Both are respected two-year qualifications for students aged 16 to 18, and universities in the UK accept both. A-levels go deep: most students take three subjects, sometimes four, and drop everything else. The IB Diploma keeps six subjects going, three of them at Higher Level, alongside Theory of Knowledge, an Extended Essay of up to 4,000 words and Creativity, Activity, Service (CAS). Neither is better. The right choice depends on how sure your child already is about what comes next, and on how many subjects they want to keep. IAS has taught the IB Diploma since 2006. We do not teach A-levels.
Ask how your child would join the IB Diploma at IAS.
The two side by side
| A-levels | IB Diploma | |
|---|---|---|
| Length | Two years, usually from 16 to 18 | Two years, from 16 to 18 (Grades 11 and 12 at IAS) |
| Subjects | Usually three, sometimes four, chosen freely | Six, one from each group: language and literature, a second language, individuals and societies, a science, mathematics, and the arts or a further subject from another group |
| Depth | A few subjects, studied in depth | Three subjects at Higher Level, three at Standard Level |
| Beyond the subjects | Nothing required. Some schools offer an optional Extended Project | Theory of Knowledge, the Extended Essay and CAS, all required |
| Grades | A* to E in each subject | 1 to 7 in each subject; the Diploma is scored out of 45 |
| Assessment | Mostly exams at the end of the two years, with coursework in some subjects | Exams in May of the final year, plus coursework: some marked by teachers and checked by the IB, some sent to IB examiners |
What A-levels ask of a student
At 16, a student chooses three subjects and studies them for two years. Everything else stops. A student who picks physics, chemistry and mathematics spends almost the whole week on those three, and in most subjects the final grade rests largely on exams sat at the end of the second year.
That suits a student who already knows what they want to study and is glad to put the other subjects down. A student who is still unsure has less room, because dropping a language or mathematics at 16 can close some university courses two years later, when the applications go in.
Some schools in Warsaw that follow the British system teach A-levels. IAS is not one of them.
What the IB Diploma asks of a student
Six subjects, for two years. Students take one from each group: their own language and literature, a second language, individuals and societies (at IAS, for example, psychology or business management), a science, mathematics, and either the arts or a second subject from one of the other groups. Three are studied at Higher Level, with more teaching time and more demanding content, and three at Standard Level.
Then the core, which every Diploma student completes:
- Theory of Knowledge. A course that asks how we know what we claim to know, across every subject.
- The Extended Essay. Up to 4,000 words of independent research on a question the student chooses, with a supervisor.
- CAS. Sustained commitment outside the classroom through both years.
Each subject is graded 1 to 7, which gives 42, and Theory of Knowledge and the Extended Essay together add up to three more. The maximum is 45. Much of the work is spread across the two years, through coursework and the core, and the final exams come in May of Grade 12.
An example from this month. On 15 and 16 October, Grade 12 worked on their Collaborative Sciences Project, part of the IB Diploma sciences, combining physics, chemistry, biology and data analysis to design low-cost insulated transport systems that keep temperature-sensitive biological materials cool without an external electricity supply. Grades 11 and 12 were also invited on the school's first CAS trip, to Gdynia, Hel and Gdańsk.
The IB suits a student who wants to keep a language, a science and mathematics going, who has not settled on one country or one course, and who can manage several pieces of work at once. Families who may move again have one more reason: the Diploma is recognised in more than 150 countries.
How UK universities read each one
UK universities accept both. Each one publishes its requirements course by course. A-level offers are letter grades. IB offers usually name an overall Diploma score together with grades in particular Higher Level subjects, and many courses ask for a specific subject at Higher Level. Some also set a minimum grade in English at Standard Level.
Look them up early. Higher Level subjects are chosen before Grade 11 begins, and a choice made in Grade 10 decides which courses are open in Grade 12. Applications go through UCAS.
At IAS, students meet a counsellor from our college counselling team one to one, in scheduled sessions, and the counsellor explains entry requirements country by country and reads the drafts of the personal statement as they come. They also work out whether the student would apply as a home, EU or international student in each country, which changes the fees and the financial aid a family can apply for. Students applying in Poland get the same help.
And universities in Poland
Polish universities accept the IB Diploma. Each one sets its own subject and score requirements, so check the admission rules for your child's course in the year they apply. A student does not need the Polish Matura simply because they hold Polish citizenship.
A student who wants the Polish route can take the Matura at IAS, on the same campus, and our guide to the IB, American Diploma or Polish Matura sets all three routes side by side.
Coming from IGCSEs
Students on the British system usually sit IGCSEs, or GCSEs in UK schools, at the end of Year 11, at about 16. By age, the next year at IAS is Grade 11, which is the first year of the IB Diploma, so Year 12 and Year 13 line up with our Grades 11 and 12.
Placement at IAS follows a student's age at enrolment, together with their English, what they have studied so far and any additional needs; students who are already with us spend Grade 10 in Pre-IB, choosing their subjects and diploma route with a counsellor. If your child is arriving from IGCSEs, ask admissions how they would be placed and which subjects would be open to them, and have the latest school reports and the IGCSE results or predicted grades to hand when you write.
The IB Diploma at IAS
- Authorised by the IB since 2006, IBO id 003087. The IB Diploma at IAS is taught in Grades 11 and 12 at Dembego 18 in Ursynów, five minutes on foot from Kabaty metro.
- May 2026 session: an average Diploma score of 34, against a worldwide average of about 30.6. The highest individual score was 41, and the average subject grade 5.36, against 4.97 worldwide. See the full May 2026 results.
- Students who complete the IB Diploma here also receive the American High School Diploma.
- Seven students per teacher.
- IB admission and examination fees for Grades 11 and 12 are separate from school tuition.
If your family is still weighing up curricula more broadly, our guide to English-speaking schools in Warsaw explains what international, bilingual and language schools each offer.
Questions to ask, whichever route you choose
- Which subjects, at which level?
- What do the university courses on our list ask for, in writing, for A-levels and for the IB?
- Exams or coursework: how much of the final grade comes from each?
- Who helps with university applications?
- If we move country halfway through, can my child carry on with the same qualification?
Ask about your child's route
Ask how your child would join the IB Diploma. Tell us your child's current school, year group and subjects, and we will put you in touch with the right person. You can also write to [email protected] or call +48 22 649 14 40.
