The College Board has created a document comparing the Advanced Placement Program and The International Baccalaureate Program.
Comparison of AP and IB Exams
|
English Literature Exams
|
|
AP
|
IB at Standard Level (SL)
|
IB at Higher Level (HL)
|
|
A written task of 1000-1500 words graded externally
|
A written task and reflection on one work studied 2000 words
|
|
60 minutes, 55 multiple choice questions based on literary text excerpts
|
90 minutes, 1 essay from choice of two text excerpts
|
Same as SL with same criteria but 120 minutes
|
|
120 minutes, 3 essays, 2 on text excerpts, one from a general prompt
|
90 minutes, 1 essay chosen from sixteen general prompts.
|
Same as SL with same criteria but 120 minutes.
|
|
30 minute oral commentary based on texts studied and 1 oral presentation based on texts studied
|
Same task as SL
|
|
History Exams
|
|
AP
|
IB at Standard Level (SL)
|
IB at Higher Level
|
|
55 minutes; 55 multiple choice question
|
60 minutes, 4 short-answer/structured document based question
|
Same task as SL
|
|
50 minutes; 4 Short answer questions
|
90 minutes; 2 essays from choice of 24 general prompts (2 prompts from 12 different subjects)
|
Same task as SL1
|
|
40 minutes (+15 for reading), 1 document based question
|
N/A
|
150 minutes; 3 essays from choice of twenty-four general prompts.
|
|
35 minutes; 1 essay
|
Historical Investigation; 1500-2000 words. Estimated time for Investigation: 20 hours.
|
Same as SL
|
|
Chemistry Exams
|
|
AP
|
IB at Standard Level (SL)
|
IB at Higher Level (HL)
|
|
90 minutes; 60 multiple choice questions.
|
45 minutes; 30 multiple choice questions;
|
60 minutes; 40 multiple choice questions.
|
|
105 minutes; 3 long and 4 short answer questions.
|
75 minutes; Short answer and extended response questions
|
135 minutes; Short answer and extended response questions.
|
|
60 minutes; Data- and practical-based questions, plus short answer and extended response questions
|
75 minutes; Data- and practical-based questions, plus short answer and extended response questions
|
|
Individual investigation of 6-12 pages
|
Same as SL
|
|
Mathematics Exams
|
|
AP
|
IB at Standard Level (SL)
|
IB at Higher Level (HL)
|
|
105 minutes; 45 questions
|
90 minutes; short response and extended response questions
|
120 minutes; short and extended responses
|
|
90 minutes; 6 questions
|
90 minutes; short and extended response questions
|
120 minutes; short and extended responses
|
|
N/A
|
60 minutes; Extended response options based on chosen area of concentration
|
|
20 hours; Exploration involving an investigation into an area of mathematics.
|
30 hours; Exploration of an area of mathematical investigation and an area of mathematical modeling.
|