Tweaking the Testing: The IB program has undergone changes due to COVID-19 precautions

East’s International Baccalaureate program underwent curriculum changes, transitioning from projects and presentations to more individual work, as well as modifications to the end-of-year exams, due to COVID-19 precautions.

Throughout a traditional year, IB students focus on a discussion-based group setting, developing presentations and improving public speaking skills. But with the district shifting to online classes and smaller in-person classes, juniors and seniors alike have faced challenges in learning these essential IB skills.

In order to receive an IB diploma, students are required to write an internal assessment, an individual exploration essay on a topic included in the curriculum, and take a final exam for each class. But because IB exams are cumulative of two years’ worth of learning and much of IB has been online for both juniors and seniors, the IB Organization shortened the exams.

According to East teacher and IB Coordinator Meredith Sternberg, IB took out roughly 30% of the material in each assessment to accommodate for what was lost in terms of teaching time. They adjusted the assessments to what the students could do, and what the teachers were able to get to during the year. 

“IB testing has definitely changed,” junior Grace Kloster said. “I know for my biology test, I would’ve normally have had three papers, one multiple-choice and then I think two papers open-ended. However, they changed it so they only have two papers.” 

Some juniors are eligible to take some of their exams junior year if they have already completed prerequisite courses, but most students will take each course for a total of two years, then take final exams at the end of their senior year. 

While seniors are preparing for their final tests, juniors are concerned for what next year holds. Content next year will be stressful, but with the unusual learning situation, there’s been a lighter workload than what juniors expected when joining IB, according to junior Jack Rhodes.

“I think that it will be more beneficial to have full in-person classes during senior year to better learn the content and be better prepared for the IB tests at the end of the year,” Rhodes said. 

Since IB classes are intended to help students prepare for the IB exams at the end of their senior year, teachers are trying to create as much opportunity for projects and presentations as they can under the hybrid school conditions. According to Sterberg, the program is very reliant on student discussions and presence.

“This program is so interpersonal, interconnected and discussion driven it just is almost impossible to translate to an online platform,” Sternberg said. “I am impressed by my students and amazed by the faculty at SME and what they are able to do in the strangest of circumstances.”

According to Kloster, this situation isn’t ideal for students because they’re missing the opportunity to practice IB-formatted tests, and if next year’s tests are back to normal, they won’t have much experience with the process.

“I think senior year will be kind of a shock when compared to junior year because we will have more [internal assessments],” Kloster said. “Also [there will be] a lot more tests compared to this year.”

But it’s not just the juniors, IB seniors are facing similar obstacles. According to senior Paige Good, they have to complete all of their tests and essays at the end of their senior year before summer. Currently, they’re tackling internal assessments, exam prep and typical required IB coursework — and they feel swamped.

“We have to cram in a lot of our IB externally-graded research papers [and] projects,” Good said. “It’s been a rough ride. They have modified the tests so that’s good, but not nearly enough. We’ve really only been learning for about a year if you tack off the COVID.”

IB tests go on all throughout May, most being split over the course of two days. — but this year it will be different. For math, there haven’t been any changes, but for sciences, history, English and other courses, most of them have removed portions of the tests so it will not take as much time. 

After students around the globe were faced with an unprecedented year of education, the IB program offered schools the option to forgo the exams. While Sternberg, responsible for making the decision, felt students were prepared enough for them to be held.

“Exams have always been where our students really shine,” Sternberg said. “The exams help counterbalance the internal assessments and the papers that they submit. One of the things I like best about IB is that they don’t just assess a student in one test on one day. The work they do is over two years and exams are one part [of it] — an important part.”