The IB has just decided that they will no longer hold the May 2020 examinations.  With considerable consultation across the globe it was decided that this was the most responsible and ethical way forward in the light of the covid-19 pandemic. The decision has been based on compassion for IB students and teachers and, fairness for the difficult circumstances IB students and educators are experiencing.

Latest updates in blue highlights below

We know that schools and May 2020 students will have many questions. Our goal continues to be to find ways to support our global community during these uncertain times and provide the best possible outcomes for our students.

For Biology students and teachers here are some answers to questions which seem important:
These answers have been taken from the IB webpage of Coronavirus updates, which is the best place to look for updates.

• In cases where schools will be open, and candidates would want to take exams, will the IB send exams?

  No. We have consulted widely and many schools and school systems around the world have been closed or are closing to contain the pandemic. Further, the IB is an international qualification that assures that no matter where the student is from, they can be assessed globally.

• How will the results be calculated?

  We will be using vast historical assessment data to ensure that we follow a rigorous process of due diligence in what is a truly unprecedent situation. We will be undertaking significant data analysis from previous exam sessions, individual school data, subject data as well as comparative data of schools who have already completed uploading requirements and those who have not.

  We will require schools to submit the coursework for all candidates. We will externally mark work that is usually marked by teachers, instead of taking samples and applying moderation.

• What are the deadlines for upload of materials?

  In order to award a Diploma or certificate, we will be requiring all schools to upload all internal assessments (IAs) for every candidate enrolled in the May 2020 session. It is critical that schools start preparing to upload these as soon as possible.

  We will be advising schools when the system is ready for additional uploads.

  Schools who have already completed their sample uploads: will now need to prepare all the internal assessments (IAs) for all diploma, course and CP candidates.
  There is no change to the teacher marking process.
  Candidate work needs to be accompanied by a document giving the internally assessed component grades and teachers comments to support these marks.
  All the IAs will then be remarked externally by IB examiners.

• What are the requirements for adding teacher annotations and criteria marks?

  We will need teacher annotations and criteria marks for each piece of work uploaded. We understand that this does involve significant additional work. If this is already contained in original works this is fine, if it is not you will need to upload a separate document containing these for each student and each piece of work

• Schools who have not yet completed the uploads: will need to upload all the internal assessments (IAs) for all diploma, course and CP candidates.  Any schools previously given an extension to the deadline need to re-apply for an extension.

  All schools should enter predicted grades.

  For concerns regarding any specific subject coursework completion and/or uploading please contact [email protected]

  All student coursework and associated predicted grades will need to be uploaded by 20 April, if not sooner, in order to guarantee delivery of results by 5 July.

• Some students perform better in exam conditions than coursework, can we be sure they are not being disadvantaged?

  We will use a calculation that is based on the relationship between coursework marks, predicted grades and subject grades to estimate the subject grades candidates would have received if the exams had gone ahead. If the relationship between these elements shows that in previous sessions candidates globally tended to achieve higher outcomes on their exams than their coursework, the calculation used this session will reflect that.

• Can I defer to the November session to sit exams?
  Yes, if the subjects are available. Any student who has not received enough teaching has the option to defer to a subsequent session for some or all the assessments, free of charge.

• Is this going to impact the November exam session in any way?

  At this time, we believe the November 2020 exam session will proceed as scheduled. We want to do right by students. If current May session students would like to sit exams in the November session, we would welcome it, and therefore we are prepared for that eventuality.

• How can schools and teachers support students?
  Schools may wish to prepare data showing their students’ predicted grades and their previous accuracy rate to support their students during the university admissions process.

• How is the IB communicating to universities?
  The International Baccalaureate has established a working group, comprised of senior staff, to focus on the challenges that this situation presents to our schools, students and staff. This group will meet regularly to monitor new information from appropriate government agencies and to listen to our IB World Schools community. We have also recently conducted a survey of all IB World Schools in the most impacted countries and are using this information to guide support we can offer our schools. These processes will allow the IB to make decisions at the appropriate juncture and ensure that they are communicated clearly to all stakeholder groups, including universities and colleges. 

• Can I defer to the November session to sit exams?
  Yes, if the subjects are available. Any student who has not received enough teaching has the option to defer to a subsequent session for some or all the assessments, free of charge.