Introduction
This post is work in progress! Many parts haven’t been added or are unfinished or poorly written.
Poorly written sentences wrapped around brackets () are merely placeholders and ideas for what to fully write.
Comment or DM at @fhdhgngn to let me know what you would like to see written! (I don’t have a format so I’m writing all of this out of my butt lol)
Who is this guide for?
This post was written to help the future IB students of WOSS (other IB schools may also broadly use this guide) guide their way through the mess that is called the International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme. This guide will be very long (check the read time at the article header), so if you only want the specific information of a topic you are confused about, check out the Contents tab on the right side of the page.
By Year 2, I’m sure you’ll be able to guide yourself through the next generation of mess. Use this guide to straighten yourself out for Year 1, and by Year 2 you should be able to manage yourself. I won’t be writing a Year 2 guide.
If you have a question that the guide does not answer, you can leave a comment below (you need a GitHub account) or you can DM me on Discord at @fhdhgngn.
Who are you?
My name is Anthony Huang, and your fellow Grade 11 classmate (or me) may have shared this guide with you. To preface, I am a Grade 12 student (as of the 2024-2025 school year). I am the Co-President of the WOSS Computer Science Club’s Practical Section, and overall in IB, I’m a Level 5 average student.
My courses include HL English (LangLit), HL French, HL Geography, SL Physics, SL Chemistry and SL Math. However, since I was in French Immersion, I got to take a spare or an elective for first year, in which I took Grade 11 Computer Science (ICS3U1, Final 96%). Therefore, one of my SLs are in Grade 12, which I will be doing SL Chemistry in the 2024-2025 school year. If any ’08s are reading this, there’s a chance I might be in your class!
My first year IB exams have ended, where I took the SL Physics and SL Math exams. I was predicted a 4 and 5 respectively, and got a final score of Level 5 in both courses. For HL French, HL Geography and HL English, I ended the first semesters with a 5, 6, and a 5. (Not IB final)
Experience
I want to preface by saying this: ALP is nothing like IB. You may have thought ALP’s rigor prepared you for IB, but in reality, ALP is the same as regular Academic except you have to take Grade 11 Functions in Grade 10. If you noticed, most ALP classes had a mix of ALP and Academic students. So being in ALP was not special. Personally, I think being in ALP was a better experience to get you to know your future IB classmates so you can get along together better, as you have known eachother for two years (or more!) before IB.
IB at WOSS generally has an enrollment of less than 200 students per grade. There are a few that drop IB after first year due to it being a bad experience for them, but I would estimate the number of people to do so to be 10-30 people. This is a very niche group of students compared to all the Grade 11s in the school, which amounts to a few hundred people.
Study spots are extremely important to succeed, and one of the best places around is Sheridan College (Which is also where the IB exams take place!). If you have a friend group to study with or you want to study yourself, you have the Library Learning Commons at Sheridan, with many tables to sit at, and even soundproof private rooms you can just go into (if they’re vacant of course). Especially in Semester 2, Sheridan is a great place for IB exam study, as that’s the time period where many students escape there during study days and grind it out all day. You can study independently (which is what I did) and also solve questions with others that you don’t know how to do.
Semester 1
Semester 1 starts chill. You get to know the feel of IB and connect with your niche group of peers. The months of September to November feel normal, and there is generally no pressure. The month before Winter Break begins, you begin your IAs, where you will only be expected to finish a proposal. Over Winter Break, the only things you’ll have to do is prepare for your IAs and maybe study extra if you’re falling behind in your grades.
Semester 2
(perform ia) (sem1 exams) (ia crunch period [absolutely dreadful period]) (chill learning period [ur teleported back to october]) (ib exam crunch 😭) (relief)
Grades
Conversions
The marks you receive in class from tests or assignments, are in a raw mark form. Let’s say you got a 20/40 on your IB Physics test. That may sound terrible, because that’s a 50% and that is edging failure, right? But 50% is your raw IB mark. The mark that appears on your report card (and the marks you send to university) will be a converted mark, which the school converts your IB raw marks to Ontario marks. Raw percentages convert to different Ontario percentages based on the course. In IB Physics, a 50% converts to an 84% (Level 5).
The process of converting raw to converted marks is called conversions. Each course has different conversions, and a table of conversions is usually provided by your teacher on their Brightspace. Additionally, I have also made a website that converts these grades for you, so you don’t need to find your grade on a complicated table. Check it out here: ah07.xyz/ibconverter.
While raw marks convert to different converted marks depending on the course, the converted mark required to get a certain level is the same across all courses. The following are the minimum converted percentages per level:
- 0% = Level 1
- 50% = Level 2
- 61% = Level 3
- 72% = Level 4
- 84% = Level 5
- 93% = Level 6
- 97% = Level 7
These percentages are converted, not raw. Additionally, with raw marks, never round up.
The following image is a table of conversions for IB SL Math, as an example of mark conversions.
IB SL Math Conversions (2023-2024)
Reports
Wait, weren’t we talking about our grades for SL Math? Why is it showing my midterm grade for just MHF4UA?
Because SL Math is split into MHF4UA and MCV4UA (MHF4UA being first semester), you’re technically in an MHF4U (Advanced Functions) class. Therefore, your grade for SL Math (thus far) on your report card will be your converted grade.
However, when your teacher emails you a mark update, they send the raw grade instead.
Predicted Grades
At the end of an IB course (ex. When you have finished all tests for MHF4UA and MCV4UA) your teacher will calculate your predicted grade for SL Math (also your midterm for MCV4UA)
Final IB Grade
Your final IB Grade is the points you achieve from all your courses plus the extra Core points (Extended Essay + Theory of Knowledge). 42 points are possible from achieving Level 7s in all 6 of your courses (6 times 7), plus a maximum of 3 core points, making the maximum achievable grade 45 IB Points.
The total number of points only matters for your diploma achievement and if you’re applying to universities using your IB Grade (usually only for international applications, because Canadian universities are better to apply with your Ontario grade).
Your IB grade per subject is distributed differently based on the subject. For example, for SL Math, the exam is worth 80%, specifically 40% per paper (two papers), and the IA (Internal Assessment) is worth 20%. The three parts of your final grade are all out of a mark (ex. Paper 1 and 2 of SL Math are out of 80 marks). The marks are turned into raw percentages and then added up together using their weightings.
The level boundaries for the exams and the IA are not the same as the IB boundaries! WOSS makes the level boundaries higher than the IB boundaries so you have a better outcome on the IB exam. To find the weightings and the grade boundaries of each section for your final grade, check this website out: ibpredict.org.
Finally, your final raw percentage is then matched to the level boundary of the subject, and your final points for that subject will be based on the level you got.
Course Information
HL English (ENG3UA)
(HLE, do not do other class work in this class or else the teacher will beat you. homework homework homework)
SL French (FSF3UB, FSF4UB)
(according to sl frenchers they say that its trash bc nobody knows french in the first place and its IB LOL)
HL French (FIF3UB)
This course is honestly nothing to worry about. You’ll have regular writing, reading, listening and oral evaluations, and that’s about it. This class is fun, most of the time we just goof around in it. If you keep up at a regular pace, a Level 7 is easy. You don’t need to “grind” this class.
The books we read were Le Bourgeois gentilhomme by Molière & Art by Yasmina Reza. The writing and oral evaluations will require knowledge of the books. Personally, I read Le Bourgeois gentilhomme in English and never read Art at all, and did completely fine (Level 6s) on the evaluations involving the books. So if you actually read the books, a Level 7 is easily achievable.
HL Geography (CGF3MB)
(easy class, study literally during the week of a test LOL and play games during class (thats what most people did including me and i got a 6 bc i messed up two tests because i didnt pay attention to what i was supposed to know [skill issue]))
SL Chemistry (SCH3UA, SCH4UA)
(idk apparently its chill, im doing it rn lol)
Resources from my friend:
HL Chemistry (SCH3UB)
(not that hard)
Resources from my friend:
SL Biology (SBI3UA, SBI4UA)
(easy? bro its biology)
HL Biology (SBI3UB)
(easy? bro its biology)
SL Physics (SPH3UB, SPH4UB)
IB SL Physics is one of the hardest IB courses you can take at WOSS (alongside HL Math) and they make it extra hard at WOSS. As the Physics syllabus has been updated for 2024 and onwards, the content you learn and the order you learn them in will vary significantly from previous years (including me).
This course is nearly entirely dependent on self-study. The amount of lessons you get is dependent on the teacher, which I will talk about later. You will be finding your own materials, seeking help from your fellow students, and navigating through this mess with your own knowledge and experiences.
The most well known resource for self-study is, of course, the IB Physics Textbook (provided by your teachers IRL and on Brightspace). But if you are not a textbook person, the following YouTube channels will save your life in this course. Take your notes based on these videos!!!
- OSC (New Syllabus + IB Math and Biology??? 🤯 I found this channel during my IB Exam studies and he really saved my butt.)
- Andy Masley (Old Syllabus but this is the channel I used 99% of the year, actually the GOAT)
- Chris Doner (New Syllabus, I personally didn’t watch his videos but I know classmates raved about him)
There are three IB Physics teachers - Mr. Paterson, Mr. O’Meara and Ms. Janssen. Mr. Paterson is the most controversial one, and I had him first semester, and we’ll talk about him.
Mr. Paterson
For teaching, Mr. Paterson will NOT have daily lessons. I had Mr. Paterson for semester 1, and he would only have lessons like once a week just generally talking about the topic we’re about to learn, not going in-depth with it. He provides a brief introduction, and expects you to learn everything else. This may seem frustrating at first, and trust me, me and my parents were terribly confused. But it works out, and many people actually thank him for it (including me). He said so himself!
As for the course itself, Mr. Paterson runs his first semester off a Spiral system. Instead of having normal units, they are replaced with Paterson’s signature Spirals™, ONLY in Mr. Paterson’s class. With units, they are chronological, you learn them in the order of the syllabus. But for Spirals, every Spiral (unit) has some material from every topic in the syllabus. In the updated syllabus, you guys will have 5 topics, Topics A-E. For example, in Spiral 1, you will have the first one or two lessons in Topics A-D. In Spiral 2a, you will have the following lessons in those Topics. If you’re wondering why I’m omitting Topic E, it’s because it is usually taught in Semester 2, for the final test, Spiral 4 (aka. the final test before the IB exam that determines your predicted grade, but even non-Paterson classes called that test Spiral 4).
For info about the updated syllabus please read the official article from the IBO.
https://www.ibo.org/university-admission/latest-curriculum-updates/physics-updates/
A Spiral is technically a unit, but it is more commonly referred to as the name of the test. For me, we had Spiral 1, 2a, 2b and Spiral 3. If you want to have a peek at the Spirals I had to deal with, you can find them right here! (Tip: they are extremely challenging)
It is really challenging to get a high score with Spirals, especially on Spiral 1. Most of the time, nobody gets a Level 7. They are designed that way! The general goal for Spiral 1 is a Level 4 - which is a great score to start. Then, from there, you need to steadily climb up until you reach Level 7 in the last tests and final IB exam.
Mr. O’Meara
Ms. Janssen
Quoting my friend: “Janssen is the best physics teacher hands down. Her style of teaching is balanced so that you have enough time to process the material and learn it, but not enough that you can just skimp on studying. She is great at introducing the IB self-study archetype.”
I did not have Janssen both semesters but I have heard great things about her teaching - as she is pretty much the only IB Physics teacher that really teaches lessons. She also marks her IAs the highest, I’ve heard.
SL Math (MHF4UA, MCV4UA)
(i fumbled so hard) (these marks important for uni so DONT FUMBLE LIKE ME, I DIDNT KNOW AT THE TIME (ATLEAST FOR MHF4U…))
HL Math (MHF4UB)
(apparently it’s hell. i mean it rivals sl physics in difficulty for a reason. so glhf)
Internal Assessments (IAs)
What is an IA?
Your IA is like the course summative - it spans the entirety of the IB course, even if it lasts 2+ semesters, and is always going to be a written report. An IA begins with the proposal - an idea of your topic/experiment and how you’re going to write, research and execute it. This proposal must be approved by your teacher in order for you to begin. IAs are different across courses. For example, the sciences (Group 4) are all scientific experiments, so you will be to perform an experiment to collect data and write a report.
The IA is generally 10-20 pages, and depends on the course. In IB Physics, they have the strictest guidelines and marking, with a maximum of 12 pages. Courses like SL Math however, are less nitpicky and are easier to write, and are more lenient with the page limit (when I wrote it, it was about 20 pages, and I wrote 18, however I know some people who wrote more than 30 [DO NOT DO THAT])
Exceptions - Language Subjects
In language subjects such as English, French and Spanish, you will be doing an IO (Individual Oral) instead of an IA. It is how it sounds, being a 1 on 1 oral evaluation with your teacher. (i didnt take sl french/spanish so idk how it goes, im gonna ask some ppl for their experience so i can write this section lol)
Exams
First Semester Exams (OSSD)
First semester exams are your regular Ontario exams, and will follow the same procedure as previous years. Sometimes the teacher will do something different for the exam because there’s no use for an actual exam really, such as HL Geography, where you would most likely just do your 3rd option’s test instead of a full course exam.
The exam will be weighted among the tests you have done in this semester, as usual, and will be part of your final predicted grade for the IB course, and part of your final mark for the Ontario course.
The only exam that really matters in this period is Math, as it will be weighted the usual 30% of your MHF4U mark. This MHF4U mark is a Grade 12 OSSD grade, so if you’re applying to university with your Ontario grades, this might be a grade you’ll have to show in your application (especially required for programs like engineering/CS)
DP Core (CAS, EE, TOK)
ManageBac
ManageBac is your primary IB Hub, where you’ll get IB updates from your counsellor, where you’ll log your CAS hours, EE work and signing up for your exams.
GWL3OB - Designing your Future
GWL3OB - commonly known as just GWL, is a course used to guide you through your first year of IB. It happens every wednesday, during your break. (There is no period 6, the course is during your break.)
You shouldn’t be spending a lot of time on GWL, it is not worth it. The point of the “course” is to guide you through IB, which is very useful for the times when you need to learn about CAS, important IB events and Exams, however the majority of the coursework is useless reflections that are a waste of your time. Use most of your time on your primary IB Courses, and prioritize GWL LAST once you’re done your primary courses. It is okay to submit GWL work months late, as the GWL teachers themselves don’t care enough/don’t grade the work until second semester.
CAS (Creativity, Activity, Service)
A full CAS guide can be found here: https://whiteoaks.managebac.com/guide/cas/
CAS is the IB equivalent of your OSSD volunteer hours. However, in addition to volunteering, you’re also given the option to do creative activities (e.g. Piano lessons, going to a school club, etc.) and physical activities (e.g. Going to the gym, weekly house league soccer, etc.). Respectively, these activities go under the Creativity and Activity sections of CAS. For Service, it could be volunteering or doing anything that benefits a community (school community also counts!).
Note that CAS hours and your 40 OSSD Volunteer hours are completely different entities and are not interchangeable in the slightest. You cannot use a volunteering experience for both CAS and your OSSD hours, only one. Completing your 40 OSSD hours will allow you to graduate with your OSSD (Ontario) Diploma, while completing CAS will allow you to graduate with your IB Diploma.
Extended Essay (EE)
A full EE guide can be found here: https://whiteoaks.managebac.com/guide/extended-essay
In Year 1, you aren’t expected to write your EE, however you’re expected to find a subject, topic, and mentor.