AP and IB are the two most reputed educational programs when it comes to international admissions. Both of them open amazing education and career avenues for students seeking higher education from some international University of repute. However, both of them are different and are endlessly compared in terms of acceptance, efficacy and stronghold in the world of international education. Many people think that the IB program is the best way to carve a niche for a global career; while many people find its regulations and patterns less effective when compared to the AP Program. 

Actually, most of the top international universities of repute accept the students that have taken and passed the hard and rigorous subjects in high school. In this regard, the AP and IB programs help the selection committees to understand the academic capabilities of a student and judge the eligibility and credibility for admissions in a particular University course. Though both the exams are equally influential, recent times have seen a rise in the popularity and acceptance of the AP program over IB, and its flexibility is one of the most important factors contributing to the same.

In the following post, we will be comparing both the programs on various parameters so as to help you figure out the best choice and learning about the benefits of taking IB or AP classes. 
So, here we go!

IB and AP program – What and Why?

 

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  • IB stands for International Baccalaureate is a Diploma Program which comes with the award of a diploma at the end of the course. The test is conducted every two years and is highly accepted across the Universities. However, the students that take it in the second year of high school find it less relevant at the time of admissions because of the obvious time gap. Similarly, the students taking the program in the 3rd year cannot actually use the credit at the time of university applications which are scheduled after one year.
     
  • The course grading spans from 1 to 7, with 4 being the lowest limit.
     
  • On the other hand, AP stands for Advanced Placement in which the course and classes are designed keeping the college-level courses in mind. Hence, the studies prepare you academically for the real-time college studies and are rigorous and effort demanding.
     
  • They are harder than many other traditional curricula and the test is conducted every year in the month of March for admissions in colleges. The AP program is highly renowned and is widely accepted in the universities and other educational institutions of repute in the US. So, if you wish to go for higher studies in the USA, then AP takes the front seat.
     
  • The score is given on a scale from 1 to 5 and 3 is the lower limit. So, the competition is intense.

Now, most of the universities and colleges accept both of them. However, we recommend taking the more rigorous one of AP and IB so as to make your credits as appealing as possible. 

Now that we have developed an initial idea, let us explore the benefits of taking IB or AP classes in a deeper manner.

Do colleges prefer AP or IB?

  • Well, as far as the conventional idea behind the comparison is concerned, colleges don’t generally prefer one over another. Also, many colleges accept both AP and IB credits. However, if a university has a specific rule that explicitly prioritizes rigorous courses, then you must choose AP. There are various reasons behind this which are explained in the following sections. 
     
  • Actually, the comparison is done on the basis of the course chosen by the students. The credits for a hard subject are prioritized over the easy courses. Hence, the conventional comparison between AP and IB just cannot be done with two different courses in question. 
     
  • Also, IB requires students to take classes and is more expensive as compared to the AP program. 
     
  • Hence, please refrain from drawing any conclusions regarding the benefits of taking IB or AP classes as the colleges don’t automatically consider AP better than IB.

Benefits of taking IB or AP Classes:

 

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  • IB is less accepted in the US and AP is accepted in almost all the universities and educational institutions. However, over the years, the passing score for the AP program is getting higher than 4 which is quite a tough task to complete. The AP program solely cannot gauge the credibility or quality of a school. 
     
  • Teaching for AP is paper-centric rather than being holistic as in the case of IB. But, AP is widely recognized for being rigorous, which is why it has an impressive reputation among the universities. 
     
  • No classes are required for the AP program and the exam can be taken once every year. 
     
  • Because of their wide recognition and acceptance, AP exams have become a standard for comparing students from extremely different backgrounds including the international students that have a different education system. Hence, it is also preferred by international students over the international baccalaureate program.

Now you have all the information that is necessary for making a choice between AP and IB. Check out the global trends online for the course you have chosen and consult our expert admission consultant for a better vision. Then make the final choice so as to make the most of your first attempt towards international education.