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Curricula

Transferring between curricula

All six directions between the British, IB and American systems. Whether a move is straightforward comes down to the child.s age far more than the systems involved.

Prepared by InternationalSchools.orgPublished July 2026Last reviewed July 2026

In short

  • Friction sits in two-year examination blocks: British Years 10 to 11 and 12 to 13, and the IB Diploma.
  • Transfers before roughly age 14 are usually manageable in any direction.
  • The American system is the easiest to enter mid-year because credit is awarded course by course.
  • What carries across is evidence of what has been studied. What does not carry across is progress inside a fixed programme.

The six directions

British to IB

Usually straightforward
Any age up to Year 9; and Year 11 into the first Diploma year
High friction
After the Diploma has started, and mid-Year 11
What to watch
Breadth increases sharply; the student must keep six subjects instead of narrowing

IB to British

Usually straightforward
PYP and early MYP years; MYP completion into Year 12
High friction
Into Year 11, and after the Diploma has begun
What to watch
Subject narrowing arrives earlier than expected; specific IGCSE content may be missing

British to American

Usually straightforward
Most ages, including mid-year, up to Grade 10
High friction
Grades 11 and 12, where graduation credits and GPA history matter
What to watch
Completed IGCSEs usually map onto several credit requirements; confirm which

American to British

Usually straightforward
Up to the end of Year 9 equivalent; Grade 10 completion into Year 12
High friction
Into Year 11 or Year 13, both second examination years
What to watch
Depth in a few subjects is expected sooner; examination technique is the usual gap

IB to American

Usually straightforward
Most ages, including mid-year, up to Grade 10
High friction
Grades 11 and 12, especially after the Diploma has begun
What to watch
MYP work usually converts to credit readily; the transcript restarts at the new school

American to IB

Usually straightforward
Up to Grade 10, entering MYP or the first Diploma year
High friction
The second Diploma year, in almost all cases
What to watch
The core, especially the extended essay, has no American equivalent to carry over

Read the row for your direction, then check your child's age against the second column. If it falls there, the conversation with admissions changes: it becomes a planning discussion about placement and subjects rather than a normal application.

What travels with a student, and what does not

Usually carries across

  • Completed external qualifications such as IGCSE grades or AP results
  • School reports and transcripts as evidence of coverage and standard
  • Demonstrated level in mathematics and languages, once assessed
  • Learning support documentation, where it is current and specific
  • Credit for completed courses, in credit-based systems

Usually does not carry across

  • Part-completed coursework inside a two-year examination course
  • IB core components such as the extended essay
  • GPA history, which normally restarts at the new school
  • Year-group position, which is reset by the receiving school's cut-off date
  • Predicted grades, which the new school will form for itself

Sequencing subjects across a move

Mathematics is where gaps show first, because topic order differs between systems even when the overall standard is similar. Sciences are next: one system may teach separate biology, chemistry and physics while another runs an integrated course.

Languages behave differently again. A student may be strong in a language that the new school does not offer, or may be entering a school where the host language is compulsory from a level they have never studied. Ask specifically how the school handles a student joining a compulsory language mid-way.

Worked example

Grade 10 in the American system, moving to a British school

Grade 10 completion aligns reasonably with the end of Year 11, so entry into Year 12 is the natural point. The obstacle is not age but evidence: A Level entry usually assumes IGCSE or GCSE grades in the chosen subjects, and the student will not have them.

Schools handle this routinely, typically through transcript review, an entry assessment in the intended subjects, or a conditional place. The question to ask is what evidence this school accepts in place of IGCSE grades, and whether that differs by subject.

Questions for the receiving school

  • Which year group would you place this child in, and on what basis?
  • What assessment do you use at entry, and what happens if the result is borderline?
  • Which subjects from the current school do you recognise, and which need evidence?
  • If we arrive mid-year, what is realistic for this academic year?
  • How do you support a student joining a compulsory language part-way through?
  • What has happened with previous students who transferred at this point?
  • What would you need from us in writing before you can confirm placement?

The last question matters most. A school that answers placement questions precisely before an application is a school that will handle the arrival well.

Common questions

If you have not yet compared the systems themselves, start with the full comparison.

Find Schools

Continue reading

Compare the three systems

Ages, stages, examination points and transfer friction side by side.

The admissions sequence

What happens between first contact and a confirmed place.

Questions to ask a school

A categorised checklist to take into every admissions conversation.

How our service works

One form, a private school search, and up to three admissions teams you choose.

Last reviewed: July 2026

Transfer difficulty described here reflects the published structure of each system's examination and programme blocks. Individual schools set their own placement, assessment and admission practices.

Sources

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