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IB · MYP and DP

The IB in India: MYP and Diploma Programme, explained for parents

The IB is an international foundation whose programmes are taught in authorised IB World Schools: 274 of them in India (ibo.org, October 2026). Here is how its middle and senior years work, and how IB judges your child's thinking.

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What the IB is

The International Baccalaureate is a non-profit foundation registered in Switzerland. It offers four programmes for students aged 3 to 19, and a school must be authorised by the IB to teach them. As of August 2026, IB programmes run in more than 6,200 schools in over 160 countries.

IB is not an Indian board like CBSE: it is an international organisation whose programmes Indian schools are authorised to teach. The Association of Indian Universities grants equivalence to the IB Diploma on stated conditions, set out in the questions below.

The programmes and Indian classes

IB gives ages, not grades, so every class below is approximate. Some Indian schools run a shorter MYP.

  • Middle Years Programme (MYP)

    Ages 11 to 16, usually five years: about Classes 6 to 10. IB also allows two-, three- or four-year formats. Eight subject groups, from language and literature to design.

  • Diploma Programme (DP)

    Ages 16 to 19: about Classes 11 and 12. Six subject groups, three or four of them at higher level, plus a core of three parts.

  • Primary Years Programme (PYP)

    Ages 3 to 12: pre-primary to about Class 5 or 6, before SelfEnabler's Classes 6 to 12.

  • Career-related Programme (CP)

    Ages 16 to 19: about Classes 11 and 12. At least two DP courses, a four-part core and a career-related study.

How the MYP assesses

MYP assessment starts in the classroom. Teachers create and mark tasks against each subject group's objectives. Every subject has four equally weighted criteria, and each criterion has eight achievement levels, from 1 to 8. In language and literature, for example, the criteria are analysing, organizing, producing text and using language. IB calls this criterion-related: the standard is fixed, so a child is judged against the criteria, not against the rest of the class.

In the final year, every MYP student develops a personal project independently: a process, a product and a reflective report, which the IB externally validates. Schools may also offer the optional MYP eAssessment: on-screen exams and ePortfolios of coursework, each graded 1 to 7. The MYP certificate needs eight eAssessments, at least 28 of the 56 points, and a grade 3 or higher in each.

How the DP assesses

A DP student takes six subjects, one from each group or an extra science, individuals and societies or language in place of the arts, with three or four at higher level. Around them sits the core: Theory of Knowledge, where students reflect on how we know what we claim to know; the extended essay, an independent piece of research ending in a 4,000-word paper; and creativity, activity and service.

For most courses, written examinations at the end of the DP are the basis of the grade, in a May or a November session. Teachers also assess internal work, such as science lab work or mathematics investigations, and the IB moderates it. Each subject is graded 7 to 1, and results are judged against set standards, not by rank.

How 45 points add up

Checked on 2 October 2026 against ibo.org and IB's Assessment principles and practices.

Command terms: IB asks for thinking, not recall

IB questions are built around command terms: words such as explain, analyse or evaluate, which tell the student what kind and depth of answer is expected. IB writes that "Command terms broadly follow established taxonomies such as Bloom's taxonomy of educational objectives." Its DP assessment names the advanced skills it values: analysing and presenting information, evaluating and constructing arguments, and solving problems creatively.

IB adds a caveat we keep. Its level descriptors often follow the hierarchy of thinking skills, but there is no direct link between criterion levels and Bloom's levels. An MYP level 6 or a DP grade 5 is not a Bloom's level, and we never say it is.

How SelfEnabler supports MYP and DP learners

SelfEnabler is self-study through 7-Step Lectures. Each lecture builds a topic level by level on Bloom's Taxonomy: that is our design, not IB's. The Dynamic Assessment climbs as your child succeeds, and a wrong answer brings a hint and another try. It is practice, not an IB assessment, and it predicts no IB grade.

Every board is taught in its own language; IB's working languages are English, French and Spanish, and SelfEnabler's IB lectures are in English. When your child is stuck, AI Guru is there at that moment: it explains the step again, makes them retry and gives remedials. If it still has not clicked, 3AM Friend connects a vetted human tutor whenever one is online.

The lectures are built for the thinking IB rewards: explaining, analysing and evaluating. SelfEnabler is not affiliated with or endorsed by the International Baccalaureate.

See how it works
Two students work on a research project together in a bright school library

When your child gets stuck no more running from pillar to post.

Without SelfEnabler

A stuck child has to:

  • Run to a tutor, if one is free.
  • Wait for tomorrow's teacher, and lose the thread.
  • Pull a parent away, who may not know the topic either.

With SelfEnabler

Help is already there, in the order a child needs it:

  1. AI Guru: at any momentAI Guru explains the step again, in your child's own medium, makes your child retry, and gives remedials until the idea clicks.
  2. 3AM Friend: if it still has not clicked3AM Friend connects a vetted human tutor, one to one, whenever one is online.

Questions parents ask about IB in India

Is IB a board like CBSE?

No. The IB is an international, non-profit foundation, not an Indian board. Indian schools are authorised by the IB to teach its programmes and are called IB World Schools: 274 in India (ibo.org, October 2026).

Which classes do the MYP and DP cover?

IB uses ages. The MYP is for ages 11 to 16 and usually runs five years, about Classes 6 to 10; some schools run a shorter MYP. The DP is for ages 16 to 19, about Classes 11 and 12.

IB or CBSE: which is better?

Neither is better for every child; they are built differently. The IB DP has six subject groups, a three-part core and a score out of 45, with coursework counting alongside exams. CBSE prescribes NCERT books, publishes each subject's paper design, and gives Class 10 two board exams. The right choice depends on the child, the school and their plans. SelfEnabler supports learners on both.

Is the IB Diploma recognised in India?

The Association of Indian Universities grants equivalence to the IB Diploma and the IB Certificate where the student has at least 24 points and has passed three subjects at Higher Level and three at Standard Level. AIU takes equivalence applications online.

Can IB students take JEE or NEET?

Yes. IB students can take JEE and NEET with the same eligibility as CBSE and ICSE students. IB also notes that medicine in India needs three sciences, which the DP allows. As for every board, check the current NTA information bulletin before choosing subjects.

Who checks my child's written answers?

AI Guru checks written answers, including the ones that ask your child to evaluate or create, and explains what to improve, so your child does not wait for a teacher to mark them.

How is the DP scored out of 45?

Six subjects graded 1 to 7 give up to 42 points; Theory of Knowledge and the extended essay add up to 3. The diploma needs at least 24 and the core completed.

How is the MYP graded?

Teachers judge work against four criteria per subject, each with levels 1 to 8. The optional eAssessment grades 1 to 7, towards a certificate out of 56.

Is SelfEnabler an IB programme or IB-approved?

No. SelfEnabler is an independent self-study platform. SelfEnabler is not affiliated with or endorsed by the International Baccalaureate. It helps children practise the thinking that IB's own assessments ask for.

Sources

Every fact above comes from the IB or the Association of Indian Universities, read on 2 October 2026. International Baccalaureate and IB are trade marks of the International Baccalaureate Organization.

See how one lecture builds the thinking IB asks for

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