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.