We welcome applicants from a multitude of backgrounds and educational experiences into the pre-IB programme.  Please see below for a list of admission requirements for entry to the pre-IB at IBG. 

Applicants having completed Danish folkeskole exams must apply through optagelse.dk and meet the requirements for attending STX (The national general upper secondary school Danish secondary school programme).

Applicants who have not completed the Danish folkeskole exams:

1. Must have completed at least 10 years of school to a satisfactory standard and at level comparable to the Danish elementary school system. You should have average grades, or above, in English, Math, and Science – comparable to the Danish average of 5,0 which is required to enter a Danish ‘gymnasium’.
2. Must have an English level of at least B1 (CEFR language) or equivalent

For international applicants, applying from outside of Denmark:

Must comply with points 1. and 2. above and:

3. Must attend a holistic admission interview (online)

Please note:
The pre-IB programme is a youth education programme for students 15+. Applicants older than 17 are advised to consider alternative educational programmes.

If you do not meet the entry requirements:

Applicants residing in Denmark:
Applicants residing within Denmark may be considered for admission by sitting a written admission test in English, Math and Physics. They may sit the national standardized admission test (in Danish) or an internal admission test in English.

Note that the English admission test is modelled on the national standardized admission test for entry to Danish secondary school but is non-digital and completed in English. The test is an internal admission test and can only be taken once.

Applicants residing outside of Denmark:
If you do not meet the grade requirements for admission, or cannot supply the above documentation, you may still be considered for admission, as we will do a holistic assessment based on an online interview and/or admissions test to see if you are suitable for the Pre-IB course.  Each international candidate, considered for admission, will be evaluated by an admission team to determine eligibility for a follow-up interview and/or test.  

We welcome students from a multitude of backgrounds and educational experiences into the IB programme. However, the IB Diploma programme is an academically rigorous course and therefore candidates are evaluated for admission as follows:

Candidates coming from Denmark
Completed pre-IB/STX 1g/HHX 1g/HTX 1g at IBG or another school to a satisfactory standard. Preferably NV and AP at 4s or above. At least 4 in English, Math, and Danish (if Danish is a subject choice for IB), including at least one written grade 7 in these subjects. The end-of-year (Danish)-History exam (DHO) must also be passed with a minimum of a grade 4. All exam components/exams in pre-IB must be passed with an overall average of a minimum of 4,0.

You must also have shown consistent good student conduct throughout your pre-IB year, in accordance with the school’s Code of Conduct. In addition, your registration in Math HL and Danish B are based on entry tests.  

Candidates coming from outside the Danish system (this includes international schools in Denmark)

• Completed IGCSEs or equivalent to a satisfactory standard. Preferably 5 A*-C grades including Math Extended, English and Combined Science or Individual Sciences. 
  OR
  Completed 10/11 years in an academic secondary school to a satisfactory standard** (2 years left of school).
  OR 
  Completed IB MYP to a satisfactory standard**.
  ** we expect grades to be average or above average in all subjects.
• At least one reference from your previous place of education which details your work ethic, effort, attendance, attitude to learning, etc. 
• A holistic interview with the school’s admission team (online or in person)

A candidate may be required to take a written admission test if our school deems such a test necessary to fully be able to assess the student’s abilities and academic level before making the final decision regarding acceptance. It is the school’s decision whether an admission test is offered or not.

Please note:
The International Baccalaureate® (IB) Diploma Programme (DP) is for students aged 16+. To learn more, see: https://www.ibo.org/programmes/diploma-programme/ 

After applying, all applicants will be screened by the admission office in the school, after which an admission interview may be offered to the applicant.

Not all eligible candidates will be offered an interview for the pre-IB or IB DP. In the school’s decision to decide on which applicants will receive an interview, a multitude of factors play a role, such as programme availability, housing availability, nationality mix in the upcoming cohort, gender mix in the upcoming cohort, sports abilities and availabilities in the clubs (if applying as an IB sports student) as well as academic standing and age.

Final admission into the pre-IB and IB DP programme is determined holistically, based on both the interview and the candidate’s school records and teacher reference.

If you do not meet the entry requirements:

• For students who do not meet the requirements, pre-IB may be offered as an alternative route into the Diploma programme. 
• You may be offered an admission test. It is the school’s decision whether an admission test is offered or not. This might be the case for students who, for example, do not have recognised exam transcripts, or have had a break from education. Admission tests may only be offered to students that reside within Denmark/ are relocating to Denmark with their family.

The final decision regarding entry into the DP is determined holistically, based on both the interview and the student’s school records and teacher reference.

We are guided by the following principles:

Students

• Learn in different ways
• Perform differently in different learning settings
• Learn from self-assessment and peer assessment.
• Learn from self-reflection and peer-feedback, recognizing own strengths and areas for improvement.
• Thrive in an environment of positive and constructive criticism.
• Must learn beyond the curriculum, including skills such as organization, critical thinking, independence in taking on tasks, time management, persistence and grit and collaboration.

Teachers

• Design various types of assessments that allow for students to be assessed in various ways, in accordance with the school’s assessment principles.
• Practice consistent assessment of learning: Ongoing assessment is the teacher’s tool to create evidence-informed instruction that accurately meet the level and needs of each individual student and track each student’s progress towards the final exams.   
• Assessment and instruction are integrated: teachers need to know their students’ academic level to maximize learning for all and tailor instruction to each student’s needs.
• Practice assessment for learning: formative assessment and feedback is an integral part of lesson design, allowing students ongoing opportunities for formative practice and feedback as well as opportunities to reflect on their own learning and understanding.
• Assessment as learning allows for students to develop essential skills necessary for life-long learning: Independence, critical thinking, grit and persistence, organization, time management and collaboration, both inside the classroom and in the IB internal assessment components, Theory of Knowledge exam components and the Extended Essay.
• Assessment is designed to help students, and may lead to further learning support, if needed.
• Internal moderation through teacher collaboration and peer-review ensures that internally marked coursework is at the standard defined by the IB and that students get a true reflection of the marks they will receive in exams.
• Teachers have practices for internal standardizing of assessment, such as co-marking IA work, and co-marking and co-participating in oral exams.
• Data analysis of exam results and daily assessment practices underpins the school assessment strategies.

We assess according to three types of assessment:

Assessment of learning

• Summative assessment confirms what students know and demonstrates whether they have achieved the curriculum outcomes.
• Summative assessment informs curriculum review and helps evaluate the suitability of courses.
• Summative assessment tracks students’ continuous progress in the course and informs teachers, students and parents of a student’s progress and readiness for final exams.

Assessment for learning

• Formative assessment provides opportunities for students to practice and modify responses in a learning environment where it is safe to try, fail and try again.
• Formative assessment provides a space for critical thinking and a space for learning how to learn.
• Ongoing teacher feedback helps students set targets for where they need to go and how best to get there.
• Peer feedback and teacher feedback provide opportunities for peer modellin and reflection on own learning and progress.
• Assessment feedback to students forms ways for the student to link curriculum and assessment.
• Check-for-understanding

Assessment as learning

• Assessment as learning provides opportunities for students to practice, and master, skills essential for life-long learning: research, time management, organization, collaboration, grit and persistence.
• Assessment as learning provides opportunities for students to engage with topics of interest at length, requiring focus and organizational skills.
• Assessment as learning is an opportunity for students to be critical thinkers that engage actively and meaningfully with their own learning and learning outcome.  

Our assessment approach is based on the principle of student success for all and is rooted in the IB learner profile and the IB criterion-based assessment practices.

To ensure a full range of assessment strategies, as described above, assessment includes:

• Diagnostic assessment to provide teachers with students’ readiness to learn and to identify prior knowledge.
• Formative assessment: classroom assessments of various types within the classroom, timely and descriptive feedback on assessment tasks, whether in class or at home.
• Formative assessment which supports cross-curricular student competencies and focuses on strengthening students’ higher-order thinking skills.
• Formative written work that draws on the IB criterion-based assessment and prepares students for exam expectations.
• Summative assessment: designed to monitor student progress in relation to the final examinations in each subject. 
• Summative assessment designed to foster critical thinking and for students to engage with their learning meaningfully and actively.
• Summative IB internal assessment grades given in each subject upon completion of the internal assessment paper. These assessments are internally moderated and, upon submission, externally moderated by the IB.
• Holistic assessment that focuses on student reflection and self-efficacy.

In short, all assessment is underpinned by the principles of the IB which are that:

”IB assessments must:

1. be valid for the purposes for which they are intended. This means they must be balanced between the conflicting demands of construct relevance, reliability, fairness (that is, no bias), comparability with alternatives and manageability for candidates, schools and the IB
2. have a positive backwash effect, that is, their design must encourage good quality teaching and learning
3. be appropriate to the widest possible range of candidates, allowing them to demonstrate their personal level of achievement
4. be part of the context of a wider IB programme, not considered in isolation. Does it support concurrency of learning and the overall learner experience?
5. support the IB’s wider mission and student competencies, especially inquirers, knowledgeable, thinkers, communicators and internationally minded.”

Summative assessment:

In the IB, all grades are IB grades (1-7), and based on subject specific IB criteria to indicate levels of achievement. At the end of each semester, students receive a summative grade, based on the IB 1 (low) – 7 (high) grading scale.

Summative grades are given in November, March, and May for pre-IB and year 1 Diploma students. In addition, summative subject tests are carried out in May/June, and final test grades are given thereafter.

For year 2 Diploma students, summative grades are given in November, predicted grades are given in March, and exams are held in May. Final grades are published in early July.

Only the summative IB exam grades, which are made up of DP2 May exam scores, and internal assessment scores, go on the student’s Diploma.

Formative assessment:

We believe in continuous and transparent assessment. As such, students receive formative grades for all papers, tests, presentations, and other types of assessment tasks completed in class or at home, unless an assessment task is designed with the intention of being grade-free.

To support reflection on students’ own learning, the summative grades given to students in November, March and May/June are accompanied by teacher comments or teacher feedback chats with each student to underpin the grades awarded.

To support students’ own reflections and self-efficacy, students are provided opportunities to reflect on their learning, what it takes to learn, the purpose of learning and the importance of learning – both in the pre-IB and the DP. In an age of increasing use of AI and access to support tools for learning, we believe it is essential that students engage in discussion and reflection on why learning matters, not just here and now but also long term as an active and critical citizen in a democracy.

Assessment and exams
In the IB Diploma programme, summative assessment happens in the final exams in May of DP2, and throughout the two years of the Diploma Programme, students complete ‘internal assessments’ that are moderated by the IB. The IAs make up a percentage of the student’s final grade. In addition, students complete the Extended Essay and a two Theory of Knowledge examinations. Students must also complete CAS, which is a requirement to pass the IB Diploma programme.

Internal tests
Internal tests are held regularly in class for formative and summative assessment purposes. Students are expected to sit all tests/in-class assignments and upcoming in-class work can be viewed in the school’s homework platform, Lectio. Students that miss a test/in-class assignment, will be marked absent from class and a ‘non-submission’ (N) will also be recorded in the student’s record of ‘written absence’ (see school absence policy).

Students who have been absent 3 times from a tests, and consequently received 3 ‘non-submission’ records (N), will receive a written warning unless there are exceptional circumstances that warrant the absence. Should students continue to miss tests after an issue of a written warning, the school will continue to sanction in accordance with the school’s Code of Conduct.

Writing exam components in the IB DP
It is the policy of the school that students complete their internal assessments/ EE/TOK exams at school during writing days and attendance is compulsory. The school may also plan for students to finish their IAs at home.  Other exam events include DP1 midterms and end-of-year tests, as well DP2 mock exams.

If a student is ill on an exam day, a doctor’s note must be provided on the same day.  Students cover the cost of the doctor’s note. The school office must also be contacted by phone at 8 am on the day of the exam. Failure to do so may result in the loss of the right to re-sit the exam and may jeopardize the student’s diploma and/or ability to move into the next year of the IB DP.

All exam events and assessment pieces must be completed in accordance with our policy of academic integrity and must be submitted on time. This includes preliminary work and drafts due for feedback. In addition, students must follow exam guidelines for attendance, as outlined by the school prior to the exam events. Failure to comply with these policies may result in a grade ‘N’ (non-submission) for the assessment piece, and may bar the student from submitting a final draft – in accordance with the school’s academic integrity policy. Missing a draft or final submission of an exam component and/or a test/exam held at school may result in expulsion from the IB DP, depending on the gravity of the case and whether a student has previously failed to comply with the assessment and academic integrity policies of the school.  

When completing examination work at school, students’ laptops will be monitored in an exam setting, using the IT programme Exam Cookie (www.examcookie.dk)
Students with IT access arrangements in their final DP2 May exams must also use Exam Cookie in all written examinations in which they write on, or make use of, a laptop.

For all exams requiring IT, it is school policy that a student must provide their own laptop (windows/mac). Ipads are not accepted and neither are chromebooks. If a student does not adhere to this policy, the student cannot sit the exam digitally but must complete it on paper.  

Ikast-Brande Gymnasium follows the rules and regulations as outlined by the Danish Ministry of Education regarding monitoring students’ laptops during exams:

https://www.uvm.dk/gymnasiale-uddannelser/proever-og-eksamen/tilrettelaeggelse-og-afholdelse-af-proever/netproever/monitorering/monitorering-spoergsmaal-og-svar

Guide to the use of Exam Cookie for students

Final examinations in DP2
In DP2, students sit their written examinations in May. The IBO Code of Conduct of the DP exams states: “At the discretion of the school, students should be in good standing at the time of the examinations. Students who are registered for an examination session, but who are subsequently excluded from school, normally forfeit their right to be examined by the IB in the school at which they have registered.”

Students are notified about the Code of Conduct for the final examinations before exams. This happens in exam meeting(s) and in writing. The IBO’s Code of Conduct for Examinations is share with students via the school’s electronic platforms. It is the student’s own responsibility to ensure that he/she is familiar with the Code of Conduct by attending the exam meeting and reading the Code of Conduct.