AP exams and IB Diploma Program
AP Exams
AP Exams are standardized, college-level exams designed to measure how well students have mastered the content and skills of a specific AP course.
Anneli Liesman
Academic Systems Administrator & AP Exams coordinator.
anneli.liesman@brewstermadrid.com
IB Diploma Programme
At the school’s request, the IB has suspended the authorization of Brewster Academy Spain to offer the Diploma Programme (DP) during the suspension of authorization, the school is not offering the suspended programme to allow time to build a strong DP cohort. The school expects to resume teaching the Diploma Programme (DP) in the 2025-2026 academic year pending successful efforts to restore the programme.
What is the IB Diploma Programme? The IB Diploma Programme (IBDP) is a two-year rigorous academic programme that prepares students for higher education and life. It also prepares students to become creative problem-solvers and lifelong independent thinkers, equipped to succeed in a rapidly changing and increasingly global society. (ibo.org)
How to Apply and Admission Requirements
General selection criteria for acceptance into the Brewster Madrid IBDP are as follows:
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Completion of the IBDP application form
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A solid previous academic record; at least a 3.0 GPA coupled with recommendations or evaluations that demonstrate outstanding effort and behavior
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Meet the minimum math requirement: successful completion of a Brewster Madrid IB prerequisite math course or equivalent. Math testing for new students may be required
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Meet an appropriate English standard for the IB English course or achieve a CEFR C1 standard on a recognized English test such as Duolingo (125+), TOEFL (98+), or iElts (6.5+)
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Receive approval from the Academic Team, Advisor, and IB Coordinator, as well as other members of the faculty
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Agree to abide by the IB General Regulations and agree to pay all IB related fees
The IB and the American Diploma
All IBDP candidates who earn passing scores in their IB classes will be awarded a NEASC accredited diploma from Brewster Madrid.
IBDP Candidates and American High School Diploma Candidates (AHDC)
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IB Diploma Candidate: Sits for all six subject assessments over two years, and must complete the EE, TOK and CAS requirements.
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AHDC: Can enroll in IB courses but does not sit for IB exams. These students are graded on the American GPA scale.
Course Offerings
Brewster Madrid is committed to offering our IB students a robust selection of courses; however, as a small school with a small IB population we do face some limitations regarding course offerings. For the 2024-2025 school year, we intend to offer the following courses:
Group 1: Studies in language and literature
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English Language A: Language and Literature(HL)*
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Spanish Language A: Language and Literature
*In order to meet Brewster Madrid’s graduation requirements for the American Diploma all IB students must take HL English A.
Group 2: Language acquisition
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Spanish B
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French B
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French ab initio
Group 3: Individuals and societies
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Business Management
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Economics
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History
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Psychology
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Global Politics
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Environmental Systems and Societies **
**ESS is only offered at the standard level and can count as either a Group 3 or Group 4 subject.
Group 4: Sciences
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Biology
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Chemistry
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Environmental Systems and Societies**(SL)
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Physics
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Computer Science
Group 5: Mathematics
- Mathematics: Analysis and Approaches
- Mathematics: Applications and Interpretation
Group 6: The Arts
- Visual Arts
IBDP Assessment
In the Diploma Programme, the candidates receive scores ranging from 1 to 7, with 7 being the highest score.
A student's final diploma score is made up of the combined scores for each subject. The diploma is awarded to students who earn at least 24 points and have successfully completed all elements of the DP core.
The DP Core
The DP core is composed of three distinct components: the theory of knowledge (TOK), the extended essay (EE), and creativity, action, and service (CAS). Students may earn up to 3 additional points for their final diploma score for the successful and exemplary completion of TOK and EE. CAS does not contribute to the points total; however, participation in CAS must be authenticated and is required in order to earn the diploma.
Higher Level and Standard Level Classes
The IB awards the same number of points for higher level (HL) and standard Level (SL) courses, reflecting the IB’s belief in the importance of achievement across a wide range of academic disciplines. Students are required to take at least three HL subjects. At times, a student may petition to take an additional HL course.
The IB and the American TranscriptAll students who successfully complete the IB will receive both an IB diploma and an NEASC accredited American diploma from Brewster Madrid. IB classes received additional weight on the transcript. HL classes have a maximum GPA of 4.33 while SL have a maximum GPA of 4.165.
Request more information:
Jonathan Fouser
Founding Deputy Head of School/Head of the International Baccalaureate Program
Maria Zavala
Technical Director/ Associate Head of International Baccalaureate Program
maria.zavala@brewstermadrid.
Gurveer Brar
Science Teacher/ IBDP Coordinator
gurveer.brar@brewstermadrid.
Anneli Liesman
Academic Systems Administrator & AP Exams coordinator.