This is the case in Dubai where many students and parents, who sought the International Baccalaureate (IB) programme, have several questions regarding the standardisation of grades throughout the world. At IB Scholars, a trusted name in IB tutoring in Dubai, Dr. Anil Khare explains that IB grades are designed to reflect consistent academic standards, regardless of location. This implies that a grade 7 in Dubai is equal to a grade 7 in London, New York or Singapore. According to Dr. Anil Khare, IB assessments in Dubai—such as Internal Assessments (IAs), Extended Essays (EEs), and Theory of Knowledge (TOK) essays—are internally marked by teachers but externally moderated. This international calibration maintains consistency in which students at IB Scholars at Dubai are graded on the same level as their counterparts around the world, which has been one of the major factors to the immense respect that the IB diploma still has.
Another point concerning consistency is final exams. Dr. As Anil Khare clarifies, students in Dubai appear in the same examinations as students in the rest of the world, albeit slight time-zone considerations. These are checked by trained IB examiners who adhere to stringent rubrics, which assist in keeping the check inclusive. IB Scholars, which is one of the most prominent IB tutoring centres in Dubai, trains students to structure their answers according to these international marking criteria. Raw scores are translated into final grades using grade boundaries. As Dr. Anil Khare teaches his students in Dubai, these boundaries are adjusted each year to account for varying exam difficulties. This statistical method creates equity-ensuring a grade 6 in a hard year will be equivalent to a grade 6 in an easier year.
When disruptions are experienced, standardisation also comes to the fore. Dr. Anil Khare reminds Dubai students that in times when huge events like the COVID-19 pandemic occur IB relied upon predicted grades and previous data to make sure grading was not biased internationally. To back up such predictions, students at IB Scholars are coached on maintaining a very good academic performance all through the year in case it is required.
For personalised IB guidance and world class tutoring, contact Dr. Anil Khare at IB Scholars Dubai. +971 55 956 4344 | www.anilkhare.com