A levels or IB

[sue52]

We have started looking around for a 6th form place for DD2. She is in year 10 so we have plenty of time. She is not sure if the IB or A levels would be better for her. She is a good all rounder and will probably choose History or MFL as a degree course. Some schools are exclusively IB, but I'm not sure how it is looked on by universities. I'd be grateful for any advise.

IB is well respected throughout Europe, but UK universities are still getting to grips with it (I've heard) and it's MUCH harder than A levels (reasonable success equals about 6 A*s at A level). IB candidates won't have an edge over A level students, but it's still impressive.
A levels are still accepted in Europe (though in the US, you'll have to take their SATs) and they're a good bit easier. The courses can be quite restrictive and there's still lots of teaching to the test (esp. in essay subjects) and there's the big soft/hard subjects debate.
This is the Trinity list, 'respected and approved of' A levels:
www.trin.cam.ac.uk/index.php?pageid=604

If your DD wants to carry on studying Mother-Tongue and Maths as well as Humanities in years 12 and 13, then the IB is a very good bet. And, IMVHO, it is a very good thing to carry on with the study of Mother-Tongue and Maths for as long as possible.

But it all depends on whether you have a good IB sixth-form locally.

To add to the confusion some places do Pre U instead of A levels/IB.

My DS did the IB. It is a good choice if you don't want to narrow your field down to 3/4 subjects because you have to take 6.

It was harder than he anticipated but he found it interesting, and when he was applying to Universities they all recognised it (tho he wasn't an Oxbridge candidate).

Why not check on the UCAS website for the entry requirements of the courses she might be interested in?

Well, it depends how she feels when she gets to Year 12. I would have loved the opportunity to do the IB because I wasn't(and still am not) sure of a career path and wanted to continue studying several subjects. On the other hand, some of my friends would have HATED the IB because they only wanted to concentrate on three or four subjects.

afaik, universities recognize the IB's difficulty and try to compare IB applicants fairly, but since it's still relatively 'new', errors are made regarding appropriate offers and equivalences. One of my friends got an extremely high offer two years ago, far above the usual A-Level offers, and I reckon it was because the IB grades weren't properly understood.
This won't be as relevant when your daughter is applying though, I suppose.

The IB is probably a little more demanding.They both have their pros and cons, so it doesn't make much difference besides your daughter's personal preference.

To succeed at IB you need to be anallrounder looking at A/A* in all subjects. If she isnt that keen on science or maths or something else it might not be for her as you have to study a broad range of subjects.

Interesting question I'm marking my place as we have just registered son at Sevenoaks and the IB is still a bit of an unknown - he is also registered at Eastbourne in case he doesn't make the entry.

As I understand it the universities have no problem with it and they had a good % of oxbridge offers.

Are the exams for each subject in IB harder than a level - or is it just the combined volume that makes it harder?

Thanks for your advice. DD wants to take French, maths, history and English so that might be a good mix for the IB. She has AS Spanish and is taking AS classical civ in year 11, will universities count those exams as they were taken early?

sue52 - your DD will be taking six subjects if she does the IB, though. She already had English, a MFL and Maths covered in her choice of subjects, and History. She needs to look at the choice of subjects her prospective IB school is offering. She could potentially do an additional MFL (Spanish) and will need something else (a social science is probable).

Your DD has options from groups 1, 2, 3 and 5 there. She needs a group 4 (experimental science) and could replace group 6 (arts) with another group 2 (second language) if her school allows it.

Which 3 would she look to do at Higher level?

The universities will count her AS grades, but ASs don't count for much beyond demonstrating breadth (and dedication taking them early!).

"To succeed at IB you need to be an allrounder looking at A/A* in all subjects"

I would dispute this statement. Yes you need to be an all-rounder but my DS was not an A student in any subject and did OK in the IB.

You take 3 subjects at the higher level and 3 at a lower level.

It wouldn't suit someone who was for example very strong at maths/ physics but weak at English and MFL, or vice versa.

It depends on the pupil. I agree that you have to be a good all rounder. You also need to be prepared to put in quite a few more hours of work. It is quite a challenging qualification. You would probably need at least B grades in the subjects you want to do at Standard level and A or A* for Higher Level.
It is good for those who are able and hard-working and want to keep their options open and study a range of subjects. The Theory of Knowledge aspect is very good and there is also an extended essay.
It is less good for someone who has very specific talents, ie wants to do two languages to Higher standard, wants to do all three Sciences, can't stand Maths and wants to drop it ASAP.

I have experience of teaching IB and I think it is a brilliant academic qualification which really stretches pupils and is a great preparation for university. But it isn't for everyone. It wouldn't have been for me at that age, I had no interest in doing any more Science subjects.