Subject selection
When making IB subject choices during the spring term of the preparatory year, the students should have a grade point average (GPA) of above 7,5. This GPA is based on the average grade of the subjects. When choosing the IB subjects the student should have GPA of 8 in each HL subject and GPA of 7 in each SL subject. In addition, the students’ motivation will be taken into account in the subject selection an in the admission to the actual IB Diploma Programme.
Students have to choose one subject from each IB subject group (with the exception that instead of taking a language from group 2 student may take another language from group 1). A Higher Level subject equals 17 stydy points and a Standard Level subject 10,4 study points during the two years of IB studies. Students must have no less than three and no more than four Higher Level subjects. In some cases the students can take an extra subject i.e. a seventh subject in the study programme. Also, some exceptions are allowed in special cases, but these should be discussed with the coordinator.
Students can choose all three science subjects in their diploma either by taking one of them as a seventh subject, or by making a request to the IB for a non-regular diploma. In a non-regular diploma programme the students replace their group three subject by a group 4 subject.
For students to be able to apply for the non-regular diploma their pre-year grades must fulfil the following requirements:
- a grade 9 in at least one science subject (biology, chemistry, physics)
- at least a grade 8 from the other two science subjects
- courses KE9K and FY4K completed during the pre-year
Changing subject selections during IB1
Sometimes students may need to make changes in their subject selections during the IB1 year. All such changes should preferably be made at the end of the first period.
IB subject groups
GROUP I Studies in language and literature
- Finnish A literature HL or SL
- English A language and literature HL or SL
GROUP II Language acquisition (another group I subject can be chosen instead of a group II subject)
- Finnish B HL or SL
- French B SL
- Spanish B SL
GROUP III Individuals and Societies
- Economics HL or SL
- History HL or SL
- Psychology HL or SL
GROUP IV Experimental Sciences
- Biology HL or SL
- Chemistry HL or SL
- Physics HL or SL
GROUP V Mathematics
- Analysis and approaches SL
- Applications and interpretation HL or SL
GROUP VI The arts and electives
- Visual Arts HL or SL
- one subject either from GROUP II, GROUP III or GROUP IV
See IB subject briefs (Link to an external website) from ibo.org-site.
Some subjects will be placed side by side on the course tray which means that just one of them can be included in the study programme of an individual student. This means that the students will have to choose between
- Chemistry and History
- Physics and Psychology and French B
- Economics and Visual Arts and Spanish B