Is the IB harder than A Levels?

They are demanding in different directions rather than one being uniformly harder. The IB Diploma requires a student to keep six subjects plus an extended essay running at once, so the load is broad and continuous. A Levels concentrate on three or four subjects taken further, so the depth in each is greater but the total spread is narrower. A student who thrives on range often finds the IB easier; one who wants to drop weaker subjects usually finds A Levels easier.

Which is better for university admission?

Neither is systematically better; both are recognised for entry by universities worldwide. What matters is whether the specific subjects a course requires are present. Some competitive courses name subjects — for example a science or a specific mathematics level — and a student can satisfy those through either route, so check the target course's stated requirements rather than the qualification's reputation.

Should we choose the IB if we might relocate again?

The IB's structure is the same in every authorised school worldwide, which makes a mid-programme move between IB schools relatively continuous. The British curriculum is also very widely taught internationally, so British-to-British moves align well too. The practical rule for a family expecting another move is to stay within one system rather than to pick a particular system.

What happens if my child switches from one to the other?

The switch is easiest at natural boundaries — before the final two years, or at 16. Moving in the middle of the IB Diploma or partway through A Levels is the difficult case, because both are two-year programmes with internal assessment already banked. If a mid-programme move is unavoidable, ask both schools in writing what coursework transfers before you accept a place.

Does the British curriculum have an equivalent of the IB core?

Not as a compulsory examined element. The extended essay, theory of knowledge and creativity-activity-service components are part of the IB Diploma itself and contribute to the total score. British-curriculum schools often run comparable enrichment, an extended project or service programmes, but these sit alongside A Levels rather than counting towards the grades.

How do we choose between two good schools offering different curricula?

Decide on the student, not the system: how they handle a broad load, whether they already have a clear subject direction, and how likely another relocation is. Then confirm that each school actually delivers the subject combination you need, since availability of specific options varies school by school even within the same curriculum.

Curricula

IB or British curriculum: how the two actually differ

The real difference is breadth against specialisation in the final two years, and where the natural transfer points fall. Both are recognised for university entry worldwide, so the decision is about the student and the family's plans rather than about prestige.

Prepared by InternationalSchools.orgPublished August 2026Last reviewed August 2026

In short

The IB Diploma keeps six subjects plus a core running to age 18; the British curriculum narrows to three or four A Level subjects chosen at 16.
Both are recognised for university entry worldwide — the deciding factor is whether the specific subjects a target course requires are available.
The British route includes an externally examined qualification at 16 (IGCSE or GCSE); most IB schools do not examine externally at that point.
Transfers are straightforward at the boundary before the final two years and difficult mid-programme, in either direction.
For a family expecting another relocation, staying within one system matters more than which system it is.

Side by side

Structural differences, not quality judgements.

Final-phase shape

IB: Six subject groups plus three core elements, studied together to age 18
British: Typically three or four A Level subjects chosen at 16

Breadth vs specialisation

IB: Breadth is compulsory: a language, a science, mathematics and a humanity all continue
British: Specialisation is the design: a student can drop everything outside their chosen direction

Assessment style

IB: Final examinations plus internally assessed coursework, an extended essay and an oral component
British: Predominantly terminal written examinations, with coursework in some subjects

Stage before it

IB: MYP or another middle-years programme, with no external qualification at 16 in most schools
British: IGCSE or GCSE at 16, an externally examined qualification in its own right

Grading

IB: Subjects graded 1-7, plus up to 3 core points, to a total of 45
British: Subjects graded A*-E, reported individually

Transfer between countries

IB: Programme structure is consistent worldwide, so a move between IB schools is usually continuous
British: Widely taught internationally, and IGCSE/A Level sequences align closely between British-curriculum schools

University recognition

IB: Recognised for entry by universities worldwide, including UK, US, Europe and Asia
British: Recognised for entry by universities worldwide, with long-established subject-specific requirements

IB Diploma compared with the British curriculum across structure, assessment and transfer
Attribute	IB	British
Final-phase shape	Six subject groups plus three core elements, studied together to age 18	Typically three or four A Level subjects chosen at 16
Breadth vs specialisation	Breadth is compulsory: a language, a science, mathematics and a humanity all continue	Specialisation is the design: a student can drop everything outside their chosen direction
Assessment style	Final examinations plus internally assessed coursework, an extended essay and an oral component	Predominantly terminal written examinations, with coursework in some subjects
Stage before it	MYP or another middle-years programme, with no external qualification at 16 in most schools	IGCSE or GCSE at 16, an externally examined qualification in its own right
Grading	Subjects graded 1-7, plus up to 3 core points, to a total of 45	Subjects graded A*-E, reported individually
Transfer between countries	Programme structure is consistent worldwide, so a move between IB schools is usually continuous	Widely taught internationally, and IGCSE/A Level sequences align closely between British-curriculum schools
University recognition	Recognised for entry by universities worldwide, including UK, US, Europe and Asia	Recognised for entry by universities worldwide, with long-established subject-specific requirements

Which suits which student

The IB suits a student who is broadly capable and would rather not close doors at 16. Because a language, a science, mathematics and a humanity all continue, a subject the student finds hard cannot simply be dropped — that is the point of the design, and it is also its cost. The extended essay and the internally assessed components reward students who work steadily across two years rather than towards a single examination series.

The British curriculum suits a student with a clearer direction, or one whose profile is uneven. Choosing three or four subjects at 16 allows depth in strengths and removes weaker subjects entirely. The IGCSE or GCSE stage also gives a family an externally examined checkpoint at 16, which is useful evidence if a relocation is possible before 18.

In practice, most families decide on two grounds: how the student handles a broad load, and how likely another move is. Everything else follows from those.

What to confirm with each school

The exact subject options offered in the final two years, including higher-level or A Level combinations — availability varies school by school within the same curriculum.
What the school does at 16 if it teaches the IB continuum: whether any external qualification is taken, and what evidence a transferring student would carry.
How the school supports a student joining partway through a two-year programme, and which coursework it can accept from a previous school.
Whether the school's language provision matches your child's first language and any language you want maintained.

Find Schools

Common questions about IB and A Levels

Your preferred curriculum is one of the inputs used when we identify suitable schools — see how matching works, or read the full IB and British curriculum pages.

Continue reading

Compare curricula

British, IB and American side by side, including the American route.

Transferring between curricula

Where a switch is straightforward and where it costs a year.

Entry year and age cut-offs

How the same child can land in different year groups across systems.

Last reviewed: August 2026

This page describes programme structure. Subject availability, higher-level options and support for mid-programme entry are set by individual schools; confirm them directly.

Sources

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