September 10, 2026

IB, A Levels or AP: does your curriculum decide where your child can study?

By doris Team · 4 minute read

If you’re choosing an international school, curriculum is likely to come up early. But understanding what each pathway means for your child can take a little longer.

Does choosing A Levels mean they should go to university in the UK? Does the IB keep more options open? And how do you decide when your child doesn’t yet know what they want to study?

Choosing IB, A Levels or AP does not, by itself, determine which country your child can study in. But the subjects they take, the results they achieve and the requirements of individual university courses can shape their options. Here’s how to weigh those choices.

To help make sense of the choice, we brought together three educators for an episode of The School Brief: Dr Aaron Mayo, University Advisor at Canadian International School in Singapore; Iain Hudson, IB Diploma Coordinator at Chatsworth International School in Singapore; and Will Taylor, Deputy Head for Teaching and Learning at St Andrews International School Bangkok.

For more insights from the panel, watch the full episode of The School Brief on YouTube.

Start with what you know about your child

For families moving overseas, unfamiliar acronyms and university requirements can quickly make school choice feel overwhelming.

Will Taylor, from St Andrews Bangkok, encouraged parents to begin with something more familiar.

“They don't need to be experts in curriculum if they're experts in their child,” he said.

Which subjects does your child enjoy? Do they prefer exploring several interests or concentrating on a few? How do they respond to exams, independent work and competing deadlines?

Bring those observations into conversations with schools. They turn an abstract comparison of qualifications into a discussion about your child’s everyday experience.

The main differences between IB, A Levels and AP

Pathway	How it works	What parents should explore
IB Diploma	A two-year programme with six subjects, usually three at Higher Level and three at Standard Level. The compulsory core includes Theory of Knowledge, the Extended Essay and Creativity, Activity, Service (CAS).	Whether your child enjoys breadth, and how the school helps students manage subjects, coursework and core requirements.
A Levels	Students generally study three subjects, sometimes four, in depth over two years. Schools may offer additional research projects and enrichment.	Available subject combinations, assessment arrangements and what students do alongside their qualifications.
Advanced Placement (AP)	Individual college-level courses and exams taken within a wider secondary-school programme.	How AP fits into the full timetable and graduation requirements, and how students choose a manageable course load.

The IB Diploma provides a defined overall structure, while AP courses form part of a broader school offer. For all three, the detail of what the school provides matters.

What will the workload feel like?

Counting subjects won’t tell you everything about how demanding a pathway will be.

Will explained that the IB Diploma already brings together six subjects, coursework and the core. With A Levels and AP, schools have more room to shape the wider programme through enrichment, research projects and activities.

Two schools offering the same qualifications may therefore provide different experiences. Assessment also varies by subject and awarding body, so ask when exams happen, how coursework contributes and whether major deadlines overlap.

A useful question on a visit is: what does a normal week look like for a student taking these subjects? Follow it with another: what happens if they fall behind?

Does your curriculum determine your university destination?

Aaron recalled meeting a family who hadn’t realised that students taking the IB Diploma could apply to universities in the UK.

“It doesn't necessarily decide which country you can or cannot study in,” he explained.

Universities consider applicants from different educational backgrounds. What matters is how their qualifications, subjects and achievements meet the requirements of the intended course.

That doesn’t make every pathway or subject combination interchangeable. Universities may specify particular subjects, grades and additional tests. Oxford’s international qualifications guidance, for example, should be read alongside its individual course requirements.

If your child has a possible destination in mind, check those requirements early with the school’s university adviser.

Subject choices can matter more than the curriculum label

“It does pay to look at universities and their requirements before you choose your subjects,” said Iain Hudson, from Chatsworth.

Some degrees require particular subjects at specific levels. A strong overall result may not make up for a required subject they haven’t taken. Other subjects provide useful preparation without being compulsory, so distinguish between what a university requires and what an adviser recommends.

Even within the IB, choosing mathematics involves deciding on the course and level. Iain highlighted this as an area where families should check possible university requirements before making their selection.

When comparing schools, ask whether the subjects your child might need are available at the right level and can be taken together in the timetable.

If your child is undecided, start with their broad interests. They may lean towards sciences, humanities or creative subjects without knowing which degree they want. An adviser can help identify combinations that support those interests and explain which options they would leave available.

Ask how university guidance works

At Canadian International School, Aaron described conversations beginning gradually in Grade 9, becoming more specific as students approach IB subject selection. The aim is to identify requirements while there is still time to plan.

On a school visit, ask:

When do students first meet a university adviser?
Who checks subject choices against possible degree requirements?
How are students supported if they have no clear destination?
How easily can families arrange an individual conversation?
Which university systems does the team regularly help students apply to?

Look beyond the most impressive university names, too. Aaron encouraged parents to ask where students with a range of results go on to study. Where do children with results similar to those your child might achieve find a good fit?

Iain made a similar point about headline examination results: parents need to understand how those figures relate to the experience their own child would have.

Ask about academic support and progression policies alongside the scores. Those answers help you understand the experience your own child might have.

Can students change direction later?

Changes can be possible, especially early in a programme, but become more difficult as students cover material and complete assessed work.

At Chatsworth, Iain described allowing some subject changes very early in the Diploma, while recognising that catching up adds pressure.

Moving schools during the programme can also be complicated. The receiving school needs to offer the same subjects at the right levels, with space in the classes.

If another relocation is possible during your child’s final school years, discuss it before enrolling. Ask what a transfer would involve and how the school would help you plan.

Key takeaways

Choose for your child’s day-to-day experience. Consider their interests, the workload and the support each school provides.
Check subjects before committing. Ask an adviser to explain which university options a combination leaves available.
Look beyond headline results. Explore destinations across the cohort and how students are helped along the way.

Explore and compare international schools by curriculum, fees, location and support on doris.