledge, extended essays and creativity, action, service
Group 1	Language A1
Group 2	Second language
Group 3	Individuals and societies
Group 4	Experimental sciences
Group 5	Mathematics and computer science
Group 6	The arts
SBS	School-based syllabuses
TSL/pilot subjects	Transdisciplinary SL and pilot subjects mainstream in 2010

Section A: Introduction to the Diploma Programme

A1The IB programme continuum

The International Baccalaureate (IB) offers three high-quality programmes of international education to a worldwide community of schools. The three programmes for students aged 3 to 19 help develop the intellectual, personal, emotional and social skills required to live, learn and work in a rapidly globalizing world.

Each programme includes a curriculum and pedagogy, student assessment appropriate to the age range, professional development for teachers and a process of school authorization and evaluation. Although the three IB programmes have their own unique characteristics, the educational philosophy is consistent across all of the programmes. All three place strong emphasis on the ideals of international understanding and responsible citizenship. There are currently more than 573,000 students in 125 countries at 2,146 IB World Schools that offer one or more programmes.

The three programmes are free-standing and a school may opt to offer one, or any combination of the three programmes. However, if a school chooses to offer consecutive IB programmes, the programmes must be continuous, with students moving from one programme to the next without any gap years. As the PYP and MYP can be considered an excellent preparation for the Diploma Programme, schools are encouraged to consider offering the full continuum of IB programmes.

In cases where a school offers more than one programme, IB offices will deal with each programme as a separate entity. Correspondence and documents from the IB will be sent to the relevant programme coordinator in the school. Fees will be invoiced separately.

A2The Diploma Programme

The IB Diploma Programme is a challenging two-year curriculum, primarily aimed at students aged 16 to 19. It leads to a qualification that is widely recognized by the world’s leading universities.

Students learn more than a collection of facts. The Diploma Programme prepares students for university and encourages them to:

The curriculum contains six subject groups together with a core made up of three separate parts. This is illustrated by a hexagon with the three parts of the core at its centre.

Candidates for the diploma study six subjects selected from the subject groups. Normally three subjects are studied at higher level (courses representing 240 teaching hours), and the remaining three subjects are studied at standard level (courses representing 150 teaching hours). All three parts of the core—extended essay, theory of knowledge and creativity, action, service—are compulsory and are central to the philosophy of the Diploma Programme.

At the end of the two-year programme, candidates are assessed both internally and externally in ways that measure individual performance against stated objectives for each subject.

In nearly all subjects at least some of the assessment is carried out internally by teachers, who mark individual pieces of work produced as part of a course of study. Examples include oral exercises in language subjects, projects, student portfolios, class presentations, practical laboratory work, mathematical investigations and artistic performances.

Some assessment tasks are conducted and overseen by teachers without the restrictions of examination conditions, but are then marked externally by examiners. Examples include world literature assignments for language A1, written tasks for language A2, essays for theory of knowledge and extended essays.

Because of the greater degree of objectivity and reliability provided by the standard examination environment, externally marked examinations form the larger share of the assessment for most subjects.

The grading system is criterion-based (results are determined by performance against set standards, and not in relation to the performance of other students); validity, reliability and fairness are the watchwords of the Diploma Programme’s assessment strategy.

A3Choosing subjects for a diploma

A3.1Selecting subjects from groups 1 to 6

Section A8 lists subjects that are automatically available for examinations in 2009 and 2010 and by special request for 2010. When selecting subjects for a diploma:

A candidate may include alternatives to mainstream subjects within a diploma, provided that certain conditions are met. These alternatives include pilot subjects, transdisciplinary subjects and school-based syllabuses.

It is essential to establish whether a particular combination of subjects constitutes a diploma as soon as a candidate begins his or her courses of study. If necessary, contact the coordinator help desk at IB Cardiff to ask for advice. Please note that exceptions to prohibitions will not be authorized.

A3.2Pilot subjects

The IB may develop new subjects on a pilot basis. Schools may offer these subjects on the understanding that the syllabus content and assessment methods might change during the lifetime of the syllabus. Authorization to offer a pilot subject must be requested from IB Cardiff by writing to the head of Diploma Programme development prior to the expected date for introducing the pilot subject. Some subjects will be made available as “closed” pilots offered by a restricted number of schools. In the case of “open” pilots, there is no restriction on the number of schools but authorization must still be obtained from IB Cardiff.

A pilot subject cannot be taken as an anticipated subject.

The following subjects are offered on a closed pilot basis for examinations in 2009:

From first teaching September 2008, with first examinations in May 2010, film becomes a mainstream subject and is therefore no longer a pilot subject.

The following transdisciplinary subjects are offered on a closed pilot basis for examinations in 2009:

A transdisciplinary standard level subject (TSL) meets the requirements of two groups through a single subject. A sixth subject must then be chosen to meet the requirements of the diploma. This additional subject may be chosen from any of the hexagon groups, including a group already covered by the TSL. Because all three subjects are currently pilot subjects no TSL can be taken as an anticipated subject.

Final examinations for world cultures as a transdisciplinary subject will be held in May 2009, after which it will revert to a school-based syllabus known as world arts and cultures for first examinations in May 2010.

A3.3Transdisciplinary subjects

Final examinations for the mainstream subject environmental systems will be held in May and November 2009. This subject will be replaced by the new transdisciplinary subject, named environmental systems and societies, which will be open to all schools from September 2008. (This transdisciplinary subject is currently being run as the pilot course referred to above under the name ecosystems and societies with its last examinations in 2009.) Environmental systems and societies, which is a transdisciplinary group 3/group 4 subject, will not be available as an anticipated subject during 2009.

Only one transdisciplinary subject may contribute to a candidate’s diploma.

A3.4School-based syllabuses

Only schools that have already entered candidates for two Diploma Programme examination sessions may offer a school-based syllabus (SBS). Refer to School-based syllabuses before considering whether a school-based syllabus subject can be offered to Diploma Programme candidates.

The IB collaborates with a school or schools on the development of a school-based syllabus and provides support in the writing of the guide. Once the syllabus has been authorized, for operational reasons the IB must own copyright in the guide. Therefore, when submitting an outline proposal it must be accompanied by written confirmation that, if authorized, the IB will own copyright in the syllabus. Schools wishing to submit a proposal for a new school-based syllabus do so on this understanding.

For details of the submission and procedures for school-based syllabuses refer to “School-based syllabuses” in this handbook.

A4Exceptions and prohibitions

A4.1Exceptions

A candidate may offer a second language A1 instead of a group 2 subject.

Instead of a group 6 subject a candidate may offer:

A4.2Prohibitions

The status codes in section G9 provide the definitive list of circumstances that are not accepted for candidate registration in 2009 and 2010. However, attention is drawn to the following subject prohibitions that are occasionally overlooked when registering diploma candidates. The prohibitions, such as not taking two pilot subjects, do not apply to certificate candidates.

No candidate may count towards the diploma:

Specific prohibitions apply to particular school-based syllabuses. Schools are informed about such prohibitions when they are authorized to offer a school-based syllabus.

A5Core requirements of the diploma

In addition to completing the assessment requirements of six subjects, in order to be eligible for the award of the diploma a candidate must also meet the requirements of theory of knowledge, the extended essay and creativity, action, service (CAS).

A5.1Theory of knowledge

A diploma candidate must follow a theory of knowledge (TOK) course. The IB recommends at least 100 teaching hours over the two-year period of study, and the course must meet the theory of knowledge assessment requirements. These include giving a presentation and submitting an essay on one of the ten prescribed titles for the examination session. A certificate candidate cannot be registered for theory of knowledge.

For further details refer to Theory of knowledge.

A5.2Extended essay

A diploma candidate must complete and submit an extended essay, which is a substantial piece of independent research of up to 4,000 words. Work on the extended essay is expected to occupy approximately 40 hours. The work for an extended essay must be done under the direct supervision of an appropriate teacher at the IB World School that is registering the candidate for the examination session.

For further details refer to The extended essay.

A5.3Creativity, action, service

A diploma candidate must engage in a programme of extra-curricular activities known as creativity, action, service. Schools entering candidates for the diploma undertake to ensure that three to four hours each week are available to all candidates for CAS activities. A minimum of 150 hours during the two-year period of study is required.

For further details refer to Creativity, action, service.

A6The bilingual diploma

A bilingual diploma will be awarded to a successful candidate who fulfills one of the following criteria:

A school-based syllabus (SBS) cannot contribute to a bilingual diploma either as a diploma subject in groups 3 or 4, or as an extended essay. Therefore, the following extended essay subjects cannot contribute to the award of a bilingual diploma: human rights, peace and conflict studies, and politics. Similarly, neither a transdisciplinary subject nor a pilot subject can contribute to a bilingual diploma.

A7A non-regular diploma

If the conditions of entry into an institution of higher education require a candidate to offer a choice of subjects different from that specified in the regulations for the Diploma Programme, the candidate may be allowed to make a reasonable substitution on presentation to the IB of the appropriate documentary evidence. This evidence, which may take the form of pages from a university prospectus, must be submitted in support of all requests, including candidates proposing to study medicine, veterinary science or engineering.

A candidate will be authorized to take a non-regular diploma only if the proposed higher education course allows no other alternative. The possibility of offering a subject as an additional seventh subject (that does not contribute to the diploma) must be considered before submitting a request for a non-regular diploma.

A request for a non-regular diploma must be sent to IB Cardiff using the appropriate option on IBIS. To do so it will first be necessary to register the candidate for all of his or her subjects before submitting the request. The candidate will automatically be allocated a session number, which may be changed at a later date when the remaining candidates are registered. However, a personal code will also be issued (assuming the candidate does not already have one), and this cannot be changed. The request and supporting university documentation must arrive no later than 15 November/15 May, 18 months before the written examinations. The documentation must identify the candidate using his or her personal code, name and school number.

Coordinators are reminded that a request for a non-regular diploma will not necessarily be approved. For this reason, it is advisable to submit requests as early as possible so that a candidate’s selection of subjects for the diploma can be confirmed.

A8Availability of subjects for 2009 and 2010

A8.1Terminology

Some clarification of terminology may be helpful when considering the availability of subjects.

Automatically available	A coordinator may register candidates for this subject without having to submit a special request. A subject in groups 3 to 6 may be automatically available in only one or two of the three response languages, not necessarily in all three languages.
Special request subject	The subject must be requested by the coordinator 18 months before the written examinations. In groups 3 to 6 a subject may be automatically available in one or more response languages, but may be a special request subject in another response language.
Not available	The subject is not automatically available, nor is it a special request subject.

A8.2Availability of language subjects in group 2

Examinations in the three language courses in group 2 (language A2, language B and language ab initio) will continue to be offered only if there is a minimum entry of 30 candidates. Where candidate numbers fall below this number in more than one session the subject will be withdrawn. Schools that have entered candidates for a group 2 language in this category will be given two years’ notice of the withdrawal.

A8.3Availability of subjects for May 2009

Group 1 languages A1: Available

The following languages A1 are automatically available in May 2009 at higher level and standard level.

Amharic A1 Arabic A1 Bosnian A1 Bulgarian A1 Catalan A1 Chinese A1 Croatian A1 Czech A1 Danish A1 Dutch A1 English A1 Finnish A1 French A1 German A1 Hebrew A1

Hindi A1 Hungarian A1 Indonesian A1 Italian A1 Japanese A1 Korean A1 Latvian A1 Lithuanian A1 Macedonian A1 Malay A1 Modern Greek A1 Nepali A1 Norwegian A1 Persian A1 Pilipino A1

Polish A1 Portuguese A1 Russian A1 Serbian A1 Sesotho A1 Sinhalese A1 Slovak A1 Slovene A1 Spanish A1 Swahili A1 Swedish A1 Thai A1 Turkish A1 Welsh A1

Afrikaans A1 HL/SL and Siswati A1 SL are only available in the November session, but may be taken by May session candidates as split-session entries.

Group 1 languages A1: Special request

All special requests for May 2009 language A1 subjects have now been processed at IB Cardiff and the schools concerned have received a letter of authorization.

Setswana A1 SL is a special request subject available only in the November session. May session candidates may take Setswana A1 SL as a split-session entry in 2009.

Group 2 languages A2: Available

The following languages A2 are automatically available in May 2009 at higher level and standard level.

Arabic A2 Chinese A2 Dutch A2 English A2 French A2

German A2 Japanese A2 Modern Greek A2 Pilipino A2 Portuguese A2

Spanish A2 Swedish A2 Thai A2

Group 2 languages B: Available

The following languages B are automatically available in May 2009 at higher level and standard level.

Arabic B Cantonese B Danish B Dutch B English B Finnish B French B

German B Hebrew B SL only Hindi B Indonesian B Italian B Japanese B Korean B

Mandarin B Norwegian B Portuguese B Russian B Spanish B Swedish B

Swahili B is only available in the November session, but may be taken by May session candidates as a split-session entry in 2009.

Group 2 languages ab initio: Available

The following languages ab initio are automatically available in May 2009 at standard level only.

Arabic ab initio French ab initio German ab initio Indonesian ab initio

Italian ab initio Japanese ab initio Malay ab initio Mandarin ab initio

Russian ab initio Spanish ab initio Swahili ab initio

Group 2 classical languages: Available

The following classical languages are automatically available in May 2009 at higher level and standard level in the response language specified.

Classical Greek Latin

English English

Spanish

Group 2 classical languages: Special request

All special requests for May 2009 classical languages have now been processed at IB Cardiff and the schools concerned have received a letter of authorization.

Group 3: Available

The following group 3 subjects are automatically available in May 2009 at the level and in the response language specified.

Business and management HL Business and management SL	English English	French	Spanish Spanish
Economics HL Economics SL	English English	French French	Spanish Spanish
Geography HL Geography SL	English English	French French	Spanish Spanish
History SL History: Africa HL History: Americas HL History: E and SE Asia and Oceania HL History: Europe HL History: S Asia and the Middle East HL	English English English English English English	French   French   French	Spanish   Spanish   Spanish
Islamic history HL Islamic history SL	English English
ITGS HL ITGS SL	English English		Spanish
Philosophy HL Philosophy SL	English English	French French	Spanish Spanish
Psychology HL Psychology SL	English English	French French	Spanish Spanish
Social and cultural anthropology HL Social and cultural anthropology SL	English English	French French	Spanish Spanish

Group 3: Special request

All special requests for May 2009 group 3 subjects have now been processed at IB Cardiff and the schools concerned have received a letter of authorization.

Group 4: Available

The following group 4 subjects are automatically available in May 2009 at the level and in the response language specified.

Biology HL Biology SL	English English	French French	Spanish Spanish
Chemistry HL Chemistry SL	English English	French French	Spanish Spanish
Design technology HL Design technology SL	English English
Environmental systems SL	English		Spanish
Physics HL Physics SL	English English	French French	Spanish Spanish

Group 4: Special request

All special requests for May 2009 group 4 subjects have now been processed at IB Cardiff and the schools concerned have received a letter of authorization.

Group 5: Available

The following group 5 subjects are automatically available in May 2009 at the level and in the response language specified.

Computer science HL Computer science SL	English English	French	Spanish
Further mathematics SL	English
Mathematical studies SL	English	French	Spanish
Mathematics HL: discrete mathematics Mathematics HL: series and differential equations Mathematics HL: sets, relations and groups Mathematics HL: statistics and probability	English English English English	French French French French	Spanish Spanish Spanish Spanish
Mathematics SL	English	French	Spanish

Group 5: Special request

All special requests for May 2009 group 5 subjects have now been processed at IB Cardiff and the schools concerned have received a letter of authorization.

Group 6: Available

The following group 6 subjects are automatically available in May 2009 at the level and in the response language specified.

Music HL Music SL composition Music SL group Music SL solo	English English English English
Theatre HL Theatre SL	English English	French French	Spanish Spanish
Visual arts HL Visual arts SL option A Visual arts SL option B	English English English	French French French	Spanish Spanish Spanish

Group 6: Special request

All special requests for May 2009 group 6 subjects have now been processed at IB Cardiff and the schools concerned have received a letter of authorization.

A8.4Availability of subjects for November 2009

Group 1 languages A1: Available

The following languages A1 are automatically available in November 2009. Where no level is specified, the language is available at both levels.

Afrikaans A1 Chinese A1 English A1 French A1

German A1 Indonesian A1 Japanese A1 Korean A1

Portuguese A1 Siswati A1 SL Spanish A1

Group 1 languages A1: Special request

All special requests for November 2009 for language A1 subjects have now been processed at IB Cardiff and the schools concerned have received a letter of authorization.

Group 2 languages A2: Available

The following languages A2 are automatically available in November 2009 at both higher level and standard level.

English A2 French A2

German A2 Portuguese A2

Spanish A2

Group 2 languages B: Available

The following languages B are automatically available in November 2009. Where no level is specified, the language is available at both levels.

Cantonese B English B French B German B Indonesian B

Italian B Japanese B SL Malay B SL Mandarin B Portuguese B SL

Spanish B Swahili B Tamil B SL

Group 2 languages ab initio: Available

The following languages ab initio are automatically available in November 2009 at standard level only.

French ab initio Indonesian ab initio

Japanese ab initio Mandarin ab initio

Spanish ab initio

Cantonese ab initio is not available.

Group 2 classical languages: Available

The following group 2 subject is automatically available in November 2009 at higher level and standard level in the response language specified.

Latin

English

Group 2 classical languages: Special request

All special requests for November 2009 classical languages have now been processed at IB Cardiff and the schools concerned have received a letter of authorization.

Group 3: Available

The following group 3 subjects are automatically available in November 2009 at the level and in the response language specified.

Business and management HL Business and management SL	English English		Spanish Spanish
Economics HL Economics SL	English English		Spanish Spanish
Geography HL Geography SL	English English		Spanish Spanish
History SL History: Africa HL History: Americas HL History: E and SE Asia and Oceania HL History: Europe HL	English English English English English		Spanish   Spanish   Spanish
ITGS HL ITGS SL	English English		Spanish Spanish
Philosophy HL Philosophy SL	English English		Spanish Spanish
Psychology HL Psychology SL	English English		Spanish Spanish
Social and cultural anthropology HL Social and cultural anthropology SL	English English		Spanish Spanish

Group 3: Special request

All special requests for November 2009 group 3 subjects have now been processed at IB Cardiff and the schools concerned have received a letter of authorization.

Group 4: Available

The following group 4 subjects are automatically available in November 2009 at the level and in the response language specified.

Biology HL Biology SL	English English		Spanish Spanish
Chemistry HL Chemistry SL	English English		Spanish Spanish
Design technology HL Design technology SL	English English
Environmental systems SL	English		Spanish
Physics HL Physics SL	English English		Spanish Spanish

Group 4: Special request

All special requests for November 2009 group 4 subjects have now been processed at IB Cardiff and the schools concerned have received a letter of authorization.

Group 5: Available

The following group 5 subjects are automatically available in November 2009 at the level and in the response language specified.

Computer science HL Computer science SL	English English		Spanish Spanish
Mathematical studies SL	English		Spanish
Mathematics HL: discrete mathematics Mathematics HL: series and differential equations Mathematics HL: sets, relations and groups Mathematics HL: statistics and probability	English English English English		Spanish Spanish Spanish Spanish
Mathematics SL	English		Spanish

Group 5: Special request

There are no group 5 special request subjects for November 2009.

Group 6: Available

The following group 6 subjects are automatically available in November 2009 at the level and in the response language specified.

Music HL Music SL composition Music SL group Music SL solo	English English English English		Spanish Spanish Spanish Spanish
Theatre HL Theatre SL	English English		Spanish Spanish
Visual arts HL Visual arts SL option A Visual arts SL option B	English English English		Spanish Spanish Spanish

A8.5Availability of subjects for May 2010

Group 1 languages A1: Available

The following languages A1 are automatically available in May 2010 at higher level and standard level.

Amharic A1 Arabic A1 Bosnian A1 Bulgarian A1 Catalan A1 Chinese A1 Croatian A1 Czech A1 Danish A1 Dutch A1 English A1 Finnish A1 French A1 German A1 Hebrew A1

Hindi A1 Hungarian A1 Indonesian A1 Italian A1 Japanese A1 Korean A1 Latvian A1 Lithuanian A1 Macedonian A1 Malay A1 Modern Greek A1 Nepali A1 Norwegian A1 Persian A1 Pilipino A1

Polish A1 Portuguese A1 Russian A1 Serbian A1 Sesotho A1 Sinhalese A1 Slovak A1 Slovene A1 Spanish A1 Swahili A1 Swedish A1 Thai A1 Turkish A1 Welsh A1

Afrikaans A1 HL/SL and Siswati A1 SL are only available in the November session. With effect from September 2008 for candidates registering for the May 2010 session, the split-session arrangement no longer applies. Therefore, any May 2010 candidate wishing to take Afrikaans A1 HL/SL or Siswati A1 SL must take all assessment components (world literature, internal assessment, paper 1 and paper 2) in the November 2009 examination session. These candidates must be registered to take Afrikaans/Siswati in the November 2009 session.

Group 1 languages A1: Special request

Examinations for languages A1 not listed above can sometimes be prepared, but a request and justification must be submitted to IB Cardiff on IBIS by 15 November 2008. Form C2 must be used only for languages that are not written in Roman script. (It may not be possible to enter the names of authors and texts on IBIS in such cases.)

Setswana A1 SL is available as a special request subject in the November session only. May 2010 candidates taking Setswana A1 SL must take all assessment components in the November 2009 session.

Group 2 languages A2: Available

The following languages A2 are automatically available in May 2010 at higher level and standard level.

Arabic A2 Chinese A2 Dutch A2 English A2 French A2

German A2 Japanese A2 Modern Greek A2 Pilipino A2 Portuguese A2

Spanish A2 Swedish A2 Thai A2

Group 2 languages B: Available

The following languages B are automatically available in May 2010 at higher level and standard level.

Arabic B Cantonese B Danish B Dutch B English B Finnish B French B

German B Hebrew B SL only Hindi B Indonesian B Italian B Japanese B Korean B

Mandarin B Norwegian B Portuguese B Russian B Spanish B Swedish B

Swahili B is only available in the November session. With effect from September 2008 for candidates registering for the May 2010 session, the split-session arrangement no longer applies. Therefore, any May 2010 candidate wishing to take Swahili B must take all assessment components (internal assessment, paper 1 and paper 2) in the November 2009 examination session. These candidates must be registered to take Swahili B in the November 2009 session.

Group 2 languages ab initio: Available

The following languages ab initio are automatically available in May 2010 at standard level only.

Arabic ab initio French ab initio German ab initio Italian ab initio

Japanese ab initio Malay ab initio Mandarin ab initio Russian ab initio

Spanish ab initio Swahili ab initio

Group 2 classical languages: Available

The following classical languages are automatically available in May 2010 at higher level and standard level in the response language specified.

Classical Greek Latin

English English

Spanish

Group 2 classical languages: Special request

The following classical languages are not automatically available in May 2010 at higher level and standard level in the response language specified. A special request must be submitted to IB Cardiff on IBIS no later than 15 November 2008.

Classical Greek Latin

French French

Spanish

Group 3: Available

The following group 3 subjects are automatically available in May 2010 at the level and in the response language specified.

Business and management HL Business and management SL	English English		Spanish Spanish
Economics HL Economics SL	English English	French French	Spanish Spanish
Geography HL Geography SL	English English	French French	Spanish Spanish
History Route 1 HL History Route 1 SL History Route 2 SL History Route 2: Africa HL History Route 2: Americas HL History Route 2: Asia/Oceania HL History Route 2: Europe/Middle East HL	English English English English English English English	French   French   French	Spanish   Spanish   Spanish
ITGS HL ITGS SL	English English		Spanish
Philosophy HL Philosophy SL	English English	French French	Spanish Spanish
Psychology HL Psychology SL	English English	French French	Spanish Spanish
Social and cultural anthropology HL Social and cultural anthropology SL	English English		Spanish Spanish

Group 3: Special request

The following group 3 subjects are not automatically available in May 2010 at the level and in the response language specified. A special request must be submitted to IB Cardiff on IBIS no later than 15 November 2008.

Business and management HL Business and management SL		French French
History Route 1 HL History Route 1 SL History Route 2: Africa HL History Route 2: Asia/Oceania HL		French French French French	Spanish Spanish Spanish Spanish
ITGS HL ITGS SL		French French	Spanish
Social and cultural anthropology HL Social and cultural anthropology SL		French French

Group 4: Available

The following group 4 subjects are automatically available in May 2010 at the level and in the response language specified.

Biology HL Biology SL	English English	French French	Spanish Spanish
Chemistry HL Chemistry SL	English English	French French	Spanish Spanish
Design technology HL Design technology SL	English English
Environmental systems and societies SL	English		Spanish
Physics HL Physics SL	English English	French French	Spanish Spanish

Group 4: Special request

The following group 4 subjects are not automatically available in May 2010 at the level and in the response language specified. A special request must be submitted to IB Cardiff on IBIS no later than 15 November 2008.

Design technology HL Design technology SL		French French	Spanish Spanish
Environmental systems and societies SL		French

Group 5: Available

The following group 5 subjects are automatically available in May 2010 at the level and in the response language specified.

Computer science HL Computer science SL	English English	French	Spanish
Further mathematics SL	English
Mathematical studies SL	English	French	Spanish
Mathematics HL: discrete mathematics Mathematics HL: series and differential equations Mathematics HL: sets, relations and groups Mathematics HL: statistics and probability	English English English English	French French French French	Spanish Spanish Spanish Spanish
Mathematics SL	English	French	Spanish

Group 5: Special request

The following group 5 subjects are not automatically available in May 2010 at the level and in the response language specified. A special request must be submitted to IB Cardiff on IBIS no later than 15 November 2008.

Computer science HL

French

Spanish

Group 6: Available

The following group 6 subjects are automatically available in May 2010 at the level and in the response language specified.

Film	English	French	Spanish
Music HL Music SL composition Music SL group Music SL solo	English English English English
Theatre HL Theatre SL	English English	French French	Spanish Spanish
Visual arts HL Visual arts SL option A Visual arts SL option B	English English English	French French French	Spanish Spanish Spanish

Group 6: Special request

The following group 6 subjects are not automatically available in May 2010 at the level and in the response language specified. A special request must be submitted to IB Cardiff on IBIS no later than 15 November 2008.

Music HL Music SL composition Music SL group Music SL solo

French French French French

Spanish Spanish Spanish Spanish

A8.6Availability of subjects for November 2010

Group 1 languages A1: Available

The following languages A1 are automatically available in November 2010. Where no level is specified, the language is available at both levels.

Afrikaans A1 Chinese A1 English A1 French A1

German A1 Indonesian A1 Japanese A1 Korean A1

Portuguese A1 Siswati A1 SL Spanish A1

Group 1 languages A1: Special request

Setswana A1 SL is not automatically available in November 2010. A special request must be submitted to IB Cardiff on IBIS by 15 May 2009. No other languages A1 are available on special request in the November session.

Group 2 languages A2: Available

The following languages A2 are automatically available in November 2010 at both higher level and standard level.

English A2 French A2

German A2 Portuguese A2

Spanish A2

Group 2 languages B: Available

The following languages B are automatically available in November 2010. Where no level is specified, the language is available at both levels.

English B Cantonese B French B German B

Indonesian B Italian B Japanese B SL Malay B SL

Mandarin B Portuguese B SL Spanish B Swahili B

Group 2 languages ab initio: Available

The following languages ab initio are automatically available in November 2010 at standard level only.

French ab initio Indonesian ab initio

Japanese ab initio Mandarin ab initio

Spanish ab initio

Cantonese ab initio is not available.

Group 2 classical languages: Available

The following group 2 subject is automatically available in November 2010 at higher level and standard level in the response language specified.

Latin

English

Group 2 classical languages: Special request

The following classical language is not automatically available in November 2010 at higher level and standard level in the response language specified. A special request must be submitted to IB Cardiff on IBIS no later than 15 May 2009.

Latin

Spanish

Group 3: Available

The following group 3 subjects are automatically available in November 2010 at the level and in the response language specified.

Business and management HL Business and management SL	English English		Spanish Spanish
Economics HL Economics SL	English English		Spanish Spanish
Geography HL Geography SL	English English		Spanish Spanish
History Route 2: SL History Route 2: Africa HL History Route 2: Americas HL History Route 2: Asia/Oceania HL History Route 2: Europe/Middle East HL	English English English English English		Spanish   Spanish   Spanish
ITGS HL ITGS SL	English English		Spanish Spanish
Philosophy HL Philosophy SL	English English		Spanish Spanish
Psychology HL Psychology SL	English English		Spanish Spanish
Social and cultural anthropology HL Social and cultural anthropology SL	English English		Spanish Spanish

Group 3: Special request

The following group 3 subjects are not automatically available in November 2010 at the level and in the response language specified. A special request must be submitted to IB Cardiff on IBIS no later than 15 May 2009.

History Route 1 HL History Route 1 SL History Route 2: Africa HL History Route 2: Asia/Oceania HL

English English

Spanish Spanish Spanish Spanish

Group 4: Available

The following group 4 subjects are automatically available in November 2010 at the level and in the response language specified.

Biology HL Biology SL	English English		Spanish Spanish
Chemistry HL Chemistry SL	English English		Spanish Spanish
Design technology HL Design technology SL	English English
Environmental systems and societies SL	English		Spanish
Physics HL Physics SL	English English		Spanish Spanish

Group 4: Special request

The following group 4 subjects are not automatically available in November 2010 at the level and in the response language specified. A special request must be submitted to IB Cardiff on IBIS no later than 15 May 2009.

Design technology HL Design technology SL

Spanish Spanish

Group 5: Available

The following group 5 subjects are automatically available in November 2010 at the level and in the response language specified.

Computer science HL Computer science SL	English English		Spanish Spanish
Mathematical studies SL	English		Spanish
Mathematics HL: discrete mathematics Mathematics HL: series and differential equations Mathematics HL: sets, relations and groups Mathematics HL: statistics and probability	English English English English		Spanish Spanish Spanish Spanish
Mathematics SL	English		Spanish

Group 5: Special request

There are no group 5 special request subjects for November 2010.

Group 6: Available

The following group 6 subjects are automatically available in November 2010 at the level and in the response language specified.

Film	English		Spanish
Music HL Music SL composition Music SL group Music SL solo	English English English English		Spanish Spanish Spanish Spanish
Theatre HL Theatre SL	English English		Spanish Spanish
Visual arts HL Visual arts SL option A Visual arts SL option B	English English English		Spanish Spanish Spanish

Section B: Important information for coordinators

B1Role of the Diploma Programme coordinator

The IB does not provide official or sample job descriptions for Diploma Programme coordinators. The writing of a job description for any faculty/staff member is normally the responsibility of the school’s administration, and this includes the very specific duties of the coordinator. However, it must be stated that the role of the Diploma Programme coordinator in an IB World School is crucial to the success of the programme. Without sufficient time and resources to undertake the many duties required of this position, a coordinator cannot successfully implement and manage the various demands of the Diploma Programme. For it to be done well, sufficient release time, dedicated office space, administrative support, printer and photocopying facilities must be available. New coordinators should receive IB-approved professional development that will equip them with a clear understanding of their role and responsibilities.

In general, the demands on the coordinator are proportionate to the number of Diploma Programme candidates and staff, and the number of subjects offered by the school. Fundamentally, the coordinator is responsible for providing information, guidance and administrative support to candidates, colleagues and other stakeholders. The coordinator is also responsible for the coordination of all activities related to the Diploma Programme, although specific responsibilities, such as the coordination of creativity, service, action (CAS) or theory of knowledge (TOK), may be delegated to other members of staff. One of the crucial duties of a coordinator is to communicate information to subject teachers, such as information about changes to curriculum and assessment.

B2Changes to administration for 2009 onwards

The information given here highlights changes to the administrative procedures described in sections A to K of this handbook and, apart from reference to the language A1 SL self-taught oral examinations and school-based syllabus material, does not include the changes in the sections for groups 1 to 6 and the core requirements for the diploma.

Section C: Support and services

C2.1Enquiry upon results

A formal procedure has been introduced for requesting a review of a category 1 re-mark.

A mark may be lowered or raised as a result of a category 1 re-mark.

C2.3Replacement diploma, diploma results and certificate of results

A request for the replacement of results documentation that comes directly from a candidate will only be accepted after a period of six months from the issue of results. Therefore, a request will only be accepted after the following 1 January for a May session and the following 1 July for a November session. However, this restriction will be waived if the coordinator at the school where the candidate was registered for the IB examination session confirms that it is acceptable to issue the replacement documentation directly to the candidate.

Section E: Special circumstances and arrangements

E1.2Assessment arrangements requiring authorization

A request for special assessment arrangements must be submitted on Form D1. The deadline for the receipt of this request and supporting medical documentation is now 1 May/1 November, 12 months before the written examinations. It was previously 18 months before the examinations.

Section F: Fees

F2Billing offices

When a billing office invoices a school for fees payable, a copy of the invoice will be sent directly to either the billing contact or the coordinator in the form of a PDF attachment to an email.

Section G: Registering candidates

G3.1Language A1

Schools are now permitted to submit a special request for a language A1 SL for a candidate taking the language as an anticipated subject. However, schools will be required to use a booklist that has already been authorized. This will be supplied by IB Cardiff.

G8.5Re-ordering candidates

Candidate numbers may be re-ordered up to the final registration deadline, which is 15 January/15 May. The facility to re-order candidates was previously available up to the first registration deadline only. However, coordinators must be careful not to provide candidates with a session number (for example, to write on their extended essay cover) and then re-order the session numbers at a later date. Doing so is likely to result in candidates being issued with the wrong grade.

G12Split-session entries

The current arrangement for a candidate to take a language A1, language A2 or language B that is neither automatically available nor a special request subject for their school’s designated examination session, is for the candidate to take the subject as a split-session entry. In other words, the written examinations are normally completed six months before other components. With effect from September 2008 for candidates registering for the May 2010 session, and March 2009 for candidates registering for the November 2010 session, this arrangement will no longer be applied. Instead, all assessment components must be taken in the same session as the written examinations.

Section I: Arrangements for the written examinations in May and November 2009

The examination schedule

All schools must comply with the IB schedule for examinations; previously the schedule required schools to complete all morning examinations by 1300 hours and afternoon examinations by 1800 hours. The schedule now requires schools to start morning examinations no earlier than 0700 hours and afternoon examinations must obviously start no earlier than 12 noon. The schedule therefore states:

With effect from the May 2009 session, the IB designates the date on which the written examinations must be taken. This has been introduced because with the growing number of school-based syllabuses schools are finding it increasingly difficult to agree on a mutually convenient date when the examination(s) should be taken for a particular syllabus. The dates of the examinations for 2009 are 30 April for the May session and 30 October for the November session.

Group 1

Language A1 SL school supported self-taught oral examinations

The date by which schools should expect to receive language A1 SL self-taught oral examinations has been changed from 15 February to 15 March for a May session, and from 15 August to 15 September for a November session, approximately seven weeks before the start of the written examinations.

School-based syllabuses

The date by which schools should expect to receive school-based syllabus materials has been changed from 15 February to 15 March for a May session, and from 15 August to 15 September for a November session, approximately seven weeks before the start of the written examinations. With effect from May 2009 this material may be sent to coordinators in portable document format (PDF) as an attachment to an email. Alternatively, the marksheets may be available as online forms on IBIS depending on whether this option has been developed in time for the May 2009 session. A news item will be placed on IBIS at an appropriate date to announce which method of delivery will be used.

B3Changes to administration for 2010 onwards

Advance notice is included here because the changes for 2010 affect activities in 2008 and 2009.

B3.1Language A1 SL school supported self-taught candidates

New assessment procedures for language A1 SL school supported self-taught candidates: First examinations May 2010

Commencing with the May 2010 examination session, there will be a fundamental change in the nature of the questions for the oral recording for language A1 SL self-taught candidates. The reason for the change is that the administrative process of having individual questions set for every candidate is no longer viable owing to the rapid increase in the number of self-taught candidates. Consequently, the new system requires the candidates themselves to choose the passages/poems and to prepare a presentation. The candidates will still receive individual instructions and their commentary and presentation will still be recorded in two sections and sent to an examiner for marking.

Outline of the new procedure: Assessing part 2 works

By 15 November/15 May, approximately 18 months before the written examinations, questions will be published by the IB for each broad genre grouping: drama, prose, fiction, prose non-fiction, poetry. There will be five questions for each genre and they will be published in English, French and Spanish in the Diploma Programme coordinator’s notes and on the online curriculum centre (OCC). The questions will give a framework for close study of two part 2 works. For each question, candidates will be asked to find a suitable 40-line passage or poem that can be used as the basis for a commentary. Each of the questions will be framed to elicit a detailed, analytical response.

By 15 March/15 September, approximately three months before the written examinations, IB Cardiff will send instructions for each candidate, stipulating the genre and a choice of two of the five questions for that genre. The invigilator hands the instructions to the candidate at the start of the oral examination.

Outline of the new procedure: Assessing part 4 works

Candidates give a prepared oral presentation based on two of the three part 4 works.

The oral recording

Section 1 (based on part 2 works)

Section 2 (based on part 4 works)

B3.2Film

Film becomes a mainstream subject for first teaching from September 2008 with first examinations in May 2010. Only schools that have been authorized to offer this subject on a pilot basis may register candidates for examinations in 2009. These schools are permitted to register diploma and certificate candidates in 2009, but are not permitted to register candidates for film as an anticipated subject. Coordinators are reminded that assessments for film in 2009 will be based on the current course of study, and not on the new course (first examined in 2010). Information about which response languages will be available for each examination session will be published as an IBIS news item.

B3.3Creativity, action, service: Approval and programme monitoring

Each year the regional office asks a number of schools to submit a random sample of three diploma candidates’ creativity, action, service (CAS) records. Where a school is required to submit sample candidate CAS records to the regional office, as part of the regular monitoring process, the records required will be:

Schools should retain other supporting material until 31 May/30 November in case there are queries about the material supplied. As part of routine monitoring, or during five-year reviews, regional offices may request to see the complete documentation for individual candidates.

B4The IB information system

B4.1Security

The IB provides coordinators with access to a web-based service known as the IB information system (IBIS). The URL for IBIS is https://ibis.ibo.org. This is a secure site and therefore to gain access a user must enter his or her user identification (ID), a password and personal identification number (PIN). To maintain the security of the site users are advised to change their alphanumeric password at regular intervals. These details must be remembered, rather than written down, and not shared with any other person.

B4.2Allowing access to IBIS

If necessary, the coordinator may arrange for up to three members of a school’s administration (excluding teachers) to have access to IBIS. This may include the head of school or an administration assistant who may undertake the duties of the coordinator in his or her absence. To give access, go to School>School persons maintenance on the left-hand menu. This will allow you to create a new person code. This will automatically send an email to the person with instructions on how to set up their own IBIS login credentials.

Teachers can be given access to a restricted area of IBIS in order to enter marks for internal assessment and predicted grades (IA/PG). Access is given in the way described above. It is the coordinator’s decision whether teachers should enter the IA/PG data themselves, although the coordinator must always authorize the submission of data to IB Cardiff.

B4.3Support for IBIS users

The various options on IBIS are supported with help text, which can be accessed by clicking on the link at the top right of each screen. Work is currently being undertaken to provide users with a frequently asked questions (FAQs) section, which will focus on operational tasks and deadlines, rather than on how to use each option.

For any queries regarding access to IBIS, please send an email to ibisaccounts@ibo.org. For queries regarding the use of IBIS options or general administration, send your query to help@ibo.org.

B4.4Changing the Diploma Programme coordinator

To change the name of the Diploma Programme coordinator on IBIS, go to School and then select Programme options in the box on the left of the screen. From the contact information heading select the contact role Diploma coordinator. There are three options available.

Go to Add, enter the new personal details (title, name and gender) and then select Continue. Once the personal details have been entered, the next screen to appear will ask for the contact details (for example, address, telephone numbers and email address). Enter the relevant information and select Submit at the bottom of the page. A message will appear stating that your submission has been successful and that the record will be updated, normally within 24 hours.

Once the changes are made on IBIS, the relevant department at IB Cardiff will send two emails to the new coordinator, one giving the school code and username and the second displaying the password for access to IBIS.

However, there are occasions when a departing coordinator does not know the name and contact details of his or her successor. On these occasions the head of school must send the name and email address of the new coordinator on school letter-headed paper to the coordinator help desk at IB Cardiff. Once the changes have been made at IB Cardiff two emails will be sent to the new coordinator, one giving the school code and username and the second displaying password access to IBIS.

B5Changing a school’s main examination session

All IB World Schools offering the Diploma Programme must state whether May or November is the main examination session for their school. For example, if a school’s main session is May, diploma (D), anticipated (A) and certificate (C) candidates must be entered in that session. In the November session a school that has designated May as its main session may enter retake (R) candidates and certificate (C) candidates who are taking one or more subjects again to improve their grade(s). The equivalent arrangements apply to schools that have designated November as their main session. (Restrictions apply to entering certificate candidates in the session that is not the school’s main examination session.)

A school may change its main session, provided that IB Cardiff and the appropriate regional office are given at least one year’s notice and a full explanation is given as to how candidates affected by the change will be prepared for their examination session. Permission to change session will only be given if assurance is received by the IB that no candidate will be disadvantaged by, for example, receiving less than the recommended teaching time for a subject or a reduced time allocation for other diploma requirements.

B6Communication with the IB

Contact details for the IB headquarters in Geneva, the IB in Cardiff, regional offices and regional representatives are available on the IB public website (http://www.ibo.org). Go to Who we are and select IB offices from the drop-down list.

In summary, IB Cardiff is responsible for curriculum and assessment, and offers professional support services including finance and publications. The coordinator help desk at IB Cardiff provides Diploma Programme coordinators with advice on the administration of the Diploma Programme and on the use of IBIS. Each of the four regional offices provides a range of services for IB World Schools. These include school authorization and evaluation, liaison with governments and universities, the provision of teacher workshops and an annual conference.

In the General regulations: Diploma Programme article 6 states that candidates and their legal guardian(s) must use the school’s Diploma Programme coordinator as the intermediary for any communication with the IB. There is no equivalent regulation stating that teachers of the IB Diploma Programme must also use the coordinator as the intermediary for communication with the IB. However, it is recommended that schools adopt this as a policy. The role of the Diploma Programme coordinator is highly regarded by the IB and it is essential for the administration of the programme that the coordinator is kept fully informed about all matters concerning the Diploma Programme in his or her school. On occasions when an issue arises concerning the administration or teaching of the Diploma Programme, it is normally the coordinator that the IB will contact to ask for information.

B7Essential reading

The IB provides heads of school, coordinators and teachers with a wide variety of resource material, most of which is available on the IB public website (http://www.ibo.org) and/or the online curriculum centre (http://occ.ibo.org). For the convenience of coordinators, the following documents are available from links at the bottom of each screen because they are so fundamental to the implementation of the Diploma Programme in IB World Schools.

It is stressed that these are not the only documents that a coordinator may need to refer to on a regular basis. Others include the many subject guides and the Diploma Programme coordinator’s notes, which are published four times each year. As mentioned previously, it is essential that the coordinator conveys information found in such documents to the appropriate subject teachers. For example, the coordinator’s notes always contain information about forthcoming changes to subject content and assessment.

Two new publications relating to language and learning in all three IB programmes have been published on the OCC. These are:

These documents relate to the following sections of the Programme standards and practices document: A2: 9/10, B1: 20, C1: 14/15, C2: 3/7 and C3: 9.

They are intended to support the implementation and establishment of these standards and practices and will be linked with professional development courses.

B8Common abbreviations used by the IB

Throughout this handbook and other IB publications relating to the Diploma Programme, a number of abbreviations and acronyms are used. The following list is intended to be helpful for less experienced coordinators who are not familiar with the most commonly used abbreviations.

G HL SL D R A C H N IA IMR ITGS P PBL PWL PG EE TOK CAS SEN ST SBS TSL

Arbitration Higher level Standard level Diploma Retake Anticipated Certificate Carry mark forward from previous examination session No grade issued for the subject and level (or other diploma requirement) Internal assessment Internal assessment moderation report (enquiry upon results, category 3) Information technology in a global society Pending (mark or grade not available) Prescribed book list Prescribed world literature list Predicted grade Extended essay Theory of knowledge Creativity, action, service Special educational needs School supported self-taught (applies to language A1 SL only) School-based syllabus Transdisciplinary standard level subject

B9May examination session calendar

September 2008
Session	Event or action	Method	Date/Deadline
May 2009	Pay annual fee	Cheque to appropriate billing office or bank transfer	1 September
May 2008	IB Cardiff publishes subject reports on IBIS and the OCC when each report becomes available	IBIS and OCC	From 1 September
May 2008	Request enquiries upon results	IBIS	15 September
May 2008	Request return of design technology HL/SL design projects, if required	IBIS (enquiry upon results service)	15 September
May 2010	IB Cardiff notifies those schools that will be required to submit recordings of some or all of their theory of knowledge presentations	Email	30 September
October 2008
Session	Event or action	Method	Date/Deadline
May 2009	Visual arts: send visual arts visiting examiner proposal form to IB Cardiff	Form 6/VAEP	7 October
May 2009	Language A1 SL self-taught: send choice of authors and works for oral examination parts 2 and 4 (Form 1/A1ST is available for languages that do not use Roman script)	IBIS	7 October
May 2008	Send request for results service to universities in Australia and New Zealand	IBIS	15 October
November 2008
Session	Event or action	Method	Date/Deadline
May 2009	Register candidates for all subjects (including theory of knowledge and the extended essay for diploma candidates)	IBIS	15 November
May 2009	Music SL group performance: enter number of group performances to be assessed	IBIS	15 November
May 2010	Extended essays: send special requests for extended essays in languages A1 not available for the session	IBIS	15 November
May 2010	Language A1: send special requests for languages A1, with justification and proposed course of study. Form C2: Special request language A1	IBIS	15 November
May 2010	Classical languages and subjects in groups 3 to 6: send special requests	IBIS	15 November
May 2010	Non-regular diplomas: send requests for authorization	IBIS	15 November
May 2010	Language A1 SL self-taught candidates: IB makes available to schools questions for all genres	IBIS, OCC and Diploma Programme coordinator’s notes	15 November
May 2009	Submit the edition being used for the prescribed work for music	IBIS	30 November
December 2008
Session	Event or action	Method	Date/Deadline
May 2009	IB Cardiff sends examination stationery to schools	Courier or express mail	1 December
May 2009	Language A1: send advance notice of works studied (send the information by fax or post to IB Cardiff if the language does not use Roman script)	IBIS	1 December
May 2010	IB Cardiff authorizes special requests for subjects in group 1, and groups 3 to 6	Letter from IB Cardiff	1 December
May 2009	School-based syllabuses: send proposed examination papers and markschemes to IB Cardiff	Courier	14 December
May 2009	Pay the total of all registration and subject fees for candidates registered by 15 November 2008	Cheque to appropriate billing office or bank transfer	15 December
January 2009
Session	Event or action	Method	Date/Deadline
May 2008	A candidate may request replacement certification from the IB without involving the school at which he/she was registered	Candidate contacts the IB	From 1 January
May 2009	Final candidate registration deadline (last opportunity to re-order candidate session numbers)	IBIS	15 January
May 2009	IB Cardiff issues approval for or amendments to school-based syllabus examination papers and markschemes for appropriate schools	Hard copy sent to school	28 January
May 2009	Deadline for registration of candidates from November 2008 session taking one or more subjects in May 2009	IBIS	29 January
May 2010	New schools send CAS programme questionnaire to appropriate regional office	Form CAS/PQ	31 January
February 2009
Session	Event or action	Method	Date/Deadline
May 2009	IB Cardiff enables coordinators to create teacher access to predicted grade and internal assessment mark entry screens on IBIS (user names and passwords)	IBIS	1 February
May 2009	IB Cardiff opens predicted grade and internal assessment entry screens on IBIS	IBIS	1 February
May 2009	Examiner notifications available on IBIS for: extended essays language A1 world literature language A2 written tasks theory of knowledge visual arts	IBIS	20 February
May 2009	School-based syllabuses: send amended examination papers and/or markschemes to IB Cardiff	Courier	21 February
March 2009
Session	Event or action	Method	Date/Deadline
May 2009	When available, IB Cardiff sends language A1 SL self-taught oral examinations and school-based syllabus materials to schools	Courier	March
May 2010	Submit forecast of candidate entries by subject/level in order to receive examination stationery	IBIS	1 March
May 2009	Visual arts: send candidate record booklets to visiting examiner	Preferably by courier	To arrive before examiner visits school
May 2009	Visual arts: first date for examiner visits	Not applicable	10 March
May 2009	Examiner notifications available on IBIS for: internal assessment theatre (all components) musical investigations school-based syllabuses	IBIS	15 March
May 2009	Send requests for rescheduling examinations	IBIS	15 March
May 2009	Extended essays: send to examiners for assessment (each with a completed cover)	Preferably by courier	15 March
May 2009	Theory of knowledge essays: send to examiners for assessment (each with a completed Form TK/CS)	Preferably by courier	15 March
May 2009	Language A1 world literature: send to examiners for assessment (each with a completed cover)	Preferably by courier	15 March
May 2009	Language A2 written tasks: send to examiners for assessment (each with a completed cover and Form 2/WTRF)	Preferably by courier	15 March
May 2010	Confirm candidate entries for special request languages A1	IBIS	15 March
April 2009
Session	Event or action	Method	Date/Deadline
May 2009	School-based syllabuses: send final approved version of examination papers and markschemes to IB Cardiff	Courier	7 April
May 2009	Enter marks for internal assessment and predicted grades, including predicted grades for extended essays and theory of knowledge	IBIS	10 April
May 2009	IB Cardiff sends examination papers and other examination material to schools	Courier	April
May 2009	Examiner notifications available on IBIS for scripts	IBIS	15 April
May 2009	Send internal assessment sample work (and appropriate forms) to moderators	Preferably by courier	20 April
May 2009	Visual arts: final date for examiner’s visit	Not applicable	25 April
May 2009	Theatre: send research investigations (each with Form 6/TRI (HL) or Form 6/TRI (SL)) to the examiner	Preferably by courier	30 April
May 2009	Theatre: send practical performance proposal to examiner(s) (each with Form 6/Tproposal (HL) or Form 6/Tproposal (SL))	Preferably by courier	30 April
May 2009	Music: send musical investigations (each with Form 6/MICS) to examiner	Preferably by courier	30 April
May 2009	Examination period	Not applicable	30 April–22 May
May 2009
Session	Event or action	Method	Date/Deadline
May 2009	Report arrival of examination papers	IBIS	1 May
May 2009	Last opportunity for coordinators to withdraw retake, diploma or anticipated candidates from session, so May 2009 does not count towards their three diploma sessions	IBIS	1 May
May 2009	Visual arts: send candidate record booklets, portfolios, research workbooks and cassettes (if no visiting examiner) to IB Cardiff	Preferably by courier	1 May
May 2009	CAS: send programme completion form (Form CAS/PCF) to regional office	Fax or post	1 May
May 2009	Send requests for results service to universities and colleges in all countries, except Australia, New Zealand, Canada and USA.	IBIS	1 May
May 2009	Visual arts: send teacher’s feedback on examiner’s visit to school to IB Cardiff	Form 6/VATF	1 May
May 2010	Candidates with special educational needs: send requests for special assessment arrangements	Form D1	1 May
May 2009	Notify coordinator help desk of any candidates with temporary medical condition and/or adverse circumstances	Form D2	Immediately
May 2009	Language A1 SL self-taught: send audio recordings and related material to examiner	Preferably by courier	7 May
May 2009	Teachers send their comments on written examination papers to IB Cardiff	OCC	Within 28 days after examination
May 2009	School-based syllabuses: send marked examination scripts, coursework, teacher’s report, and copies of mark sheets and Form SSX to the assessor	Preferably by courier	30 May
May 2009	School-based syllabuses: send original mark sheets and Form SSX to IB Cardiff	Fax	30 May
June 2009
Session	Event or action	Method	Date/Deadline
May 2009	Send requests for exclusive copyright on behalf of candidates to IB Cardiff	Form B11	1 June
May 2009	Send requests for legalization of examination results	IBIS	15 June
July 2009
Session	Event or action	Method	Date/Deadline
May 2009	Send requests for transcript results service to universities and colleges in Canada and USA	IBIS	1 July
May 2009	IB Cardiff issues results to schools	IBIS	5 July
May 2009	Enquiry upon results: categories 1 and 2 requests can be submitted	IBIS	5 July
May 2009	Results available to candidates via the IB public website	Internet	6 July
May 2009	Statistics on global and school results are made available on IBIS	IBIS	9 July
May 2009	IB Cardiff releases internal assessment feedback and profile of candidates’ marks and grades	IBIS	12 July
May 2009	Enquiry upon results: category 3 requests can be submitted	IBIS	12 July
August 2009
Session	Event or action	Method	Date/Deadline
May 2009	IB Cardiff sends diplomas, diploma results and certificates of results to schools (this mailing includes certificates for May 2008 anticipated candidates who did not register for the diploma)	Courier	31 August
September 2009
Session	Event or action	Method	Date/Deadline
May 2010	Pay the annual fee	Cheque to appropriate billing office or bank transfer	1 September
May 2009	Last date for requesting enquiries upon results	IBIS	15 September
May 2009	Request return of design technology HL/SL design projects, if required	IBIS (enquiry upon results service)	15 September

B10November examination session calendar

March 2009
Session	Event or action	Method	Date/Deadline
November 2009	Pay the annual fee	Cheque to appropriate billing office or bank transfer	1 March
November 2008	IB Cardiff publishes subject reports on IBIS and the OCC when each report becomes available	IBIS and OCC	From 1 March
November 2008	Last date for requesting enquiries upon results	IBIS	15 March
November 2008	Request return of design technology HL/SL design projects, if required	IBIS (enquiry upon results)	15 March
November 2010	IB Cardiff notifies those schools that will be required to submit recordings of some or all of their theory of knowledge presentations	Email	30 March
April 2009
Session	Event or action	Method	Date/Deadline
November 2009	Visual arts: send visual arts visiting examiner proposal form to IB Cardiff	Form 6/VAEP	7 April
November 2009	Language A1 SL self-taught: send choice of authors and works for oral examination parts 2 and 4 (Form 1/A1ST is available for languages that do not use Roman script)	IBIS	7 April
May 2009
Session	Event or action	Method	Date/Deadline
November 2009	Register candidates for all subjects (including theory of knowledge and the extended essay for diploma candidates)	IBIS	15 May
November 2009	Music SL group performance: enter number of group performances to be assessed	IBIS	15 May
November 2010	Extended essays: send special requests for extended essays in languages A1 not available for the session	IBIS	15 May
November 2010	Classical languages and subjects in groups 3 to 6: send special requests	IBIS	15 May
November 2010	Non-regular diplomas: send requests for authorization	IBIS	15 May
November 2010	Language A1: send special requests for languages A1, with justification and proposed course of study (Form C2 is available for languages that do not use Roman script)	IBIS	15 May
November 2010	Language A1 SL self-taught candidates: IB makes available to schools questions for all genres	IBIS, OCC and Diploma Programme coordinator’s notes	15 May
November 2009	Submit the edition being used for prescribed work for music	IBIS	30 May
June 2009
Session	Event or action	Method	Date/Deadline
November 2009	IB Cardiff sends examination stationery to schools	Courier or express mail	1 June
November 2009	Language A1: send advance notice of works studied (send the information by fax to IB Cardiff if the language does not use Roman script)	IBIS	1 June
November 2010	IB Cardiff authorizes special requests for subjects in group 1, and groups 3 to 6	Letter from IB Cardiff	1 June
November 2009	School-based syllabuses: send proposed examination papers and markschemes to IB Cardiff	Courier	14 June
November 2009	Pay the total of all registration and subject fees for candidates registered by 15 May 2009	Cheque to appropriate billing office or bank transfer	15 June
July 2009
Session	Event or action	Method	Date/Deadline
November 2008	A candidate may request replacement certification from the IB without involving the school at which he/she was registered	Candidate contacts the IB	From 1 July
November 2009	Final registration deadline (last opportunity to re-order candidate session numbers)	IBIS	15 July
November 2009	IB Cardiff issues approval for or amendments to school-based syllabus examination papers and markschemes for appropriate schools	Hard copy sent to school	28 July
November 2009	Deadline for the registration of candidates from May 2009 retaking one or more subjects in November 2009	IBIS	29 July
November 2010	New schools send CAS programme questionnaire to regional office	Form CAS/PQ	31 July
August 2009
Session	Event or action	Method	Date/Deadline
November 2009	IB Cardiff enables coordinators to create teacher access to predicted grade and internal assessment mark entry screens on IBIS (user names and passwords)	IBIS	1 August
November 2009	IB Cardiff opens predicted grade and internal assessment screens on IBIS	IBIS	1 August
November 2009	Examiner notifications available on IBIS for: extended essays language A1 world literature language A2 written tasks theory of knowledge visual arts	IBIS	20 August
November 2009	School-based syllabuses: send amended examination papers and/or mark schemes to IB Cardiff	Courier	21 August
September 2009
Session	Event or action	Method	Date/Deadline
November 2010	Submit forecast of subject entries in order to receive examination stationery	IBIS	1 September
November 2009	Visual arts: send candidate record booklets to visiting examiner	Preferably by courier	To arrive before examiner visits school
November 2009	Visual arts: first date for examiner visits	Not applicable	10 September
November 2009	IB Cardiff sends language A1 SL self-taught oral examinations and school-based syllabus materials to schools (where available)	Courier	15 September
November 2009	Examiner notifications available on IBIS for: internal assessment theatre (all components) musical investigations school-based syllabuses	IBIS	15 September
November 2009	Send requests for rescheduling examinations	IBIS	15 September
November 2009	Extended essays: send to examiners for assessment (each with a completed cover)	Preferably by courier	15 September
November 2009	Theory of knowledge essays: send to examiners for assessment (each with a completed Form TK/CS)	Preferably by courier	15 September
November 2009	Language A1 world literature: send to examiners for assessment (each with a completed cover)	Preferably by courier	15 September
November 2009	Language A2 written tasks: send to examiners for assessment (each with a completed cover and Form 2/WTRF)	Preferably by courier	15 September
November 2010	Confirm candidate entries for special request languages A1	IBIS	15 September
October 2009
Session	Event or action	Method	Date/Deadline
November 2009	School-based syllabuses: send final approved version of examination papers and markschemes to IB Cardiff	Courier	7 October
November 2009	Enter marks for internal assessment and predicted grades, including predicted grades for extended essays and theory of knowledge	IBIS	10 October
November 2009	IB Cardiff sends examination papers and other examination materials to schools	Courier	October
November 2009	Examiner notifications available on IBIS for scripts	IBIS	15 October
November 2009	Send requests for results service to universities and colleges in Australia and New Zealand	IBIS	15 October
November 2009	Send internal assessment sample work (and appropriate forms) to moderators	Preferably by courier	20 October
November 2009	Visual arts: final date for examiner’s visit	Not applicable	25 October
November 2009	Theatre: send research investigations (each with Form 6/TRI HL or Form 6/TRI SL) to the examiner	Preferably by courier	30 October
November 2009	Theatre: send practical performance proposal to examiner(s) (each with form Form 6/Tproposal (HL) or Form 6/Tproposal (SL))	Preferably by courier	30 October
November 2009	Music: send musical investigations (each with Form 6/MICS) to examiner	Preferably by courier	30 October
November 2009	Examination period	Not applicable	30 October–20 November
November 2009
Session	Event or action	Method	Date/Deadline
November 2009	Report arrival of examination papers	IBIS	1 November
November 2009	Last opportunity for coordinator to withdraw retake, diploma or anticipated candidates from session, so November 2009 does not count towards their three diploma sessions	IBIS	1 November
November 2009	Visual arts: send candidate record booklets, portfolios, research workbooks and cassettes (if no visiting examiner) to IB Cardiff	Preferably by courier	1 November
November 2009	Visual arts: send to IB Cardiff teacher’s feedback on examiner’s visit to school	Form 6/VATF	1 November
November 2009	CAS: send programme completion form (Form CAS/PCF) to regional office	Fax or post	1 November
November 2010	Candidates with special educational needs: send requests for special assessment arrangements	Form D1	1 November
November 2009	Notify coordinator help desk of any candidates with temporary medical condition and/or adverse circumstances	Form D2	Immediately
November 2009	Teachers send comments on written examination papers to IB Cardiff	OCC	Within 28 days after the examination
November 2009	Language A1 SL self-taught: send audio recordings and related material to examiner	Preferably by courier	7 November
November 2009	School-based syllabuses: send marked examination scripts, coursework, teacher’s report, and copies of marksheets and Form SSX to assessor	Preferably by courier	30 November
November 2009	School-based syllabuses: send original marksheets and Form SSX to IB Cardiff	Fax	30 November
December 2009
Session	Event or action	Method	Date/Deadline
November 2009	Send requests for exclusive copyright on behalf of candidates to IB Cardiff	Form B11	1 December
November 2009	Send requests for legalization of examination results	IBIS	15 December
January 2010
Session	Event or action	Method	Date/Deadline
November 2009	Send requests for transcript results service to universities and colleges in Canada and USA	IBIS	1 January
November 2009	IB Cardiff issues results to schools	IBIS	5 January
November 2009	Enquiry upon results: categories 1 and 2 requests can be submitted	IBIS	5 January
November 2009	Results available to candidates by the IB public website	Internet	6 January
November 2009	Statistics on global and school results are made available on IBIS	IBIS	9 January
November 2009	IB Cardiff releases internal assessment feedback and profile of candidates’ grades and marks	IBIS	12 January
November 2009	Enquiry upon results: category 3 requests can be submitted	IBIS	12 January
February 2010
Session	Event or action	Method	Date/Deadline
November 2009	IB Cardiff sends diplomas, diploma results and certificates of results to schools (this mailing includes certificates for November 2008 anticipated candidates who did not register for the diploma)	Courier	28 February
March 2010
Session	Event or action	Method	Date/Deadline
November 2010	Pay annual fee	Cheque to appropriate billing office or bank transfer	1 March
November 2009	Request enquiries upon results	IBIS	15 March
November 2009	Request return of design technology HL/SL design projects, if required	IBIS (enquiry upon results service)	15 March

B11The completion of forms

It is important that all forms are completed fully and correctly. Unless a form is being submitted electronically, it must be completed in legible handwriting using black ink. Ensure that sections relating to the session (for example, May 2009), school number and school name are completed. Retain a copy of each completed form.

Most forms that are sent to an examiner or moderator with candidates’ assessment material must have declarations signed by the teacher and candidate. If either or both or these declarations are not signed, the work will not be accepted for assessment.

Forms that must be completed and sent with candidates’ assessment material to an examiner (or moderator in the case of internal assessment) are supplied in portable document format (PDF). The following forms are also available as PDFs. In addition, there are forms for theory of knowledge and creativity, action, service.

The form Language A1: Advance notice of works studied is available on IBIS in electronic format only, but if the information must be written in a language that does not use Roman characters, send the information to IB Cardiff in a fax, letter or as an email attachment to help@ibo.org.

Please see the link at the left-hand side of the screen for all forms.

Section C: Support and services

C1Services included within the annual fee

C1.1Public website

The IB public website at http://www.ibo.org provides detailed information about the IB and its three programmes and is of interest to IB World Schools, candidates, parents, educational authorities and others interested in the IB and its work. Features on the website include:

C1.2IB store and publications

The IB store at http://store.ibo.org is the official IB online store and offers a range of IB-related publications, products and services suited to a wide variety of IB stakeholders. The IB store offers:

With so many products and publications on the market to support the IB programmes, it can be difficult to distinguish which are approved or endorsed by the IB itself. To help you make an informed choice, please take note of the following categories.

IB materials

Only materials produced by the IB itself should carry the IB logo or say “International Baccalaureate”, both of which are registered trademarks. The IB will not give permission for its name or logo to appear on any product other than those produced by the IB. A publisher or a supplier has to be working in cooperation with the IB to be permitted to use an IB trademark.

Examples of IB materials are:

IB materials produced under licence

The IB produces some materials in cooperation with other publishers or suppliers. The IB endorses such products and has been involved in their development.

An example of an IB-endorsed publication carrying the IB “In cooperation with” logo is:

Other products for IB programmes

Several publishers and suppliers independently produce materials for IB programmes. While it is reasonable for them to show that their product is intended for the IB market, it should not feature any IB logo or trademark. Ideally, such products should say that they are intended “for use with” the relevant IB programme.

If you have any queries concerning any materials, products or services offered by the IB, please contact the sales department at sales@ibo.org.

Also accessible through the IB store are:

Diploma Programme materials

The IB store offers a variety of Diploma Programme materials including the following.

For information about copyright restrictions on all formats of these materials, please refer to the document entitled Rules and policy for use of IB intellectual property (available from http://www.ibo.org/copyright).

Contacting the IB store

If you require further information on any of the services outlined above, or would simply like to make a suggestion about future products, please contact the sales and marketing department.

Phone: +44 29 2054 7746

Fax: +44 29 2054 7779

Email: sales@ibo.org

C1.3Online curriculum centre

The IB online curriculum centre (OCC) at http://occ.ibo.org is an interactive password-protected website designed to support teachers of the three IB programmes. All teachers in IB World Schools offering the Diploma Programme should have access to this site provided for them by the coordinator. Coordinators can create and manage their teachers' usernames and passwords via IBIS. The OCC provides teachers with opportunities to:

Any queries relating to the OCC should be sent to occ@ibo.org.

C1.4Coordinator help desk

General inquiries

The coordinator help desk at IB Cardiff provides Diploma Programme coordinators with advice on the administration of the Diploma Programme and on the use of IBIS. In addition to answering queries, the help desk handles requests for rescheduling examinations and is responsible for the administration of all cases of candidates with special circumstances. This includes candidates with a permanent or temporary medical condition, candidates with special educational needs, candidates who have experienced adverse circumstances, and those who are allegedly in breach of the general regulations.

If you have a query about any of the above issues, contact the coordinator help desk by emailing help@ibo.org or by telephoning +44 29 2054 7740. However, before doing so, please ensure that your query cannot be answered by referring to information already provided by the IB in this handbook, or in the documents Rules for IB World Schools: Diploma Programme and General regulations: Diploma Programme. Most queries about using IBIS can be answered by referring to the help text or frequently asked questions (FAQs) on IBIS.

Emergency helpline

During the examinations in May and November the coordinator help desk can be contacted by telephone out of normal office hours (excluding all day Saturday, and Sunday up to 1800 hours GMT). The telephone number is +44 29 2073 2491. This number must only be used in an emergency, when immediate advice is required. Situations that constitute an emergency include:

Do not contact the coordinator help desk during the examinations in May or November to request any items missing from the examination paper package—coordinators must check the contents when the package is received in April/October. If any examination papers are missing, or if the quantity is insufficient, inform IB Cardiff using the reply form for the receipt of examination papers on IBIS. (Do not use this reply form to request more examination stationery.)

C1.5University recognition

Universities around the world welcome the unique characteristics of the IB Diploma Programme and recognize the way in which the programme helps to prepare students for university-level education. IB students routinely gain admission to some of the best-known universities in the world. Most of these institutions have established recognition policies for the IB diploma.

The IB maintains information about university recognition on its public website; displayed on the Country information pages of the website and in a searchable University recognition directory. Coordinators are advised to read this information carefully. As this information can change, coordinators are strongly advised to consult the admissions office of any university in which a candidate has a particular interest.

C1.6Unannounced inspections of examination arrangements

The IB reserves the right to inspect a school’s examination arrangements at any time during the session. Regional directors will arrange for representatives to visit a selection of schools during the written examinations with the aim of inspecting each school’s examination arrangements. Heads of schools, coordinators, teachers and other school representatives are expected to cooperate fully with an inspector by allowing the inspector access to any Diploma Programme examination or storage facilities for examination papers and material, and by answering all questions about examination arrangements.

The IB reserves the right, if it is not satisfied that an examination has been conducted in accordance with the regulations, and according to the seriousness of the violation, to declare the examination(s) null and void, to disqualify any or all of the candidates involved, and to cancel the participation of the institution.

C2By-request services

C2.1Enquiry upon results

Coordinators may request a re-mark of externally assessed material (category 1), the return of externally assessed material (category 2) and/or a report on the moderation of internal assessment (category 3). This service is known as an enquiry upon results. Requests for an enquiry upon results will only be accepted from schools, not from individual candidates, their legal guardian(s) or other representatives. A request for an enquiry upon results must be submitted on IBIS no later than 15 September/15 March, approximately two months after the issue of results.

Enquiries in categories 1 and 2 are independent of each other and may be requested in either order up to 15 September/15 March. No category may be requested more than once for the same examination material. The enquiry upon results service is not available for school-based syllabuses.

In previous examination sessions a candidate’s grade would only remain the same or be raised as a result of a category 1 re-mark. However, with effect from the May 2009 session a candidate’s grade may also be lowered as a consequence of a re-mark.

Category 1

The externally assessed components of a candidate’s work are re-marked by a senior examiner. A grade may be raised or lowered as a result of a category 1 enquiry.

The fee for each request covers a single subject entry for a single candidate. The re-marking does not include multiple choice components (MCQ) and internal assessment.

Five or more category 1 enquiries

Where five or more category 1 enquiries are requested within a single subject and level for a school, and these result in a mean overall percentage mark change of at least 4%, all the candidates for that subject and level from that school will be offered a category 1 enquiry at no charge to the school. In the case of extended essays in a given subject, and also for theory of knowledge, all the school's candidates in the extended essay subject or in theory of knowledge will be offered a category 1 enquiry at no charge to the school if five or more enquiries generate a mean mark difference of at least four marks. In all cases the mean is calculated only on the size of the change, not on its direction. For example, mark changes of plus five and minus five give a mean of five, not zero.

If the conditions are met for extending a category 1 to include all candidates within a single subject and level, IB Cardiff will contact the coordinator by email for approval to proceed. This will be on the understanding that any candidate’s grade may be raised or lowered as a result of a re-mark, not just those candidates who comprised the original request for a category 1 enquiry.

Requesting a review of a re-mark

If a candidate or coordinator believes the process leading to the grade upon re-marking did not respect the procedures defined in the general regulations and/or in this handbook, the coordinator may request a review, for which a fee is payable to the IB. A review of a candidate’s subject grade must be preceded by an enquiry upon results category 1 (re-mark). To request a review log on to IBIS and go to Candidate. Select Enquiry upon results (EuR) from the left-hand menu to display the home page for the enquiries service. This page has a link named Review of category 1 individual candidate re-mark.

If a coordinator submits a request for a review of a re-mark, the request must be supported with a justification that explains why, in the opinion of the coordinator, the process leading to the grade upon re-marking did not respect the correct procedures defined in the general regulations and/or in this handbook. A review will not be implemented without this information. The request for a review must be submitted within three months of the school receiving the result of the category 1 enquiry upon results.

The assessment director will email his or her report on the review, normally within one month from the date of receiving the request. The report will be sent to the Diploma Programme coordinator of the school at which the candidate was registered for the examination session.

Category 2

Externally assessed examination material

All examination material will be returned to the school for a single externally assessed component from a given subject and level. In addition to examination scripts, externally assessed components include theory of knowledge essays, extended essays, language A1 world literature, language A2 written tasks, and musical investigations. A category 2 enquiry is for the purpose of returning externally assessed material only and does not constitute a candidate’s claim of exclusive copyright in that material. If a candidate wishes to claim exclusive copyright, a separate request must be sent to IB Cardiff using Form B11.

The fee charged for the request covers the whole school entry for that single component. It is not possible to request the return of material for individual candidates. Schools are responsible for the payment of any import charges levied by the country concerned.

In the near future coordinators will be able to request the return of examination material in electronic format as an alternative to returning photocopies. If this electronic service is available, the material will be returned at a lower cost than for photocopies. An announcement will be made on IBIS when this service is available.

Internally assessed examination material

Sample material for internally assessed work is not returned to schools, although an exception is made for design technology HL/SL design projects because of their unique nature and possible importance for university entrance. The request for the return of this material must be made on IBIS, as for externally assessed material. However, if the option to request the return of design technology HL/SL design projects is not available on IBIS, send the request to IB Cardiff by email using the address eurcat2@ibo.org. The cost to the school is based on the actual cost of postage and administration, rather than the standard fee for category 2.

Visual arts

If it has been necessary for a school to send visual arts studio work to IB Cardiff as part of the alternative assessment arrangements for HL or SL option A, or the investigation workbooks for visual arts HL or SL option B, the fee for the return of this material is based on the actual cost of postage and administration, rather than the standard fee for category 2. If the option to request the return of visual arts studio work is not available on IBIS, send the request to IB Cardiff by email using the address eurcat2@ibo.org.

If a category 2 enquiry upon results is requested for visual arts HL option A, HL option B, SL option A or SL option B, the coordinator will receive the visiting examiner’s written comments on the performance of each candidate. These are the comments that feature on page one of the candidate record booklet.

Film

If a category 2 enquiry upon results is requested for the film HL/SL presentation, the coordinator will receive comments from the examiner on the performance of each candidate. It is emphasized that the comments will be brief as they are not intended to constitute a detailed report on any or all candidates. This feedback will only be provided for all candidates in the school who registered for film, not specified individual candidates. The audio recordings themselves will not be returned on the assumption that schools retain their own copies. The examiner’s comments will be sent in electronic format only; they will not be sent as hard copy. If the option to request the return of film HL/SL film presentation is not available on IBIS, send the request to IB Cardiff by email using the address eurcat2@ibo.org.

Category 3

This category provides a report on the sample of candidates’ internally assessed work submitted for moderation. It is not possible to request a category 3 internal assessment report for language A1 SL self-taught candidates, for the presentation component in theory of knowledge or for a subject with three or fewer candidates.

Each report on a single school sample is at least 300 words in length. It will cover the following issues:

It may take longer to provide schools with a category 3 service than a category 1 or 2.

In cases where none of the candidates’ moderated internal assessment marks differ from their raw marks (the marks awarded by the teacher) by more than 10% of the maximum mark available, these reports will not be provided. This is because there is often little of substance that moderators can report in such circumstances. The intention behind providing this service is to give helpful feedback to those schools to which significant moderation adjustments have been applied.

The same review procedure for a category 1 re-mark is not available for internal assessment. However, if a coordinator believes that the moderation of marks for internal assessment has not been conducted fairly and accurately, it is acceptable to raise concerns with the assessment directorate at IB Cardiff. However, a category 3 enquiry upon results must precede any such request. The procedure is to send an email to assessment@ibo.org for the attention of the assessment director. The email must provide details of the subject and candidates concerned, and provide a full justification for the IB reconsidering the moderation of the marks.

Procedure for requesting an enquiry upon results

Complete and submit a request for an enquiry upon results on IBIS no later than 15 September/15 March following the examination session. However, do not request a category 3 enquiry until after your school’s internal assessment feedback has been received. This is released on 12 July/12 January.

The result of a category 1 enquiry will be sent to the school at the earliest possible date. Coordinators must be aware that an enquiry upon results can take some weeks. This is particularly the case for category 3 requests, for which the candidates’ work and/or the moderator may not be readily available.

Fees

Schools will be invoiced for the enquiry upon results service, and/or review procedure, according to the scale of fees in section F. However, there is no charge for a category 1 enquiry that results in a change of grade, or for a review of a category 1 enquiry that leads to an amendment of the final grade awarded.

C2.2Legalization of examination results

Universities in certain countries require the IB diploma results document to be legalized by the appropriate authority in Geneva. Where this is the case, it is the responsibility of the coordinator to inform candidates about this requirement. The diploma document itself is only legalized in exceptional circumstances when required. The only country to date that has required legalization of both documents is Argentina.

Universities in Italy may require translation of the diploma results document into Italian by a registered translator. It is the responsibility of the candidate to comply with any such requirement.

The legalization is valid only if done by the relevant authorities in Geneva. If legalization is required, IB Cardiff will send the relevant diploma results to IB headquarters in Geneva. The corresponding diplomas are sent to schools for the attention of coordinators, who should retain them until they receive the legalized diploma results for mailing to individual candidates.

List of countries

Each year, usually in March, the IB provides a list of countries for which legalization is normally required. However, because countries sometimes change their requirements, the IB cannot guarantee the accuracy of this information.

Candidates failing to gain the diploma

Certificates for candidates who fail to gain the diploma will not be legalized unless this service is specifically requested when submitting the request on IBIS.

Procedure

Collect the fee in advance from candidates requiring the legalization service and retain it until the legalization procedure has been completed.

For each candidate requiring the legalization service, complete and submit a request on IBIS no later than 15 June/15 December, one month after the examinations. However, to ensure a timely processing of legalization requests, coordinators are asked to submit such requests at the earliest opportunity.

Legalized diploma results should arrive in September or October for a May session and March or April for a November session. They will be sent by courier to schools, for the attention of the coordinator.

The schools concerned will receive an invoice for the amount owed to the IB. The cost of the courier service is met by the IB, provided that the deadline for submitting the legalization requests is met.

C2.3Replacement diploma, diploma results and certificate of results

Replacement results documentation can be requested from IB Cardiff if the originals have been lost or damaged. If the candidate is still attending an IB school, the request must come from the coordinator on the candidate’s behalf. If the candidate is no longer at a school offering the Diploma Programme, the request may come from the school that the candidate attended, or directly from the candidate. A diploma folder is not sent with the replacement documents.

Request from a coordinator

A request from a coordinator must state the examination session, the candidate’s full name and their session number. Requests must be sent to the coordinator help desk at help@ibo.org. Schools will be invoiced, after the issue of the documents, according to the scale of fees in section F.

Request from a candidate

A request for the replacement of results documentation will only be accepted directly from a candidate after six months from the issue of results. Therefore, for a May session a request will only be accepted after the following 1 January and 1 July for a November session. However, this restriction will be waived if the coordinator at the school where the candidate was registered for the IB examination session confirms that it is acceptable to issue the replacement documentation directly to the candidate.

On receipt of a request from a candidate, IB Cardiff will send a replacement documentation form to the candidate for completion. The form should then be returned to IB Cardiff with payment. The replacement documents will not be issued until payment is received from the candidate.

Section D: Academic honesty

D1The meaning of academic honesty

Academic honesty must be seen as a set of values and skills that promote personal integrity and good practice in teaching, learning and assessment. It is influenced and shaped by a variety of factors including peer pressure, culture, parental expectations, role modelling and taught skills. Although it is probably easier to explain to candidates what constitutes academic dishonesty, with direct references to plagiarism, collusion and cheating in examinations, whenever possible the topic must be treated in a positive way, stressing the benefits of properly conducted academic research and a respect for the integrity of all forms of assessment for the Diploma Programme.

Although candidates must be taught to appreciate the merits of academic honesty, there must be no uncertainty over the consequences of acting in a dishonest manner or failing to observe the standard academic practice of acknowledging the work of another person. To do so would be a breach of the general regulations and constitute malpractice.

For further details refer to the IB publication Academic honesty and the relevant articles in the General regulations: Diploma Programme.

D2Malpractice

Malpractice most commonly involves collusion or plagiarism. However, there are other ways in which a candidate may be in breach of regulations. For example, a candidate may:

Note that a candidate is likely to be found guilty of malpractice if unauthorized material (for example, an electronic device other than a permitted calculator, personal rough paper, notes, a mobile phone) is taken into an examination, regardless of whether any attempt is made to use that material.

For all cases of malpractice in relation to the examinations, the coordinator must send a report to the coordinator help desk at IB Cardiff.

D3Authenticating candidates’ work

It is the responsibility of Diploma Programme teachers to support candidates in the preparation of their work for assessment and to ensure that all candidates’ work complies with the requirements of the relevant subject guide. Therefore, teachers (or supervisors in the case of extended essays) are in the best position to judge whether a candidate’s work is authentic. Ongoing support and guidance will help with the early detection of plagiarism and will dissuade candidates from deliberately copying another person’s work without acknowledgment because they know their work is regularly subject to scrutiny. However, what is realistic and what can be achieved within the usual constraints of time and workload must be left to the discretion of individual teachers and the coordinator. Ultimately, the candidates are responsible for ensuring that the final version of any work is authentic. Candidates themselves must bear the consequences if they submit any work for assessment that is not their own, regardless of whether the plagiarism was deliberate or a careless act. The same principle applies to collusion.

The IB will not accept work for assessment or moderation unless the candidate has signed the coversheet to confirm that the work is his or her authentic work and constitutes the final version of that work. Additionally, the teacher (or supervisor in the case of an extended essay) must also sign the coversheet to confirm that, to the best of his or her knowledge, the attached work is the authentic work of the candidate. Therefore, all work submitted to the IB for moderation or assessment must be authenticated by the candidate and a teacher and must not include any instances of suspected or confirmed malpractice. If a teacher signs a coversheet but writes a comment on or attached to the coversheet to the effect that the work may not be authentic, the candidate will not be eligible for a mark in that component and no grade will be awarded. Similarly, it is not appropriate for a teacher to delete the teacher’s declaration and then sign the coversheet.

The requirement for a coversheet signed by the candidate and teacher applies to all non-examination components, both internally and externally assessed. For internal assessment, this requirement applies to the work of all candidates, not just to the sample work that will be submitted to an examiner for the purpose of moderation.

When a candidate provides a teacher with the final version of his or her work with the coversheet signed, ready for signing by the teacher, this is considered the point at which the work is being submitted for assessment. (It is expected that the coversheet will be signed first by the candidate and then by the teacher/supervisor.) After a candidate has submitted the final version of his or her work to a teacher (or the coordinator) for external or internal assessment, together with the signed coversheet, it cannot be retracted by the candidate. If the work is in fulfillment of the requirements for internal assessment, the candidate’s mark must be entered on IBIS after the coversheet has been signed by both the candidate and the appropriate teacher.

D3.1Work identified as not authentic before submission

If the teacher has reason to believe that part or the whole of a candidate's draft work under discussion prior to submission for assessment might be deemed to be in violation of the principles of academic honesty and therefore constitute a case of malpractice, the teacher must draw the candidate’s attention to this risk and the need to respect the requirements of academic honesty. In other words, if possible malpractice (usually plagiarism or collusion) is identified before the coversheet has been signed by the candidate, the situation must be resolved within the school and not brought to the attention of the IB.

If it is apparent that the candidate’s draft work may not be entirely authentic, it is not appropriate to allow the candidate to submit the same work with a signed coversheet with the expectation that the situation will then be resolved by the IB.

D3.2Work identified as not authentic after submission

Occasionally, through an oversight while checking a candidate’s work for authenticity, the teacher or coordinator may identify plagiarism (or another breach of regulations, such as fabricated data) after a candidate has signed the coversheet. It may be the case that that the coversheet has also been signed by the teacher and been sent to an examiner for assessment or moderation. If evidence of plagiarism is available the coordinator help desk at IB Cardiff (help@ibo.org) must be informed so that an investigation can be undertaken. If plagiarism is suspected, but there is no evidence in the form of a source that has been copied, the situation must not be brought to the attention of the coordinator help desk unless advice is required.

D4Improper conduct by a coordinator or teacher

Breaches of regulations are not confined to candidates: improper conduct by a coordinator or teacher may be brought to the attention of the final award committee. The following are examples of unacceptable actions that will be investigated by the IB.

D5Investigating a breach of regulations

The following circumstances are those that most commonly give rise to an investigation.

The IB will investigate a case of suspected malpractice only when there is clear evidence to justify an allegation of malpractice. In the case of plagiarism the evidence must be in the form of a source that appears to have been copied by a candidate. In cases of collusion an investigation will only be pursued only if the other candidate’s work is available and shows clear similarities.

If the IB initiates an investigation into malpractice, it will do so soon after the evidence of malpractice is brought to the attention of the coordinator help desk at IB Cardiff. The head of examinations administration will inform the coordinator, normally by email, that a candidate (or candidates) is being investigated for possible malpractice. It is a requirement of the IB that the coordinator will immediately inform the head of school that a candidate (or candidates) is suspected of malpractice.

For all cases of malpractice by a candidate the coordinator will be asked to provide IB Cardiff with a report after he or she has conducted an investigation. In the case of suspected plagiarism the coordinator’s report, which must be prepared and handled in a manner that respects the need for confidentiality (such as referring to a candidate’s session number rather than his or her name), will normally include:

The statement from the candidate’s teacher (or supervisor) must include information on:

The statement from the coordinator must include information on:

If the coordinator brings a case of possible malpractice to the attention of the coordinator help desk, it is expected that the above statements will accompany the email or letter sent to the coordinator help desk.

D6Decisions of the final award committee

Cases of suspected malpractice will be presented to the final award committee. After reviewing all evidence collected during the investigation, the committee will decide with full discretion whether to dismiss the allegation, uphold it, or ask for further investigations to be made. If the final award committee deems evidence of malpractice is insufficient, the allegation will be dismissed and a grade will be awarded in the normal way.

Where appropriate in reaching a decision on whether a candidate is guilty of malpractice, the committee will take into consideration any similar cases that may have set a precedent for a case of its kind. Nevertheless, each case of suspected malpractice will be judged on its own merit, taking into account all the evidence and information that is available about the case.

No final decision regarding the guilt of a candidate accused of malpractice will normally be reached unless a statement from that candidate has been received and considered by the committee. In cases where a candidate has not produced a statement, the coordinator must state in writing that the candidate declined the opportunity to submit a statement.

In all cases where the final award committee has considered a breach of regulations, the head of school will be informed in a letter, signed by the assessment director, of the decision reached by the committee. The letter will be copied to the school’s Diploma Programme coordinator, appropriate IB personnel and the chair of the examining board. If a breach of regulations is established, the head of school is required to acknowledge receipt of this letter.

D7Reconsideration, appeal and arbitration

Final award committee decisions are open to reconsideration only if the existence is established of facts that were unknown to the final award committee when making its original decision.

In cases where a request for reconsideration as defined in article 31 of the general regulations is possible, the reconsideration must precede any appeal. Appeals are possible against any decision of the final award committee, but only on the grounds that the procedures defined in the regulations that led to the decision of the final award committee being appealed were not respected.

Appeals are permissible without a preceding reconsideration against a decision of the assessment director upon review of the re-marking of a candidate’s externally assessed material.

Any dispute that arises from or is in connection with the general regulations and/or the procedures outlined in this handbook, and which has not been resolved by means of reconsideration or appeal procedures, or which is not subject to the reconsideration or appeals procedures, shall be finally settled by one arbitrator in accordance with the Swiss Rules of International Arbitration of the Swiss Chamber of Commerce.

For further details about reconsideration, appeal and arbitration, refer to the General regulations: Diploma Programme. Information about the procedure for reconsiderations and appeals can be obtained from the coordinator help desk on request.

Section E: Special circumstances and arrangements

E1Special assessment needs

The IB believes that all candidates must be allowed to take their examinations under conditions that are as fair as possible. Where normal examination conditions and assessment procedures would put candidates at a disadvantage and prevent them from being able to demonstrate their skills and knowledge adequately, reasonable forms of accommodation may be authorized. Candidates eligible for special assessment arrangements are those with individual needs such as a specific learning difficulty, an emotional or behavioural difficulty, physical, sensory or medical conditions, or mental health problems.

For information about the IB’s policy on candidates with special needs, refer to the IB publication Candidates with special assessment needs. Please study this publication before contacting IB Cardiff with an inquiry or submitting a request for special assessment arrangements. For inquiries concerning administration, contact the coordinator help desk (help@ibo.org), or for advice about a particular candidate’s needs, contact the manager for special educational needs (sen@ibo.org).

Do not inform an examiner about a candidate’s personal circumstances, disability, medical condition or special need of any kind and do not send a copy of Form D1 (Candidates with special assessment needs) or Form D2 (Candidates affected by adverse circumstances and/or a temporary medical condition) to an examiner with a candidate’s examination material.

E1.1Assessment arrangements not requiring authorization

At the discretion of the coordinator (or head of school), the following arrangements are permitted in examinations without prior authorization from the coordinator help desk at IB Cardiff.

E1.2Assessment arrangements requiring authorization

All special assessment arrangements (that is, arrangements other than those listed in section E1.1) must have prior authorization from the coordinator help desk at IB Cardiff.

A request for special arrangements must be submitted on Form D1 and supported with medical documentation (translated into English, French or Spanish where necessary). Send the form and the medical documents to the coordinator help desk at IB Cardiff to arrive by 1 May/1 November, 12 months before the written examinations. The form must indicate the:

For candidates who are visually impaired, include details about the modification of examination papers (for example, enlargement) including the Braille code required for candidates who are blind.

E1.3Candidates registered under the anticipated category

For anticipated candidates who are taking one or two subjects at standard level after one year studying the Diploma Programme, it may not be feasible to submit a request for special arrangements 12 months before their written examinations. Please submit the request as soon as possible after the start of their first year. It may not be possible to authorize certain special arrangements for anticipated candidates (for example, modified examination papers) owing to the time taken to undertake this task.

For the diploma session one year later, it is not necessary to send a second request for special assessment arrangements (although this is necessary for retake candidates). However, if a candidate’s condition changes after the first request for special arrangements has been submitted, the coordinator help desk must be informed.

E2Temporary medical condition

The missing mark procedure may be used by IB Cardiff in circumstances where a candidate has not been able to complete an assessment component owing to an illness, accident or adverse circumstances. However, the candidate must have completed at least 50% of the assessment for the relevant subject, which must include a written externally assessed component.

E2.1During the two-year course

If a candidate has a serious illness or accident during the two-year course that may have a significant effect on his or her performance, send a completed form for candidates affected by a temporary medical condition (Form D2) to IB Cardiff without delay. The form must indicate:

Form D2 must be supported by medical documentation (translated into English, French or Spanish where necessary). If appropriate, IB Cardiff will authorize special assessment arrangements for the candidate.

E2.2During the written examinations

If a candidate was affected during the written examinations, again submit Form D2 with supporting medical documentation. The form must summarize the candidate’s condition and how it may have affected his or her performance during the examinations. Form D2 must arrive at IB Cardiff within 10 days after the candidate’s final examination.

It is emphasized that if a candidate was affected by a medical condition consideration will be given to the case only if supporting medical documentation is provided.

E3Adverse circumstances affecting individual candidates

At the discretion of the final award committee, candidates affected by adverse circumstances may be eligible for special consideration.

E3.1Circumstances that the IB defines as adverse

According to the General regulations: Diploma Programme, adverse or unforeseen circumstances are defined as those beyond the control of the candidate that might be detrimental to his or her performance, including severe stress, exceptionally difficult family circumstances, bereavement, or events that may threaten the health or safety of candidates.

Other adverse circumstances that may affect a whole group of candidates include civil unrest or natural events such as floods, earthquakes and hurricanes.

E3.2Circumstances that the IB does not define as adverse

Adverse circumstances do not include shortcomings on the part of the school at which a candidate is registered. It is a school’s responsibility to ensure that all candidates comply with programme and assessment requirements.

No allowance will be made for a school’s failure to deliver the course of study owing to:

Similarly, no allowance will be made for a candidate who begins the Diploma Programme late in the academic year. If, as a consequence of missing tuition, the candidate is not adequately prepared for assessment, the candidate should be withdrawn from the examination session.

E3.3Procedure

If a candidate or group of candidates is affected by adverse circumstances, send a completed form for candidates affected by adverse circumstances (Form D2) to IB Cardiff, indicating the name(s) and session number(s) of the affected candidate(s), to arrive no later than 10 days after the completion of the final assessment component of the subject(s) concerned. The form must include a statement from the coordinator describing the nature of the circumstance and its consequence(s) for the candidate(s), and must be signed by either the coordinator or head of school.

Where a group of candidates has been affected by adverse circumstances, if possible indicate which individual candidates have been most severely affected.

Do not inform an examiner of a candidate’s personal circumstances or any circumstances affecting a group of candidates.

E4Adverse circumstances affecting all IB candidates in a school

In this context, an adverse circumstance is defined as an exceptional event that presents a clear threat to the health and/or safety of candidates and teachers that may force a school to close, miss assessment arrival dates and/or cancel IB examinations. Exceptional events include natural disasters, hostile activities and serious communicable illnesses (but do not include industrial action by teachers or other staff within a school). In the event of a serious disruption to the assessment of candidates for the Diploma Programme, the IB will make every effort to provide support and practical advice. For example, some modification of procedures and arrival dates will be permitted, but only if the security and standards of the examination session are not compromised.

Exceptional adverse circumstances affecting a school will be brought to the attention of the final award committee. The committee will consider how the circumstances have affected candidates and determine whether any action is appropriate in compliance with the General regulations: Diploma Programme. Any action taken by the final award committee in response to an exceptional event does not necessarily create a precedent for future examination sessions. The committee will consider each situation on its own merit, bearing in mind that each set of circumstances affecting a school community is unique.

E4.1The responsibilities of the school

It is the responsibility of the school, normally through the coordinator, to bring to the attention of the coordinator help desk at IB Cardiff circumstances that may severely disrupt the preparation or assessment of candidates for the Diploma Programme. While the IB will constantly monitor global events for possible effects on IB schools, the organization is not responsible for identifying individual schools that may be in difficulty.

The IB will not become involved in decisions relating to the management and administration of a school, or accept any form of responsibility for continuing the tuition of candidates for the Diploma Programme. Schools must take all reasonable steps to maintain the continuity of teaching in preparation for the written examinations in May or November and to conduct the examinations themselves.

E4.2Circumstances arising before the written examinations

Where possible, the IB will be flexible with the March/September and April/October arrival dates for the submission of examination material for assessment or moderation. However, the coordinator must have the prior agreement of the head of examinations administration at IB Cardiff to delay the mailing of examination material. If a later arrival date is authorized, the IB does not guarantee to issue results for the school concerned on 5 July/5 January.

If a school is forced to close before the examinations for a period of more than approximately five teaching days, the coordinator must notify the coordinator help desk at IB Cardiff. The school’s situation will be brought to the attention of the final award committee. If any action is considered appropriate, this will be at the discretion of the committee. Depending on the period and date of closure, the head of examinations administration may extend arrival dates for the submission of examination material. However, this extension does not apply to examination scripts.

E4.3Circumstances arising immediately before or during the written examinations

To maintain the integrity and security of the examination session, the rescheduling of written examinations will not be permitted beyond what is already stated in section E5 of this handbook. It is important that candidates take their written examinations at the school where they are registered, unless an alternative venue has been agreed with both the coordinator help desk at IB Cardiff and the appropriate regional office.

If adverse circumstances affect a school community at the time of the examinations in May or November, the school’s administration must make every effort to continue with the examinations, assuming there is no clear and immediate threat to the health or safety of candidates and teachers. Failure to administer the examinations without sufficient justification will result in no grades being issued to the candidates. If possible, a school should obtain permission from IB Cardiff before cancelling the examinations.

Circumstances may be sufficiently serious to justify the complete closure of a school either before or during the period of the examinations in May or November. School closure is taken to mean the complete cessation of all school activities, including all examinations. If, for example, the examinations are able to continue but lessons or other normal activities are discontinued, this does not constitute “closure”. The head of school must be able to substantiate, to the satisfaction of the IB, that closure was necessary and examinations could not be arranged for an alternative venue.

In the event of all candidates being unable to take one or more examinations for reasons beyond the control of the school, the final award committee will normally award grades based on the information that is available. (This does not mean using the predicted grades in place of grades derived from candidates’ performance on assessment components.) The committee will not authorize the award of grades if a school continued to hold the IB examinations and one or more candidates chose not to attend examinations when it was possible to do so.

E4.4Change of examination session

Each school that is authorized to offer the Diploma Programme must designate either May or November as their main examination session. If the preparation of candidates for a particular session is very severely disrupted, the school may be authorized to enter the same candidates for the next examination session. All fees will be carried over to this session. (For example, if candidates are entered for a May session, but cannot be adequately prepared for the examinations because of serious adverse circumstances, the school will normally be permitted to enter the same candidates in the following November session.) However, no consideration will be given for any subjects, level or response language that are not available in the following examination session. Any further dispensation will be at the discretion of the director general.

E4.5The transfer of candidates to another IB World School

Where there is a threat to the health or safety of candidates in a school, it is common practice for candidates to transfer to another IB World School. The transfer of a candidate to another IB World School in order to take his or her IB examinations will be permitted until such a date that IB Cardiff becomes unable to make the necessary practical arrangements. This is approximately two weeks prior to an examination. IB Cardiff will agree to a candidate’s transfer to another IB World School only if written consent is received from the coordinator who is accepting the candidate(s). Depending on the date and circumstances, a candidate moving to another school may be administered as an alternative examination venue, rather than as a transfer candidate.

E5Conflicts with IB examinations

E5.1General

There are occasions when a candidate’s schedule of IB examinations may result in a conflict with another event, such as examinations for a different awarding body. In these circumstances the conflict is likely to be known well in advance of the IB examinations and the coordinator help desk may authorize a rescheduling. The only occasion when it is necessary to contact the regional office about a conflict with IB examinations is when a candidate has a conflict with an event of international significance. For a conflict of this kind, an examination will not be rescheduled but an alternative examination venue may be authorized. However, alternative venues are authorized for only a very few events and no assumption should be made that authorization will be given by the regional office.

Rescheduling an examination is not the same as authorizing an alternative venue; they are two separate arrangements. The only circumstance in which an examination might be both rescheduled and held at an alternative venue is in an emergency situation.

Rescheduling

There are three circumstances only in which IB Cardiff will authorize a candidate to take one or more IB examinations at a time and/or date that is different to the schedule in section I. These circumstances are confined to:

Changing the time and/or date of an IB examination will not be authorized for any other circumstance. Therefore, rescheduling will not be authorized when an IB examination coincides with a competition of any kind, a school event, a local or national holiday, school examinations, or an occasion involving a family relative or any similar event. Exceptions will not be made.

Rescheduling will only be authorized if the coordinator can guarantee the security of the examination and if a teacher will supervise the candidate(s) concerned during the entire period between the scheduled and rescheduled time and date for the examination. This is to ensure that there is no communication with any other candidate who has already taken the same examination. An examination will not be rescheduled to an earlier day.

Requests for rescheduling arising from conflicts between examinations must be submitted on IBIS with a proposal for overcoming the conflict. If it is necessary to reschedule an examination because of an emergency situation, contact the coordinator help desk at IB Cardiff to request authorization.

Alternative venue

Schools authorized to offer the Diploma Programme are the only recognized examination centres. Candidates must take their IB examinations at the school where they are registered. If a candidate takes an examination at a venue other than the school where they are registered, without authorization from the IB, the candidate’s script(s) will not be assessed and no result will be issued in the subject concerned.

There are two circumstances only in which the IB may authorize a candidate to take one or more IB examinations at an alternative venue. These circumstances are confined to:

E5.2Conflict between IB examinations

Check the Diploma Programme examination schedule in section I soon after candidates have been registered for the examination session. Every effort is made to limit the possible number of examination hours in one day to no more than six and a half hours for two subjects. Rescheduling will be considered only for a total time greater than six and a half hours where a candidate has more than two subjects scheduled for the same day. The request for rescheduling must be submitted on IBIS by 15 March/15 September, one and a half months before the examinations.

Two subjects in one morning or afternoon

If the two subjects are morning examinations, one of the two subjects will be rescheduled to the afternoon. If they are afternoon examinations, one of the two subjects will be rescheduled to the morning if the candidate can be supervised until his or her examination in the afternoon.

Three subjects in one day

Rescheduling will be authorized only if the total number of hours of examinations for a candidate exceeds six and a half hours. If the time exceeds six and a half hours, one examination will normally be rescheduled to the next day if this does not result in another conflict.

Four subjects in one day

Rescheduling will be authorized, regardless of the total number of hours of examinations for the candidate in that day.

Two subjects, each with two examinations on the same day

Rescheduling will not be authorized, unless the total time for the examinations exceeds six and a half hours.

Consecutive days of examinations

Rescheduling will not be authorized, unless there is a conflict of the type noted above that normally justifies rescheduling.

E5.3Conflict with the examinations of other awarding bodies

Check the examination schedules of other awarding bodies for which you have candidates as soon as they are published. If there is a conflict for a candidate, consider all alternative courses of action before submitting a request to reschedule an IB examination. For example, for conflicts with university entrance examinations, inquire whether the entrance examination can be taken on an alternative date. Any request for rescheduling must be submitted on IBIS by 15 March/15 September, one and a half months before the examinations.

E5.4Conflict with an event of international significance

An alternative venue may be authorized by a school’s IB regional office for an important event of international significance that coincides with the period of the IB examinations in May or November. In addition to being an international event, the event must be associated with the candidate’s study for the diploma. An alternative venue will be authorized only for anticipated and diploma candidates; not for retake or certificate candidates.

Alternative venues are authorized only rarely and therefore no assumption should be made that authorization will be given. Authorization is dependent on whether there is sufficient time for the IB to put administrative arrangements in place, such as sending examination papers to the new host school.

Under no circumstances will an alternative venue be authorized if any party involved cannot guarantee the security and integrity of the examination(s). The examination(s) must be conducted in full compliance with the procedures and regulations for the conduct of IB examinations (see section I) at the time and on the date scheduled by the IB.

Procedure

The procedure is to send a request by email to the school’s regional office. Do not use IBIS and do not send the request to IB Cardiff. The email must:

If provisional authorization from the regional office is received, it will then be necessary for the candidate’s coordinator to contact the coordinator at an IB World School in the vicinity of the event, to ask that coordinator if he or she is willing to administer the candidate’s examination(s). The school must already have candidates registered for the examination session. If the regional office receives confirmation directly from that coordinator to confirm that he or she will administer the candidate’s examination(s), the IB will then proceed with the arrangements.

If there is no IB World School available, or none that is able to administer the examinations, an alternative venue will be authorized only if the regional office is able to provide a representative to conduct the examinations. The school is required to cover the cost of this arrangement.

E5.5Emergency situations

An emergency situation is one in which the health or safety of a candidate or group of candidates is threatened. This usually arises from natural disasters such as floods and hurricanes, or it may arise from events such as terrorist action or civil unrest. It does not include candidates who miss or seem likely to miss an examination owing to illness.

If an emergency arises at the time of the examinations, contact the coordinator help desk at IB Cardiff to request a rescheduling or to ask for advice on whether a rescheduling and/or alternative venue is appropriate in the particular circumstances. During the period of the examinations there is a 24-hour emergency help line (+44 29 2073 2491).

If it is not possible to contact the coordinator help desk, the examination must be taken at the earliest possible time after the scheduled time. The final award committee will agree to award grades in such circumstances only if it is satisfied that the security of the examination has been maintained. It will be necessary to submit a detailed report on the circumstances to the coordinator help desk.

E5.6Accident or serious illness

An alternative venue may be authorized in cases of accident or serious illness during the examination session when a candidate may be unable to take the examination in school. For example, the candidate may be in hospital, in quarantine and/or confined to bed. To request an alternative venue in these circumstances, contact the coordinator help desk at IB Cardiff (not the regional office). During the period of the examinations there is a 24-hour emergency help line (+44 29 2073 2491).

E6Transfer candidates

The term “transfer” refers to a candidate who moves from one IB World School to another IB World School during their Diploma Programme in order to continue their studies and to take IB examinations. It is necessary to inform the coordinator help desk about a transfer candidate only if the candidate has been registered for a forthcoming examination session.

Schools may accept or refuse transfer candidates at their own discretion: the IB places no obligation on schools to accept such candidates. Coordinators are advised to carefully consider the implications of accepting transfer candidates before they make a decision. If a school accepts a transfer candidate, the registration of the candidate will be changed to that school and the candidate’s results will be among those of the accepting school. Careful consideration must be given to whether the accepting school is able to provide continuity in the transfer candidate’s study for the Diploma Programme. The accepting school may not offer the same subjects as the candidate’s original school.

A transfer candidate may only be entered for an examination session that is the designated session of the accepting school. (For example, a May session school accepting a transfer candidate from a November session school may enter that candidate for a May examination session only.)

If a candidate transfers to another school after the final registration deadline of 15 January/15 July the IB will normally agree to a registration change. However, depending on the actual date and circumstances of the transfer, the IB reserves the right not to accept a transfer after this date.

The acceptance of a candidate from another school, especially during the final year of the Diploma Programme, can result in complicated arrangements. Coordinators are advised to contact the coordinator help desk in such circumstances. For example, if a candidate takes anticipated subjects in a May session school and then transfers to a November session school, that candidate must complete his or her remaining diploma requirements eighteen months after the anticipated session, not six months later in the following November session. The equivalent applies if transferring from a November to a May session school.

E6.1Responsibilities of the original school

A transfer candidate’s original school must:

Depending on when the candidate transfers to another school, the original school may be required to submit to IB Cardiff predicted grades and marks for internal assessment.

E6.2Responsibilities of the accepting school

A school accepting a transfer candidate must:

E7Requesting copyright in a candidate’s work

Candidates retain copyright in all work that is submitted to the IB on their behalf for assessment purposes. This means that, when candidates have met all submission requirements, they are free to use their work as they choose. The IB, however, needs to use this work in a variety of ways to enable it to provide a service to schools and examiners. The General regulations: Diploma Programme make it clear that by submitting their work for assessment, candidates are thereby deemed to grant the IB a non-exclusive worldwide licence, for the duration of statutory copyright protection, to use it in certain limited ways. This allows the IB to copy candidate work for assessment purposes and for publication in support of teaching, professional development and assessment of teachers and, occasionally, for promotion. This includes print and digital reproduction, adaptation and translation. In all circumstances, the IB protects the identity of the candidate and of the school.

The IB recognizes that there will be times when candidates wish to retain exclusive copyright in their work and has created Form B11 (Exclusive copyright) to enable them to exercise this right. However, the IB expects this right to be exercised only rarely, for exceptional works, especially of art or music, or for original computer programs: in short, for material that has commercial value or contains very personal or confidential matter for which protection in this way is appropriate. An examination script is extremely unlikely to come into this category.

Please consider this very carefully before supporting your candidates in submitting a request for exclusive copyright.

E8Candidates with incomplete work for assessment

E8.1Eligibility for a grade

A candidate is normally eligible for a grade only if work has been submitted for all components of the assessment in the subject. When a candidate fails to attend an examination, or submit work for a component in a given subject, no grade is normally awarded. An “N” will be issued for the subject and level. However, a candidate is still eligible for the award of a grade in the following circumstances:

In subjects other than group 4, if a substantial part of a candidate's work for internal assessment is incomplete, reduce the mark for the whole body of work proportionately and make a note on the work to the effect that it has been marked down. (In addition, for group 4 subjects the work for internal assessment is only a part of a candidate's 60 hours (HL)/40 hours (SL) for practical work, so a teacher cannot reduce a candidate's mark for internal assessment for not attending the full 60/40 hours of practical work or for not completing write-ups of non-internal assessment practical work. Both of these are regarded as internal school matters.)

E8.2Acceptable reasons for incomplete work

Acceptable reasons for work being incomplete include circumstances not reasonably within the control of the candidate, such as:

Regardless of the circumstances, including events such as illness or bereavement, a grade will not be issued for a subject unless at least 50% of the marks, including an external component, are available. No exceptions are made.

Externally assessed work

If no work has been submitted, enter an “F” on the checklist (attendance sheet) that is sent with the candidate’s work to an examiner. In the case of scripts, mark the absent box on the candidate’s answer coversheet with a cross.

Internally assessed work

If no work has been submitted, enter an “F” for the candidate’s internal assessment mark and predicted grade (IA/PG) on IBIS for the subject/level concerned. Do not use a mark of “0” (zero) for candidates who have failed to submit work, even when there is an acceptable explanation.

E8.3Request for special consideration

An application for special consideration in cases of incomplete assessment must be filed with the coordinator help desk at IB Cardiff using Form D2. The application must be filed within 10 days of the completion of the final assessment component for the subject concerned. A statement from the coordinator and appropriate evidence must support the application.

Regardless of the candidate’s circumstances and whether 50% of the marks and an external component are available, the predicted grade is not used to provide the candidate with a grade for the affected subject(s). Refer to section E3 for further details.

E8.4Unacceptable reasons for incomplete work

Unacceptable reasons for work being incomplete include circumstances reasonably within the control of the candidate, such as:

Short-term illness is not an acceptable reason for incomplete work, other than for missing an examination in May or November. If a candidate is ill shortly before an internal school deadline for the submission of work, such as the extended essay or an internal assessment requirement, contact the coordinator help desk for advice. An extension to the deadline may be authorized.

In cases where it is not clear whether the circumstances were reasonably within the control of the candidate, IB Cardiff may rely on the judgment of the coordinator.

Note that a diploma candidate has a maximum of three examination sessions in which to obtain the diploma. This includes any examination session(s) in which the assessment was incomplete owing to an unacceptable reason and any subsequent retake session(s).

Section F: Fees

F1Assigned currencies

In order to ensure that the IB has the resources it needs in each currency, every IB World School has a nominated payment currency (usually US dollars, pounds sterling or Swiss francs) that is assigned when the school is authorized. All fees are invoiced and must be paid in the nominated currency. This reduces the financial risk and currency exchange costs for both schools and the IB.

Unless the billing office has authorized a change in the assigned currency, an administrative charge will be levied on payments that do not conform to the assigned currency. The IB reserves the right to apply penalties and interest for late payments.

F2Billing offices

There are two billing offices. For schools in the IB North America region the billing office is the IB North America office in New York. For schools in other regions the billing office is the finance department at IB Cardiff, UK.

When a billing office invoices a school for fees payable, a copy of the invoice is sent directly to either the billing contact or the coordinator as a PDF attachment to an email.

F2.1Payment to IB Cardiff

Payment by cheque

Cheques should be made out to the International Baccalaureate and sent to the following address.

International Baccalaureate

Finance Department—Credit Control

Peterson House

Malthouse Avenue

Cardiff, Wales

GB CF23 8GL

United Kingdom

Note that:

Payment by bank transfer

Note: Payment by bank transfer is under review at the time of writing. Details will be available on IBIS.

F2.2Payment to IB North America

For schools in the USA paying in US dollars

Please send a copy of the IBIS registration form with your payment to the following address.

International Baccalaureate North America

475 Riverside Drive, Suite 240

New York

New York 10115

USA

For schools in Canada paying in Canadian dollars

Please send a copy of the IBIS registration form with your payment to the following address.

International Baccalaureate North America

PO Box 46118

Postal Station "A"

Toronto, Ontario M5W 4K9

CANADA

Payment by bank transfer

Note: Payment by bank transfer is under review at the time of writing. Details will be available on IBIS.

F3Fees for services for schools

The IB is a non-profit educational foundation. It covers its main operational costs by charging fees to schools for providing services to support the implementation of the three programmes. This section of the handbook describes those services for schools authorized to offer the Diploma Programme and the fees that are charged under the following three main categories:

There are two other areas where schools can choose to purchase services from the IB:

This handbook does not cover these two services in any detail. Information about professional development and the IB store can be obtained from the IB public website (http://www.ibo.org).

F3.1The annual school fee

IB World Schools pay an annual school fee for each programme they are authorized to teach, but if schools offer two or more programmes they pay a reduced fee to reflect their greater commitment. The discount is calculated as follows.

The discount is shared between the respective programmes. One exception is in the case of a newly authorized programme in a school, where the applicable discount is applied to the programme being authorized. For subsequent years the discount is shared.

Schools receive the following core services for each programme they are authorized to teach:

Payment of the annual fee

The annual fee is payable by 1 September each year for May session schools to cover the period from September to August. For November session schools the annual fee is payable by 1 March each year to cover the period from March to February.

For newly authorized schools the fee is calculated on a pro rata basis from the first of the month following authorization up to the point of full annual billing dependent on the school’s main session.

For schools in the IB North America region the billing office is the IB North America office in New York. Payment of the annual fee can be made either by cheque or bank transfer as detailed above (see section F2.2).

For schools in other IB regions the billing office is the finance department at IB Cardiff, UK. For May session schools an invoice is sent on 1 August and is payable by 1 September. For November session schools an invoice is sent on 1 February and is payable by 1 March. Payment of the annual fee can be made either by cheque or bank transfer as detailed above (see section F2.1).

F3.2Candidate assessment fees

There are two candidate assessment fees: the candidate registration fee and the candidate subject fee. (Candidates no longer pay a per capita fee.)

In return, schools receive the following services:

Candidates receive the following services:

Candidate registration fee

The candidate registration fee is paid once for each candidate taking one or more examinations in a particular examination session. The same fee is paid for each candidate, regardless of a candidate’s registration category. Diploma category candidates who take one or two anticipated subjects one year early do not pay the registration fee when they are registered for their remaining diploma subjects the following year. However, if such candidates are registered after the first or final registration deadline, the difference between the standard registration fee and the higher late registration fee must be paid to the IB.

Six-month retake candidates, including certificate candidates who are registering to take the same certificate subject(s) again after six months, pay the standard registration fee. Candidates from a November session must be registered by 29 January for the following May session. Candidates from a May session must be registered by 29 July for the following November session. The registration of six-month retake candidates, regardless of whether they are diploma or certificate candidates, is not accepted under any circumstances after these deadlines, therefore higher registration fees do not apply.

Candidate subject fees

The candidate subject fee is paid for each assessed subject taken by an individual candidate. There is no subject fee for either theory of knowledge or the extended essay assessment when first taken as part of the full Diploma Programme, regardless of whether the candidate anticipated one or more subjects.

Higher fees are charged for candidate registrations and amendments to subject details made between the first and final registration deadlines, and a second higher fee after the final registration deadline. Owing to the additional administration involved, amendments after the final registration deadline are charged at a significantly higher rate. Refer to section G for information about candidate registration deadlines and the procedure for registering candidates.

There is no registration amendment fee for:

If a candidate’s registration category is changed after the first or final registration deadline, the appropriate registration amendment fee will apply.

F3.3By-request service fees

The IB offers a number of optional services that schools can request when needed. For the Diploma Programme the by-request services are:

A fee is charged for each of these additional services. A school may receive invoices throughout the year according to when fees were incurred for these services.

Enquiry upon results

The fee is according to the category of enquiry requested. No fee is charged if the enquiry results in a change of grade. If a review of the process leading to the grade upon re-marking is requested on behalf of the candidate, a fee is payable. This fee is stated in the scale of fees. See section C2.1 for further details about the enquiry upon results service.

Legalization of diploma results

There is now one standard fee per candidate for the legalization of diploma results, which is listed among the scale of fees. The school concerned will receive an invoice for the amount owed to the IB. The cost of the courier service is at the IB’s expense, provided that the deadline for submitting the legalization requests is met. See section K10 for further details.

Replacement diploma, diploma results or certificate of results

Requests for replacement diplomas or certificates must be sent to the coordinator help desk at IB Cardiff. The fees also apply if replacement diplomas or certificates are required because the school’s legal name has changed. See section C2.3 for further details.

Results to universities and admission centres

For each candidate the first six issues of results to universities or admission centres will be sent without charge. A fee for each additional results issue applies until the end of the examination session, which is 15 September for a May session and 15 March for a November session. After the close of the session a fee will be levied for each set of results that is sent, regardless of whether any results were sent before the close of the examination session. See section K4 for further details.

F4Registration, subject and amendment fees

First registration deadline: 15 November/15 May

Final registration deadline: 15 January/15 July

Any change to a candidate’s subject details will incur an amendment fee if the amendment is made after the first registration deadline. Owing to the additional administration involved, amendments made after the final registration deadline are charged at a significantly higher rate. The fee is charged for each amendment to a candidate’s subject details. For example, a change of level for a subject would result in a fee being payable, although a change to a candidate’s subject, level and response language, all made at the same time, would also result in only one fee being payable.

There are no amendment fees for amendments to personal details. However, if personal details are changed after results documentation has been printed for a session and another document is requested, a replacement fee will be charged.

F4.1Payment of the registration, subject and amendment fees

For candidate registrations made by the first registration deadline of 15 November/15 May an invoice is sent to schools from the appropriate billing office within a few days after this date. If amendments are subsequently made to subject details further invoices will be sent when necessary.

For schools in the IB North America region the billing office is the IB North America office in New York. Payment for registration, subject and amendment fees should be made as detailed in section F2.2.

For schools in other regions, the billing office is the finance department at IB Cardiff, UK. Payment for registration and amendment fees should be made as detailed in section F2.1.

F5Appeals against a decision of the final award committee

Circumstances are defined in the General regulations: Diploma Programme under which a candidate may appeal against a decision of the final award committee. Upon receiving the appeal the IB will request a non-reimbursable handling fee that must be paid before the appeal procedure begins. This fee is stated in the scale of fees. Invoices for appeal fees will be sent from the relevant office (IB North America or IB Cardiff), and payment must be submitted in accordance with sections F2.1 and F2.2.

F6Refund of fees

After the annual fee and registration fees have been paid to the IB, the fees will not be refunded. However, if a candidate withdraws from one or more subjects before the final registration deadline of 15 January/15 July, the subject fee(s) will be refunded. The same applies to six-month retake candidates, whether diploma or certificate, who are withdrawn before the equivalent deadlines of 29 January/29 July.

If a school has made a duplicate payment in error and there are no billings outstanding for payment, a request for a refund can be submitted to the IB North America regional office for schools in this region, or to the credit control office at IB Cardiff for schools outside the North America region.

F7Reimbursement of costs

If it has been necessary for a school to pay a customs duty in order to obtain a mailing of examination papers, examination stationery or other material sent by the IB for an examination session, the IB will reimburse the cost. Original receipts must be sent to IB Cardiff with a full explanation of what the receipts are for.

F8Transfer candidates

If a candidate is intending to transfer to a different IB World School offering the Diploma Programme, the candidate’s original school is responsible for paying the registration fee and subject fees if the candidate transfers, or is intending to transfer, after the deadline for the payment of these fees.

F9Special circumstances

A candidate affected by special circumstances, such as illness or accident, may not be able to complete the written examinations in the May/November session. Where 50% of the marks for the affected subject(s) are available, including an external component, a grade will normally be awarded. However, candidates who have not met these criteria for the award of a grade should be registered in either the examination session six months later, or one year later, for the subjects not taken. The subjects being retaken cannot be spread over more than one examination session. (However, if one or more of the subjects is not available in a session, an exception will normally be made.)

At the discretion of IB Cardiff, such candidates will be exempt from the registration fee and subject fees. In the case of diploma candidates the additional session will not count as one of the three sessions towards their diploma. However, if other subjects are taken in addition to those not completed owing to the special circumstances, this session will be counted as one of the three sessions towards the diploma.

If the coordinator help desk authorizes this arrangement and the candidate is registered for a session that is not the main examination session for the school, the usual conditions of candidate registration and subject availability apply.

F10The scale of fees

Scale of fees (1 September 2008 to 31 August 2009)	Currency
	US$	SFr	UK£	C$
Annual fee (per school)	9150	11895	5225	10980
Registration fee (per candidate)
Before the first registration deadline Between the first and final registration deadline After the final registration deadline	129 173 371	167 226 482	73 99 212	154 208 445
The fee for six-month retake candidates is the fee payable before the first registration deadline of 15 November/15 May.
Subject fee (per candidate)
Fee for each subject (including theory of knowledge and extended essay when taken as retake subjects) a candidate is registered for	88	114	50	105
Registration amendments (per candidate) The fee is for the addition of a new subject, each amendment to a registration category, subject, level or response language, including theory of knowledge and the extended essay.
Between the first and final registration deadline After the final registration deadline	28 111	37 145	16 64	34 134
Enquiry upon results
Category 1: per candidate/subject/level Category 2: per subject component (photocopies) Category 2: per subject component (electronic format when available) Category 3: per moderation sample Review of a category 1 re-mark	92 66 41 140 157	120 86 53 182 204	53 38 23 80 90	110 79 49 168 188
Other by-request services
Legalization of diploma results (per candidate) Replacement diploma or certificate (per diploma or certificate) Results to universities (per candidate: no charge for first six universities)	101 61 13	132 79 17	58 35 8	122 73 15
Appeals (per candidate)
Fee for an appeal under article 29 of the General regulations: Diploma Programme	209	272	119	251

Section G: Registering candidates for examinations

G1Candidate registration

Candidate registration is an application by a candidate to take Diploma Programme examinations. The registration process is conducted using the IB information system (IBIS), a secure web-based service for coordinators. No other method is available to register candidates. Candidates cannot register themselves for an examination session. It is undertaken by coordinators on their behalf.

G1.1The school’s main session

During the authorization process all schools intending to offer the Diploma Programme must state whether May or November will be their main examination session. This limits the opportunities for candidate registration in the session that is not the main session of the school. A school that has May as its main examination session cannot enter anticipated, diploma or certificate candidates in the November session. Similarly, a school that has November as its main examination session cannot enter anticipated, diploma or certificate candidates in the May session. However, there are exceptions to this restriction on registering candidates.

G1.2The personal code

The IB has introduced a “personal code” (for example, kly768) for all candidates who are registered for the Middle Years Programme or Diploma Programme assessment. This personal code does not change and enables coordinators and the IB to track a candidate’s academic record. When registering a candidate for a Diploma Programme examination session, it is essential to use a candidate’s personal code if he or she has previously been registered for the Middle Years Programme and/or the Diploma Programme. If a link with a previous examination session is not established, the candidate’s academic record will not be available. If this happens, results from a previous session will not be carried over and the candidate will be issued with a second personal code. This situation must be avoided.

G1.3The session number

In addition to a personal code, each candidate has a “session number” (for example, 000018–056). As the term implies, this number is unique to the candidate for a particular examination session only. Furthermore, after registering candidates a coordinator can re-order his or her entry of candidates using IBIS, which will automatically change the session number of most or all candidates. This re-ordering can only be done up to the final registration deadline of 15 January/15 July. After this date the session numbers cannot be changed.

It is the session number and not the personal code that must be used to identify candidates in correspondence with the IB, on examination stationery and on forms from this handbook. If the personal code is used mistakenly, IB Cardiff can convert the code to the candidate’s session number. However, this is not possible for examiners, so the session number must be used on all material sent to examiners.

G2Pre-registration: Requirements

Before the first registration deadline of 15 November/15 May, it may be necessary to provide IB Cardiff with information or requests in support of intended candidate registrations. This section refers to general requirements, while section G3 is subject specific.

G2.1Requests for non-regular diplomas

If the conditions of entry into an institution of higher education require a candidate to offer a choice of subjects different to that specified in the regulations for the Diploma Programme, the candidate may be allowed to make a reasonable substitution on presentation to the IB of the appropriate documentary evidence. This evidence, which may take the form of pages from a university prospectus, must be submitted in support of all requests, including those for candidates proposing to study medicine, veterinary science or engineering.

A candidate will be authorized to take a non-regular diploma only if the proposed higher education course allows no other alternative. The possibility of offering a subject as an additional seventh subject (that does not contribute to the diploma) must be considered before submitting a request for a non-regular diploma.

A request for a non-regular diploma must be sent to IB Cardiff using the form “Request for a non-regular diploma”, which is available on IBIS. Go to Subject, then select Pre-registration requirements from the left-hand menu, followed by the option Available forms. To submit this form it will first be necessary to register the candidate for all of his or her subjects. The candidate will automatically be allocated a session number, which may be changed at a later date when the remaining candidates are registered. However, a personal code will also be issued (assuming the candidate does not already have one) that cannot be changed. The request and supporting university documentation must arrive no later than 15 November/15 May, 18 months before the written examinations. The documentation must identify the candidate using his or her personal code, name and school number.

Coordinators are reminded that a request for a non-regular diploma will not necessarily be approved. For this reason, it is advisable to submit requests as early as possible so that a candidate’s selection of subjects for the diploma can be confirmed.

G2.2Requests for special assessment arrangements

The IB believes that all candidates should be allowed to take their examinations under conditions that are as fair as possible. Where normal examination conditions and assessment procedures would put candidates at a disadvantage and prevent them from being able to demonstrate their skills and knowledge adequately, reasonable forms of accommodation may be authorized. Candidates eligible for special assessment arrangements are those with individual needs such as a specific learning difficulty, an emotional or behavioural difficulty, physical, sensory or medical conditions, or mental health problems.

Requests for special assessment arrangements must be sent to IB Cardiff using Form D1. The request and supporting medical documentation must arrive no later than 1 May/1 November, 12 months before the written examinations. The documentation must identify the candidate using his or her personal code, name and school number. For further details refer to section E and the IB publication Candidates with special assessment needs.

G3Pre-registration: Subject authorization

To achieve the IB diploma, candidates must choose six subjects from the wide selection of subjects available in groups 1 to 6, depending on what their school is able to offer. Not all subjects have a high candidate entry for each examination session, and this is particularly the case for certain language subjects in groups 1 and 2. Similarly, in other groups some subjects are not regularly studied in one or two of the three response languages, which for the Diploma Programme are English, French and Spanish. To allow time to prepare examinations in subjects and response languages that are seldom chosen, authorization from IB Cardiff to register candidates for particular subjects/response languages must be obtained at the start of the two-year Diploma Programme. In addition to submitting these special requests early in the first year of the programme, a forecast of candidate entries by subject/level and the choices of authors and works for language A1 SL school supported self-taught candidates must also be entered on IBIS.

All forms on IBIS for pre-registration requirements can be located by going to Subject, then selecting Pre-registration requirements from the left-hand menu, followed by the option Available forms.

G3.1Language A1

If a candidate requires a language A1 that is not automatically available for the May or November sessions, a special request must be submitted to IB Cardiff on IBIS to arrive no later than 15 November/15 May, 18 months before the written examinations for which the language A1 examination is requested. A request must be submitted for each session for which the language A1 and level is required.

For languages that are not written in Roman script, and therefore the information cannot be entered on IBIS, print the form C2 Special request language A1, complete the form by hand and send it to IB Cardiff for the attention of “Diploma Programme special requests”.

The request must be justified on the basis of the candidate’s need to meet the requirements for the award of the IB diploma. Approval of requests will take into consideration such factors as:

In response to submitting a special request for a language A1 on IBIS, an automatic email will be sent by IB Cardiff to confirm receipt of the request. However, this is only an acknowledgment and does not constitute authorization to offer the language A1. The authorization or refusal of the request will follow shortly afterwards, to arrive by 1 December/1 June. For those languages that receive authorization, the proposed courses of study will be sent for approval to the relevant examiner responsible.

If authorization has been received, confirm candidate entries on IBIS for the special request language(s) A1 no later than 15 March/15 September, 14 months before the written examinations. Registrations will be accepted only for languages A1 and levels that have been authorized. For further details on language A1 refer to the section on Group 1.

School supported self-taught candidates

Special requests submitted for school supported self-taught candidates will be considered for approval only if the following additional conditions are met.

Anticipated candidates

Applications for special request languages A1 as anticipated subjects, whether school supported self-taught or taught, must be made as soon as possible after the beginning of the school year and no later than 7 October (May session only). No applications made after this date will be considered.

Coordinators must use the form Special request languages A1 available on IBIS for their application, checking the box “Anticipated”. Because schools will be required to use an already authorized book list that will be sent out by IB Cardiff, the only sections of the form that need to be completed are those that contain:

When IB Cardiff receives the form an appropriate book list will be sent to the coordinator.

Certificate candidates

Special requests are normally authorized for diploma candidates only, although requests for certificate candidates, including a certificate as an additional subject, will be considered.

G3.2Language A1 SL school supported self-taught candidates

Choices of authors and works must be entered on IBIS by 7 October/7 April, seven months before the written examinations. A version of the form School supported self-taught candidates (1/A1ST) is available for languages that use non-Roman script. For further details refer to the section on group 1.

Schools with self-taught candidates for special request languages A1 SL that have already been authorized must still submit the above form.

G3.3Group 1 extended essays in a special request language

If a candidate wishes to submit an extended essay in a language A1 not available for the session, the coordinator must obtain authorization from IB Cardiff. The request must be submitted on IBIS by 15 November/15 May, 18 months before the written examinations using form Group 1: Extended essay in a special request subject. This request is necessary to ensure that an examiner will be available to assess the extended essay. If no request is submitted, the extended essay may not be accepted for assessment.

If the language A1 is also being requested as a group 1 subject for one or more candidates, it is not necessary to also request that language for an extended essay. If the language A1 special request is authorized, then it is acceptable for candidates to submit an extended essay in that language. Similarly, if the language A1 special request is denied, an extended essay cannot be submitted in that language.

G3.4Classical Greek, Latin and groups 3 to 6

Special requests for response languages for Latin, Classical Greek and subjects in groups 3 to 6 not automatically available in the May or November 2010 session must be entered on IBIS no later than 15 November/15 May, 18 months before the written examinations.

On receipt of the request, IB Cardiff will decide whether the response language can be made available for that particular session, and will then inform the coordinator of the decision. Candidates cannot be registered for the subject and level in the required response language unless authorization has been received from IB Cardiff. A request must be submitted for each session for which the subject, level and response language is required.

G3.5Music SL group performance component

The number of groups from which recordings will be submitted must be entered on IBIS by 15 November/15 May when registering candidates for music SL group performance. For further details refer to section 6b.4.3.

G4Forecast of candidate entries by subject/level

Coordinators are required to submit their forecast of candidate entries by subject/level, including extended essays, no later than 1 March/1 September, 14 months before the written examinations. The screen will be available on IBIS from about three months before this deadline. For example, by 1 March 2009 coordinators must submit their forecast for the May 2010 examination session.

It is accepted that this data may change by the time candidates are registered, but coordinators must be as accurate as possible in their predictions and include their forecast for extended essay registrations. The submission of this information using IBIS will enable IB Cardiff to make detailed plans for the examination session, such as knowing how many more examiners to recruit. In particular, the data will enable IB Cardiff to provide each school with their examination stationery (for example, examination answer paper, graph paper, envelopes) at an earlier date than in previous examination sessions. A school will not receive its supply of examination stationery unless the forecast is submitted.

The screen for entering a forecast is located on IBIS. Go to Subject, then select School subjects offered from the left-hand menu, followed by the option Schools forecast of candidate entries. The screen will provide the coordinator with his/her school’s list of the candidate registration statistics for the previous examination session. For example, when entering a forecast for May 2010 the screen will show the school’s candidate registration statistics for the May 2009 session. Coordinators must not simply enter the same statistics, otherwise the incorrect amount of stationery will be sent to the school and the IB will have inaccurate data on which to base examiner recruitment. When you have entered all or partial information for your forecast, select Continue at the bottom of the screen. If some subjects/levels were left blank with no numerical value entered for the forecast, a window will appear that says your forecast is not complete. However, if a numerical value has been entered for each subject/level the data will be accepted and a window will appear to confirm this.

If necessary, additional subjects/levels can be added to the screen. To do so, go to Add at the bottom of the screen. This will open a new screen on which the list of default subjects is maintained. Simply include the required subjects (and/or remove those not required for the forecast), select Continue and complete the forecast. If a subject/level appears on the forecast list for which no candidates will be entered, it is essential to either remove the subject/level from the list or to add a numeric value of zero (0). Failing to do so prior to the deadline of 1 March/1 September, will generate an automatic email informing the coordinator that the forecast is incomplete. If no candidates at all are being registered for the session in question, either all subjects must be removed from the screen (through the screen listing default subjects) or a numeric value of zero entered for all subjects/levels.

G5Deadlines for the registration of candidates

The earliest date when candidates can be registered on IBIS is 20 months before the written examinations for the session.

There are three distinct periods during which candidates can be registered and/or changes made to existing registration details:

For each period a different scale of fees is applied—the later the registration or change, the higher the fee. Therefore, it is in the interests of coordinators to register candidates before the first registration deadline in order to avoid paying higher fees.

Registering candidates during the first year of the Diploma Programme is strongly recommended. This will help to identify any combinations of subjects that are prohibited or do not constitute a valid diploma. It is possible to enter on IBIS the subject details for a hypothetical candidate to determine whether the combination results in a valid diploma. This will not result in a registration if the details are entered and removed before the first registration deadline.

G5.1Up to the first registration deadline

The first registration deadline is 15 November/15 May, six months before the examinations. Therefore coordinators must enter candidate registration details on IBIS for the May 2009 session by 15 November 2008, and for the November 2009 session by 15 May 2009 to incur the lowest fees. After these respective dates there is a fee for making changes to subject details and a higher fee for registering new candidates.

G5.2Between the first and final registration deadline

The final registration deadline is 15 January/15 July, three and a half months before the written examinations. Between the first and final registration deadlines there is a fee for changes to existing subject details and a higher fee for registering new candidates.

G5.3After the final registration deadline

At the discretion of the IB, new candidates and changes to existing subject details may be accepted after the final registration deadline. However, significantly higher fees will be charged.

If a candidate takes one or more subjects again at least one year after his or her previous session, the above deadlines apply. However, if a candidate takes one or more subjects again six months after his or her previous session a later deadline applies. Candidates from a November session must be registered by 29 January for the following May session. Candidates from a May session must be registered by 29 July for the following November session. Registrations are not accepted after these dates. Requests for exceptions will be denied. The fees payable are those that apply to registrations up to the first registration deadline.

G6Changing personal details

Changes to candidates’ personal details (for example, the spelling of a name) can be made on IBIS at any time either before or after the issue of results. There is no fee for making changes to a candidate’s personal details. However, if a replacement diploma, diploma results or certificate are requested, probably following a change to the spelling of a candidate’s name, a fee is payable for the replacement documentation.

G7Registration categories

All candidates must be registered using the correct category:

Candidates registering as anticipated, diploma or retake may register for one or more additional subjects.

G7.1Anticipated (A)

The candidate is completing the diploma and is taking one or two standard level subjects after the first year of this two-year programme. An anticipated session normally counts as one of the three possible sessions in which to obtain the diploma.

This category must also be used for:

In none of the three situations listed above does the “anticipated” session count as one of the three possible sessions towards the diploma. The anticipated category is used for these situations out of convenience, simply to avoid having to introduce a variety of registration categories to cater for each type of circumstance that can arise during candidate registration.

If a potential diploma candidate takes an anticipated subject but does not register for his or her remaining diploma subjects one year later, the anticipated subject is converted to a certificate of results. The examination session in which the anticipated subject was taken will not count as one of the three possible sessions towards the diploma. However, the certificate subject cannot be converted back into an anticipated subject in a later session. The same ruling applies if two anticipated subjects are taken.

Any subject at standard level may be taken as an anticipated subject except languages ab initio and pilot subjects. A candidate using the anticipated category cannot register for the extended essay, theory of knowledge, or creativity, action, service.

An anticipated subject (or subjects) can only contribute to a diploma if taken one year before the diploma session (excluding cases where the anticipated category was used for a split-session entry). An exception is normally possible when a candidate transfers to another IB World School during their two-year course of study if the new school enters candidates for a different examination session. See section E6 for further details.

A candidate in his or her diploma session may replace an anticipated subject with a different subject or with the same subject at higher level. In these circumstances, indicate on IBIS that the subject (or subjects) must be ignored. A subject that is “ignored” will no longer contribute towards the diploma. The ignored subject, or subjects, will be converted to a certificate of results and will be mailed to the school after the written examinations.

When a new subject is introduced it is not possible to register candidates to be assessed in that subject after the first year of teaching. For example, film, which is offered for teaching as a mainstream subject from September 2008, will first be assessed in May 2010 and cannot be taken as an anticipated subject in 2009.

G7.2Diploma (D)

The candidate is completing the diploma in the current session. For the regulations on the combination of subjects that constitutes a diploma, refer to the General regulations: Diploma Programme and section A4 of this handbook.

A diploma candidate has a maximum of three examination sessions in which to obtain the diploma. No other number or combination of sessions is permitted other than those listed below:

first examination session:	anticipated category (A)
second examination session:	diploma category (D)
third examination session:	retake category (R)

or

first examination session:	diploma category (D)
second examination session:	retake category (R)—first attempt
third examination session:	retake category (R)—second attempt

The three examination sessions do not have to be consecutive, except in the case of an anticipated session, which must be followed by the diploma session one year later.

A diploma candidate may normally carry over a mark for a non-examination component from a subject previously taken as a certificate if the assessment requirements have not changed.

G7.3Retake (R)

The term “retake” must only be applied to a candidate who in the previous session was registered as either a diploma (D) or retake (R) candidate. It must not be used to refer to an anticipated (A) or certificate (C) candidate who is taking one or more subjects again.

There are basically two kinds of retake candidate:

In either case the responsibilities of the school are the same. Particular regulations and deadlines apply to candidates who are retaking a subject or subjects after six months. For further details refer to section G10.

A language B or language A2 cannot be retaken as a language ab initio subject.

G7.4Certificate (C)

The candidate is registering for individual subjects and is not entering for the diploma. Performance in a subject that leads to the award of a certificate (including an additional subject for a diploma candidate) cannot subsequently contribute to the award of an IB diploma. A candidate using the certificate category cannot register for the extended essay, theory of knowledge, or creativity, action, service.

There is no limit to the number of times a subject can be taken again by a certificate candidate. If a certificate candidate registers for the same subject again, the certificate (C) category is used, not retake (R). When registering a certificate candidate who has already participated in a previous IB examination session (or sessions), it is essential to create a link to the earlier session(s) using the candidate’s personal code.

G8How to register candidates on IBIS

G8.1Default subjects

Before registering any candidate on IBIS it is helpful to establish a list of default subjects for the school. To do so, go to the Subject tab, followed by School subjects offered in the left-hand menu. This will avoid having to select each candidate’s subjects from the long list of subjects offered by the IB each session. It is also possible to copy subjects offered in a previous session. Some subjects and response languages are not “automatically available” for a session; they are designated as “special request” subjects. These subjects will appear in the window headed “IB Special Request Subjects” only if the coordinator has requested them and they have been authorized by IB Cardiff. If the registration of candidates is left until after the deadline for special request subjects, it is then too late to request authorization.

G8.2Default candidate

As for subjects, before registering any candidates it may be helpful to establish a default candidate. This is particularly useful if the coordinator is registering many candidates with the same details, such as nationality, languages or virtually the same combination of diploma subjects. For schools with a large entry of candidates this will save time. The default candidate option is accessed by going to Candidate.

G8.3The personal code

If a candidate already has a registration history with the IB Middle Years Programme or Diploma Programme, it is essential to identify and use their personal code. This alphanumeric code is a “code for life” that enables coordinators and IB staff to track the academic record of a candidate throughout the two programmes. Failure to establish a link between the two programmes is an inconvenience, but failure to establish a link between examination sessions for the Diploma Programme will almost certainly result in a serious disadvantage for the candidate. For example, if the candidate was registered as “anticipated” in his or her first examination session and is then registered for the diploma one year later, the anticipated subject or subjects must be recognized by the database and included among the candidate’s diploma subjects.

G8.4Candidate details

Basic personal information is required for each candidate including their full name, date of birth, gender, first language, second language (if applicable), first nationality and second nationality (if applicable). The IB uses language and nationality for statistical purposes only, so candidates should not be too concerned about which is “first” and which is “second”. However, it is essential to enter candidates’ names correctly; otherwise they will be incorrect on the diploma, diploma results or certificate of results.

G8.5Re-ordering candidates

Coordinators may re-order their candidates’ session numbers (not the personal codes) any number of times before the final registration deadline of 15 January/15 July. There are four ways in which session number can be ordered:

G8.6Withdrawing candidates

If a candidate withdraws from a subject, display the candidate’s registration screen on IBIS, select Edit and make the appropriate withdrawal from the candidate’s list of subjects. If the candidate is withdrawing the whole registration, again display the candidate’s registration screen, select Delete to remove the subjects then select Delete to remove the personal details. You will be asked each time to confirm the withdrawal.

If a candidate withdraws from submitting an extended essay and/or the essay for theory of knowledge, the candidate’s category will be changed from diploma (D) to certificate (C) category prior to the issue of results.

If an anticipated, diploma or retake candidate is withdrawn from an examination session before 1 May/1 November, just before the written examinations, the session will not count as one of the three sessions in which to obtain the diploma.

G9Registration status codes

If a candidate is registered correctly and no part of the registration is pending approval or authorization from IB Cardiff, the words “Registration accepted” will appear against the candidate’s name in green. However, if the combination of subjects and/or levels is not acceptable for the registration category, or if a request has not been authorized, one or more of the status codes listed below will appear against the candidate’s name in red.

Errors to be checked

S01No subject details

S02All subjects: registration not accepted, previous session malpractice

S50Candidate registered out of the school’s main session

Prohibitions and non-authorizations

S03School not authorized to offer special request subject

S04School-based syllabus not authorized

S05Pilot subject not authorized

S06History HL: more than one regional option specified

S07Visual arts SL: more than one option specified

S08Music SL: more than one option specified

S09Groups 1 to 6: same subjects at HL and SL

S10Groups 1 and 2: same subjects for languages A1, A2, B or ab initio

S11Group 5: two group 5 subjects (exception: mathematics HL and further mathematics SL)

S12SBS/pilot subjects: prohibitions with groups 1–6 subjects

S13Group 4: environmental systems SL with biology HL or biology SL

S14Pilot subject or a school-based syllabus subject as a six-month retake

S15Transdisciplinary subject registered as a six-month retake

S16Same subject for language A1 and transdisciplinary text and performance

S17Same subject for language B, A2 or ab initio and transdisciplinary text and performance

S18Group 6: theatre arts HL or SL with text and performance SL

S19Group 6: more than one school-based syllabus subject (diploma candidates only)

S20Two pilot subjects

S21Pilot subject and a school-based syllabus subject

Diploma and retake

S22Candidate registered for more than three sessions

S23More than six subjects

S24Fewer than six subjects

S25Total of six subjects, but two or less HL subjects

S26Total of six subjects, but with five or six HL subjects

S27No extended essay subject

S28No group 1 or authorized equivalent school-based syllabus/pilot subject

S29No group 2, second group 1 or authorized equivalent school-based syllabus/pilot subject

S30No group 3 or authorized equivalent school-based syllabus/pilot subject

S31No group 4 or authorized equivalent school-based syllabus/pilot subject

S32No group 5 or authorized equivalent school-based syllabus/pilot subject

S33No theory of knowledge

S34Language B or language A2 cannot be retaken as a language ab initio SL

S35Group 2 extended essay cannot be offered in the candidate’s language A1

S36Extended essay cannot be offered in a candidate’s language A1 SL self-taught subject

S43More than one language A1 SL self-taught registration

S44More than one extended essay entry (a second EE cannot be included as an additional subject)

S45More than one theory of knowledge entry (a second TOK cannot be included as an additional subject)

S46Registration category not permitted this session (check category in previous session)

S51Six-month retake subject/level change not valid

Anticipated

S37More than two subjects

S38Registration at higher level

S39Language ab initio SL offered as an anticipated subject

S40Pilot subject registered as an anticipated subject

S41Theory of knowledge registration (also applies to certificate candidates)

S42Extended essay registration (also applies to certificate candidates)

S47Diploma to diploma only permitted for split-session candidates

S48Anticipated to anticipated only permitted for split-session candidates

Certificate

S41Theory of knowledge registration (also applies to anticipated candidates)

S42Extended essay registration (also applies to anticipated candidates)

G10Candidates retaking one or more subjects

If a candidate is not satisfied with the grade he or she has achieved in one or more subjects, or for theory of knowledge or the extended essay requirement, the candidate may take the subject(s) again. This can be in the examination session six months later or, in principle, after any period of time. However, when a subject is taken again, if new curriculum or assessment requirements have been introduced the candidate must comply with those new requirements.

A school is under no obligation to accept a candidate who wishes to take one or more subjects again, regardless of whether the candidate was a diploma or certificate registration, or did or did not previously attend the school. Registering a candidate to retake one or more subjects involves accepting all academic and administrative responsibilities for that candidate, regardless of whether the candidate previously attended a different school.

G10.1Responsibilities of the school

No distinction is made between a diploma or certificate candidate wishing to retake one or more subjects. A diploma candidate who is retaking a subject uses the retake (R) registration category, but a certificate candidate uses the certificate (C) category again.

A candidate who wishes to take one or more subjects again does not have to register in the same school where the subject was originally taken. If a school accepts a candidate who wishes to retake one or more subjects, the school must assume all academic and administrative responsibilities for that candidate. Responsibilities include, but are not confined to:

Subject to the approval of the coordinator, a candidate retaking subjects in a different school is not obliged to follow the new school’s courses of study.

A candidate retaking a subject is not required to attend classes if he or she has already received the recommended number of teaching hours. However, coordinators are strongly advised to consider whether the candidate requires additional teaching before taking the examinations.

If there have been changes to the requirements of a subject’s curriculum and/or its assessment, the candidate must comply with the new requirements. This includes changes to the internal assessment.

G10.2Registration

Under procedures that applied up to and including May and November 2007, coordinators could enter retake (R) candidates only in the session that is not their school’s main session. In other words, only candidates trying to achieve the diploma or improve upon their diploma results could be entered in the alternative session. This has now been extended to include certificate candidates who wish to take one or more subjects again.

For example, a November session school registers a certificate candidate for geography SL for November 2009 and the candidate achieves a low grade. That candidate would now be able to register for geography SL in May 2010 in any school, regardless of the school’s main session. The equivalent would apply to a certificate candidate first registered at a school with May designated as its main session.

The same arrangement applies to diploma candidates, who can retake one or more subjects in either May or November regardless of the school’s main session. The only difference is that certificate candidates taking one or more subjects again must be registered as certificate (C) candidates, not retake (R) candidates.

G10.3Retaking a subject in the next examination session

Candidates have the opportunity to retake one or more subjects after six months if the subject, level and response language are available. (Such candidates are sometimes referred to as “six-month retake candidates”.) For diploma candidates this includes the opportunity to resubmit theory of knowledge and the extended essay. The following restrictions apply.

The registration of a six-month retake candidate will not be accepted after the deadline of 29 January/29 July even if the outcome of an enquiry upon results is pending. Coordinators must register the candidate before this deadline and then await the outcome of the enquiry upon results. If a grade is raised as a consequence of an enquiry upon results, the registration for the subject concerned will be withdrawn on request from the coordinator. No fee will normally be charged, either for the registration or the withdrawal of the registration.

G10.4Carrying over marks for a non-examination component

Any candidate retaking a subject may carry over their mark for a non-examination component, assuming there have been no changes to the curriculum and/or assessment requirements. A mark cannot be carried over from a written examination (that is, paper 1, 2 or 3) or from the internal assessment for a school-based syllabus.

If a candidate wishes to carry over a mark, the coordinator must indicate this on IBIS when registering the candidate for the examination session. If IBIS does not indicate the opportunity to carry over marks, this is normally because a carry-over is not permitted because of changes to the subject’s curriculum and/or assessment (see also section G11.2). Any queries should be directed to the coordinator help desk in an email.

G10.5Resubmitting work for internal assessment or another non-examination component

If a candidate wishes to resubmit work for internal assessment or for a non-examination component, the candidate must have attended classes at the school where he or she is registered for the retake session. This is because the subject teacher must provide academic guidance, mark work for internal assessment and confirm that all work is authentic.

G10.6Changing subject level

For a candidate retaking a subject but changing level, contact the coordinator help desk for permission to transfer the marks. In an email to help@ibo.org, identify the candidate by name, personal code and previous session number, stating the subject and component(s) for which the candidate wishes to change level.

G11Considerations during the registration procedure

G11.1The same subject twice in a session

No candidate, regardless of registration category or, in the case of a diploma candidate, whether taking one or more additional subjects, may register for the same subject more than once in the same examination session. For subjects like music, visual arts and history that have different options (or regions in the case of history), registering for two or more different options is not permitted. For example, a candidate cannot register for visual arts HL and visual arts SL option B both as certificate subjects in the same session. Similarly, a diploma candidate cannot register for history HL as a diploma subject and history SL as an additional (extra) subject.

With regard to the group 5 mathematics subjects, only further mathematics SL can be taken in addition to another group 5 mathematics subject in the same examination session. For example, a candidate can register for mathematics HL for the diploma and take further mathematics SL as an additional diploma subject. Similarly, both subjects could be taken as certificate subjects in the same session. However, a candidate could not, for example, register for mathematics HL for the diploma and take mathematics SL as an additional diploma subject.

G11.2Carrying over marks from certificates

An anticipated or diploma candidate may normally carry over a mark for a non-examination component from a subject previously taken as a certificate if the subject requirements have not changed. This cannot be done on IBIS. The coordinator should send an email to the coordinator help desk at IB Cardiff (help@ibo.org) to request that the mark be carried over (or marks if more than one subject).

G11.3Confirming registration data

The coordinator must check all registration details and then ensure that each candidate checks his or her own personal and subject details. It is advisable for candidates to sign to the effect that their details are correct. Additionally, subject teachers should be given an appropriate registration report so they can check this information against their class lists.

G12Split-session entries

G12.1General arrangements

The current arrangement for a candidate to take a language A1, language A2 or language B that is neither automatically available nor a special request subject for their school’s designated examination session, is for the candidate to take the subject as a split-session entry. In other words, the written examinations are normally completed six months before other components. There is no split-session facility for languages ab initio.

However, with effect from September 2008 for candidates registering for the May 2010 session, and March 2009 for candidates registering for the November 2010 session, this arrangement will no longer be applied. Instead, all assessment components must be taken in the same session as the written examinations. Because of this change the arrangements described below are different for November 2009 and May 2010.

If a diploma candidate in a November session school is registered for a split-session entry in the preceding May session, this May session will not count as one of the three sessions allowed for the diploma. The equivalent applies for a candidate in a May session school registered in the preceding November session. When registering a candidate for the split-session arrangement, use the “anticipated” registration category.

G12.2November session schools

A coordinator in a November session school wishing to register a candidate for a subject not available in November 2009 must register the candidate as a split-session entry. The written papers will be taken in the May 2009 session and all other components will be completed by the deadlines for the November 2009 session. The marks awarded for the written papers of split-session subjects will be retained by IB Cardiff until the remaining components have been completed in November 2009.

The following table is intended to help coordinators in November session schools understand the split-session arrangement for November 2009. The arrangement will change for 2010 so that all components must be taken in the preceding May 2010 session.

	Subject not available in November 2009
	Diploma candidates	Certificate candidates
May 2009 registration	Register as anticipated (A) candidate.	Register as certificate (C) candidate.
May 2009 examinations	Take written examinations.	Take written examinations.
May 2009 issue of results	No grade or pending grade issued. Marks retained by IB Cardiff.	No grade or pending grade issued. Marks retained by IB Cardiff.
November 2009 registration	Register as diploma (D) candidate for the remaining five subjects, indicating the May 2009 registration.	If candidate is taking only one certificate (that is, the split-session subject), do not register candidate for November 2009. If candidate is taking other certificate subjects, register him/her as certificate (C) candidate. Establish link on IBIS with candidate’s previous session using his or her personal code.
November 2009 examinations	Candidate completes remaining component(s) for the split-session subject and all components for the remaining five subjects.	Candidate completes remaining component(s) for the split-session subject and, if applicable, all components of other certificate subjects.
November 2009 issue of results	Candidate receives results for all subjects, including the split-session subject.	Candidate receives results for all subjects, including the split-session subject.

G12.3May session schools

Coordinators in May session schools must be aware that a number of subjects can be taken in the November session only and cannot be requested for a May session. Candidates in May session schools must take these subjects as split-session entries. For November 2008 and November 2009 these subjects are:

Afrikaans B HL/SL is not available.

The following table is intended to help coordinators in May session schools understand the split-session arrangements that take effect from May 2010.

	Subject not available in May 2010
	Diploma candidates	Certificate candidates
November 2009 registration	Register as anticipated (A) candidate.	Register as certificate (C) candidate.
November 2009 examinations	Take all assessment components.	Take all assessment components.
November 2009 issue of results	Grade will be issued with the November 2009 results.	Grade will be issued with the November 2009 results.
May 2010 registration	Register as diploma (D) candidate for the remaining five subjects, indicating the November 2009 registration.	If candidate is taking only one certificate (that is, the split-session subject), do not register candidate for May 2010. If candidate is taking other certificate subjects, register him/her as certificate (C) candidate. Establish link on IBIS with candidate’s previous session using his or her personal code.
May 2010 issue of results	Candidate receives results for all subjects, including the split-session subject.	Candidate receives results for all subjects, including the split-session subject.

G12.4Language ab initio

If a language ab initio is not available for an examination session, but is available in the session six months earlier, diploma candidates may take all components of the language in the earlier session. For example, a November 2009 diploma candidate is able to take Italian ab initio in May 2009 and then complete his or her remaining diploma subjects in November 2009. All candidates must have received the recommended teaching time of 150 hours.

Candidates opting for this arrangement must be registered for the earlier session using the anticipated (A) category. However, this does not mean that languages ab initio can be anticipated: this category is used only because a category cannot be specially created for this arrangement. The registration will appear with the status code S39: this code should be ignored and will be removed by staff at IB Cardiff. Similarly, although all components including internal assessment must be completed in the previous session, the language ab initio entry is not regarded as a split-session registration.

G12.5Further mathematics SL

Further mathematics SL is not available for a November examination session and cannot be requested. However, diploma candidates may take all components of further mathematics SL in the previous May session. For example, a November 2009 diploma candidate is able to take further mathematics SL in May 2009 and then complete his or her remaining diploma subjects in November 2009. All candidates must have received the recommended teaching time of 150 hours.

Candidates opting for this arrangement must be registered for the May session using the anticipated (A) category. This category is used only because a category cannot be specially created for this arrangement. The registration will appear with registration status code S46. This must be ignored: it will be removed by staff at IB Cardiff.

G13Administration during the second year

G13.1Language A1 HL/SL advance notice of syllabus

Coordinators are required to submit their language A1 higher level and standard level courses of study to IB Cardiff using IBIS no later than 1 December/1 June, six months before the written examinations. To locate the appropriate form go to Subject, then select Pre-registration requirements from the left-hand menu, followed by the option Available forms. For languages A1 that do not use Roman script, submit the information by fax or letter to the languages section at IB Cardiff. IB Cardiff will then forward this information to the relevant examiners/moderators for world literature, internal assessment and paper 2.

G13.2Visual arts visiting examiner proposal

All schools entering candidates for visual arts must submit their proposal to appoint a person as a visiting arts examiner to IB Cardiff on Form 6/VAEP to arrive by 7 October/7 April, seven months before the written examinations. For further details on visual arts refer to section 6a.

Section H: Assessment procedures

H1Assessment mailings sent from IB Cardiff

During the academic year coordinators will receive the following mailings from IB Cardiff that provide material to support the administration of assessment and examination papers for the written examinations in May and November.

H1.1Examination stationery

In November/May, six months before the written examinations, schools receive a package of examination stationery. The mailing is based on a school’s forecast of candidate entries by subject/level (including extended essays), described in section G4. As mentioned in section G4, a school will not receive its supply of examination stationery unless the forecast is submitted.

When the package of stationery arrives, check to see whether there is a sufficient quantity of each item. If the amount of stationery supplied by IB Cardiff is insufficient for the examination session, additional stationery should be requested by email, using the address exam.stationery@ibo.org. A fee will be charged for any stationery beyond what is actually required for the session. Please do not ask your regional office for more stationery.

The package of stationery does not include the music CDs, personalized coversheets and multiple choice answer sheets required for the written examinations. These are sent to schools in April/October with the examination papers. (For further details refer to section H1.4.) According to the requirements of each school this mailing includes:

The following coversheets must be downloaded from IBIS and then photocopied in sufficient quantities. They are double-sided and should be copied on to white paper:

If additional covers in English, French or Spanish are required for extended essays, these should also be downloaded from IBIS.

H1.2Language A1 SL school supported self-taught

In March/September, about two months before the written examinations, schools receive a package of materials required for the language A1 SL school supported self-taught oral examinations. This is for the oral examination based on part 2 and part 4 of the candidate’s course of study in place of the internal assessment component for taught candidates. Occasionally there may be a delay in sending this material for the oral examination.

H1.3School-based syllabuses

In March/September, about two months before the written examinations, schools receive the marksheets required for school-based syllabuses offered by the school. With effect from May 2009 this material may be sent to coordinators in portable document format (PDF) as an attachment to an email. Alternatively, the marksheets may be available as online forms on IBIS depending on whether this option has been developed in time for the May 2009 session. A news item will be placed on IBIS at an appropriate date to announce which method of delivery will be used.

H1.4Examination papers

In April/October, the month before the written examinations, schools receive a consignment by courier containing the examination papers and other material required for the written examinations. When the consignment arrives, do not open the sealed packets containing the examination papers. (The subject, level, paper and response language of each paper can be read through the window of the packet.)

On receipt of the consignment, seal any packets that have been opened or damaged during transit and then use the examination paper checklist (available on IBIS) to ensure that you have the correct examination papers and a sufficient number of each paper for your candidate entry in each subject, level and response language. There are five examination papers in each packet.

The sealed packets of examination papers will also contain the following examination material.

The following examination materials are not enclosed with the examination papers, but are packaged separately.

The invigilator’s instructions for the music listening paper must be studied before the examination, but the packets containing the examination papers must not be opened, and the CDs must not be listened to until the start of the examination.

After checking the sealed packets of examination papers, place the packets and any other confidential material in a very secure place on the school premises, preferably in a strong safe or purpose-built room. Store the examination papers in chronological order according to the examination schedule. Ensure that the safe or room is kept locked, that access is strictly limited and that all key holders are known to you.

After checking the consignment and placing all examination material in a secure place, complete and submit the reply form Arrival of examination papers. Use this form on IBIS to report:

IB Cardiff must receive this form from all schools with candidates registered for the session to ensure that all examination papers have been received prior to the start of the examinations in May/November. Do not use this reply form to report issues concerning examination stationery; send an email to exam.stationery@ibo.org.

Do not remove any examination papers from their secure location until immediately before the relevant examination. Examination papers must always be securely stored or within the possession of the coordinator (or his or her nominee). Inform IB Cardiff immediately if the security of the examination papers is compromised, or may have been compromised, by fire, theft, unauthorized access or any other circumstances. Under no circumstances may an examination paper or its contents be made available to any person, including the coordinator, before the start of the examination.

If you had to pay for customs clearance, delivery or airport charges to collect the package, provide details on the reply form and send all receipts to IB Cardiff to obtain credit on your account for the amount. Address your request for a refund to the examination paper production manager at IB Cardiff.

In addition to the examination papers in sealed plastic packets, the consignment will contain the additional items listed here. Check the contents of the consignment to ensure that you have these items, where appropriate for your school. If there are any issues concerning the answer coversheets or multiple choice answer sheets, contact the coordinator help desk using the email address help@ibo.org

Answer coversheets

For each candidate in each examination there is a personalized blue answer coversheet. A coversheet will identify not only the candidate, but also the subject, level and paper (for example, paper 2) for an examination. Therefore, in each examination it is essential that each candidate has the correct coversheet. For candidates without a personalized coversheet, perhaps because of late registration, generic coversheets can be printed from IBIS. IB Cardiff does not provide personalized coversheets for candidates who are registered after the final registration deadline.