IB@BCC

Welcome back to school! Ms. Kane (the IB Administrative Assistant) and I are in the IB Office (F106) ready to support your IB Students this year. Classes are up and running and we are ready for another year of IB here at BCC! I may see some of you at Back to School Night, please say hello if you come early. I will be in the Art Atrium.

My goal is to get this newsletter out to our families during week 1 of the month this year to support communication.

-Sarah Day, IB DP Coordinator

In this newsletter you will find information on:

• Upcoming meeting for families of IB Diploma Students (Grades 11 and 12) (Zoom)
• How to request Predicted Scores if required for college applications
• IB United: Lunch and Learn Club
• IB Exam Testing Memo
• Accessing Test Scores from May 2026 and earlier

Location: Zoom Webinar

The IB DP Parents & Caregivers night will give an overview of what your 11th and 12th graders will be undertaking for their diploma program. I will review the core requirements of the program, what CAS is, how exams work, and other relevant information. This meeting is not required, but you should find it very informative. A recording will be posted after the meeting on the IB BCC Website.

You will need to register to attend the zoom. Registration information will be shared next week.

The IB United Club invites all IB students to come by the "IB Lunch Lounge" on Wednesdays in Rm F118. This is a group and a space for students to find study partners, resources for surviving IB, or just a place to be with like-minded people.

Link to full Document

It is the expectation that students enrolled in an IB class will take the exam or complete the portfolio associated with the class. IB courses that are Higher Level (HL) are two-year courses with the exam taking place in May of the second year. Other courses that are Standard Level (SL) have exams that occur in May of the year the course ends.

● If your student is in an SL course now, they will take the exam in May 2027

● If they are in an HL course now and are a senior, they will take the exam in May 2027

Students in IB World Language will need to speak to their teacher and Ms. Day to clarify if they are taking the exam in 2027.

Many colleges require an official IB exam score to recognize the course for credit or placement. A strong score can also earn college credit and reduce tuition costs. IB provides this database that maintains information about schools that recognize IB exams and the IB diploma.

Please review this memo for updated information regarding IB exam registration for the 2026-2027 school year.

IB Exam Information

● For the school year 2026-27 MCPS will pay for the registration of IB exams this year (for students

enrolled in the course).

● Students registering late, canceling the exam, not completing the IB Internal Assessment, or not

present to take the IB exam(s) will be responsible for the associated IB fee (+ processing fee)

● Registration must be completed by 3 pm Nov 6 to allow time for Ms. Day to finalize the registration by the IB deadline of Nov 15.

● Students with 504 or IEP plans must confirm this as part of their registration. The IB office may reach out to these families for more information.

● IB exams occur over two days with one session in the afternoon followed by a session in the morning. Both sessions are required.

A final note on the IB Diploma

In addition to earning passing grades on IB exams, students must earn a passing grade on the

Extended Essay, in TOK, and must complete CAS requirements in order for them to earn the IB diploma. Details on the passing criteria for the IB Diploma can be found here.

Registration

All students must register for IB exams through a B-CC Google form

➡️IB Exam Registration Link

️Deadline for exam registration: Friday, November 6, 2026, by 3:00 PM

Steps to register:

1. Complete the google form once, indicating each exam you will take in May of 2027.

2. Be sure you have indicated if you have a 504 or IEP plan.

3. Complete and return the following to the IB Office by September 30, 2026 at 3 pm.

a. Document for Diploma Program Student

IB has added an extra layer to the process of accessing exam scores from last spring or earlier. In addition to the pin code and ID information they were provided with last spring, students will need to create/ link an email to their account.

Here are the steps:

1. Go to https://candidates.ibo.org/#/
2. Under "Alumni, don't have an account" Select, "Register Here."
3. A "Verify your alumni information" window will pop up.
4. Enter your First name, Last name, Personal Code, and PIN (the PIN you used to sign in to the Candidate Site), then select "Verify."
5. Enter the email address you want to use for your account, then select "Next."
6. Enter the one-time password sent to your email, then select "Verify your OTP."
7. Create a new password, confirm it, then select "Create Password."
8. You will see a success message confirming your account has been created.
9. Next time, log in by selecting "Log in to the IB Candidate Site"

(instructions copied from the IBO)

Office Emails:

• DP Coordinator: Sarah Day (Sarah_E_Day@mcpsmd.org)

• CAS Coordinator/ IB Office Admin. Assistant: Mary Kane (Mary_b_Kane@mcpsmd.org)

Join the IB Parent List-Serve

• ibdiplomaprogram+subscribe@groups.io

Other School Resources

• Maryland Diploma Requirements: B-CC Counselors

• College Related Questions: Catherine Heald (catherine_e_heald@mcpsmd.org)

• Transcripts/Credits/Graduation Reqts.: Candice D'rozario (Candice_R_D'rozario@mcpsmd.org)

• Course Specific Questions: IB teachers - they should be your first point of contact

• IB Administrator: Deberry Goodwin (deberry_L_goodwin@mcpsmd.org)