The I.B. Corner
February 8, 2018
IB Coordinator
January has been a very busy month for our IB2 students who are starting to prepare for their final IB examinations in May. One important aspect of their preparation is to become familiar with exam procedures and the testing environment, which we achieve through ‘mock’ examinations, held January 31 through Friday, February 9. These exams are structured just like real IB exams and the questions are chosen by teachers from past IB exam papers. This year’s ‘mock’ exams as well as the final IB examinations are taking place just across from the Mediterranean Cosmos.
Besides the final examinations, all IB students are required to complete certain projects in each of their classes that contribute to their final IB grades. Examples of such projects, depending on the course, include experimental or mathematical investigations, research essays, article commentaries, case studies and oral commentaries. Some of these projects are assessed by their school teachers and then moderated by IB examiners (Internal Assessments – IA), while others are only marked by examiners appointed by the IBO. Before the start of their ‘mock’ exams, IB2 students had their Internal Assessment week, while the rest of the students in the secondary school were taking their semester exams. The Internal Assessment week is dedicated to their internal assessment projects and some of the externally assessed tasks: Interviews, oral commentary recordings, laboratory time, group and individual sessions with teachers are some of the main activities that take place during IA week.
In February, our IB2 students will return to their regular class routine, while our IB1 students will be introduced to the Extended Essay (a 4,000 word research essay that must be completed as part of the IB Diploma requirements) and will work on their Group 4 project (a collaboration project for students taking one or more IB science classes that is based on a common theme).
Stay tuned for more details about the Extended Essay, the Group 4 project and Pinewood’s IB scholarship programs in February’s IB Corner!