Curriculum comparison
Australian vs IB curriculum
The Australian Curriculum and the International Baccalaureate (IB) are two of the most widely discussed educational frameworks among internationally minded families, and they are not mutually exclusive — many Australian schools offer the IB Diploma Programme (...
Australian
Fees depend on the school and city, not the curriculum alone. Ask schools for their current indicative annual tuition.
Schools teaching each curriculum
A sample of schools we list. Fees are indicative annual tuition.
Australian
18 schools
- Cranbrook School Sydney · Bellevue Hill
- SCEGGS Darlinghurst Sydney · Darlinghurst
- Sydney Grammar School Sydney · Darlinghurst
- The Scots College Sydney · Bellevue Hill
- Ascham School Sydney · Edgecliff
- Australian International School Singapore · Serangoon
IB
135 schools- ACS Doha International School Doha · West Bay
- American Community School Abu Dhabi Abu Dhabi · Al Mushrif
- American School of Paris Paris · Saint-Cloud
- Amsterdam International Community School (AICS) Amsterdam · Buitenveldert
- Bangkok Patana School Bangkok · Bangna
- BBIS Berlin Brandenburg International School Berlin · Kleinmachnow
Free for parents
Considering Australian or IB schools?
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Educational philosophy
Australian
- The Australian Curriculum is built on a broadly pragmatic, nationally cohesive philosophy: ensuring every Australian child, regardless of geography or socioeconomic background, has access to high-quality, consistent education that prepares them for contemporary life and work.
- The framework's eight learning areas are connected by seven general capabilities and three cross-curriculum priorities, creating a web of connected learning rather than siloed disciplines.
- The curriculum values cultural identity — particularly Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander perspectives and Australia's relationship with Asia — alongside global citizenship.
It is designed to be implemented by professional teachers who are trusted to adapt content and pedagogy to their specific school communities. The senior years pivot toward specialist subject selection and, in some states, the integration of vocational education and training (VET), acknowledging that Australia's economy requires both university graduates and highly skilled tradespeople. Wellbeing and student agency are treated as genuine educational outcomes, not merely supplementary considerations.
IB
- The IB's philosophy is explicitly international and humanistic, articulated through the IB Learner Profile — ten attributes (Inquirers, Knowledgeable, Thinkers, Communicators, Principled, Open-minded, Caring, Risk-takers, Balanced, Reflective) that define the kind of person an IB education aspires to produce.
- This profile is not merely aspirational; it is embedded into curriculum design, assessment tasks, and school community culture across all four programmes.
- The IB rejects the notion of education as knowledge transmission, instead positioning learning as an inquiry-driven process where students construct understanding through investigation, action, and reflection.
The Diploma Programme's Theory of Knowledge (TOK) course is perhaps the most philosophically distinctive component of any school-leaving qualification in the world: it asks students to examine how we know what we know across disciplines, developing genuine epistemological self-awareness. The Creativity, Activity, Service (CAS) requirement ensures that academic learning is balanced with personal development, artistic endeavour, and community engagement — reflecting the IB's conviction that education must serve the whole person and, through that person, the wider world.
Assessment and examinations
Australian
- Australian assessment is a tiered system combining national standardised testing, ongoing school-based assessment, and high-stakes external examinations in the senior years.
- NAPLAN provides system-level benchmarking at Years 3, 5, 7, and 9, while senior secondary assessment structures vary by state.
- In New South Wales, the HSC splits marks 50/50 between school-assessed tasks and external examinations; Victoria's VCE uses School-Assessed Coursework (SACs) and external exams in proportions that vary by subject.
The resulting ATAR — a percentile rank from 0 to 99.95 — provides a highly granular, nationally comparable metric for competitive university admissions. Scaling of subjects based on cohort performance means that subject choice can strategically affect ATAR outcomes, which has attracted criticism for encouraging narrow, score-oriented subject selection in Years 11 and 12. Nevertheless, the ATAR remains the primary and most transparent university entry mechanism for Australian domestic students.
IB
- IB assessment is distinguished by its combination of internally assessed work (moderated externally by the IB) and final external examinations, along with the mandatory Extended Essay (4,000-word independent research paper), TOK essay and oral presentation, and CAS portfolio.
- The DP is scored on a 45-point scale: students take six subjects (one from each of six groups) and earn up to 7 points per subject, plus up to 3 additional "bonus" points for TOK and the Extended Essay.
- The pass threshold is 24 points with no more than one failing grade, meaning students must demonstrate broad competence across disciplines — a student cannot compensate for a very weak performance in one area by excelling in others.
IB internal assessments (IAs) — laboratory reports, oral commentaries, mathematical explorations, historical investigations — are marked by subject teachers and then moderated by external IB examiners, ensuring both school-specific context and international standards are maintained. The Extended Essay is widely considered by universities to be an exceptional preparation for undergraduate-level independent research.
University recognition
The IB Diploma is the gold standard of internationally portable school-leaving qualifications. It is formally recognised by universities in over 75 countries, including all UK Russell Group universities, all US Ivy League institutions, top Canadian universities, leading European universities, and Australian Group of Eight universities. Many universities, including Oxford, Cambridge, and MIT, have established minimum DP score requirements (typically 38–42 out of 45 for the most competitive programs) and offer specific subject requirement guidance for IB applicants. In Australia, each state education authority publishes a conversion table that maps IB scores to ATAR equivalents (for example, a 45/45 score typically converts to an ATAR of 99.95, a 40/45 to approximately 95–97, depending on the state). The Australian Curriculum's ATAR is widely recognised within Australia and increasingly accepted internationally, but lacks the instant global legibility of the IB Diploma. For families with aspirations toward elite global university entry, particularly in the US or UK, the IB Diploma provides a more universally understood benchmark.
Key features
Australian curriculum
- Balanced academic and practical skills development
- Eight key learning areas with integrated general capabilities
- Strong emphasis on critical thinking and creativity
- Combination of school-based and external assessment
- Focus on sustainability and intercultural understanding
- Recognized pathway to Australian and international universities
IB curriculum
- Internationally recognized across 150+ countries
- Inquiry-based, student-centered learning approach
- Interdisciplinary connections and holistic assessment
- Extended Essay develops independent research skills
- CAS (Creativity, Activity, Service) component builds character
- Theory of Knowledge (TOK) encourages critical and reflective thinking
Strengths and trade-offs
Australian
Strengths
- Nationally consistent curriculum supported by a well-resourced government framework
- ATAR provides a clear, granular percentile rank for domestic university admissions
- Available at every Australian school — no need to seek out specialist IB-authorised institutions
- Includes VET pathways that allow students to gain trade qualifications alongside academic subjects
- Strong integration of Australian identity, Indigenous perspectives, and Asia-Pacific literacy
Trade-offs
- State-dependent senior credentials mean the system is not fully portable or consistent across Australia itself
- ATAR can incentivise narrow, score-maximising subject selection rather than genuine intellectual curiosity
- Less emphasis on independent research (no equivalent to the IB Extended Essay) in most state senior programs
- Not internationally recognised with the same immediacy as the IB Diploma, requiring credential assessment for many overseas applications
IB
Strengths
- Globally recognised in about 160 countries — unmatched portability for internationally mobile families
- Theory of Knowledge (TOK) develops genuine interdisciplinary, epistemological thinking unique among school credentials
- Extended Essay provides authentic undergraduate-level research experience before university
- CAS requirement ensures a genuinely holistic education that values creativity, physical activity, and community service
- IB Learner Profile creates a cohesive, values-driven school culture across all year levels
Trade-offs
- Significantly higher tuition fees at IB-authorised schools, which are predominantly independent or international institutions
- Very high workload in the DP (Years 11–12) — the combination of 6 subjects, Extended Essay, TOK, and CAS is demanding
- Pass/fail threshold means students with isolated subject weaknesses risk not receiving the full Diploma
- Not all Australian universities are equally familiar with IB score-to-ATAR conversions, requiring additional application steps
Which suits your child?
Choose Australian if…
- The Australian Curriculum is the right choice for families who are permanently settled in Australia and whose children are targeting Australian university entry through the ATAR system.
- It is also the most practical option for the vast majority of families, given that IB-authorised schools are predominantly private or international institutions that charge significantly higher fees.
- Students who thrive with a structured, subject-specific approach and who benefit from the mix of ongoing school assessment and end-of-year examinations will find the Australian senior secondary system well-matched to their learning style.
The curriculum's integration of VET pathways is an added advantage for students who are still exploring their post-school direction.
Choose IB if…
- The IB is the right choice for families who are internationally mobile, who are targeting university entry in multiple countries simultaneously, or whose children are applying to highly competitive global institutions where the IB Diploma's rigour and standardisation is explicitly valued.
- It suits self-directed, intellectually curious students who relish inquiry-based learning, independent research, and interdisciplinary thinking, and who are willing to manage a demanding and broad workload across six subject groups.
- The IB's emphasis on the whole person — through CAS, TOK, and the Learner Profile — also makes it the better fit for families who view education as a values formation process, not merely a credential-accumulation exercise.
Budget permitting, the IB Diploma is arguably the most comprehensive and globally effective secondary qualification available.
Questions parents ask
Each Australian state publishes its own IB-to-ATAR conversion table. In New South Wales, the Universities Admissions Centre (UAC) converts IB DP scores to an equivalent ATAR. As a general guide: a score of 45/45 converts to an ATAR of 99.95; 40/45 converts to approximately 95–97; 35/45 converts to approximately 87–90; 30/45 converts to approximately 75–80. Exact conversions vary slightly between states (NSW, VIC, QLD, WA, SA), so families should consult the relevant state authority's published tables.
Yes. Many Australian schools — particularly independent and international schools — offer the Australian Curriculum in the primary and junior secondary years (Foundation to Year 10) and then the IB Diploma Programme in Years 11 and 12 as an alternative to the state's HSC or VCE. Some schools also offer the IB PYP and/or MYP throughout K–10 before transitioning to the DP. This blended model is common and allows families to benefit from both frameworks.
The IB Diploma is widely regarded as broader and in many respects more demanding than individual state senior credentials, primarily because of the breadth requirement (six subjects from six different groups), the mandatory Extended Essay (4,000 words), TOK coursework, and CAS hours — all completed alongside regular subject assessment. However, top HSC and VCE students undertaking Extension subjects also face very high academic demands. The key difference is that the IB mandates breadth and depth simultaneously, while the HSC/VCE allows students to specialise more narrowly. The IB also has a genuine pass/fail element, whereas Australian senior credentials do not — students who sit the HSC or VCE receive a credential regardless of marks.
Generally, yes. IB-authorised schools in Australia are predominantly independent or international schools, where annual tuition fees can range from approximately AUD $15,000 to over AUD $50,000. There are a small number of government schools that offer the IB (particularly in Western Australia and Victoria), where fees are significantly lower. Australian Curriculum schools include all government (public) schools, which charge minimal fees, making the Australian Curriculum the far more accessible option economically.
There is no direct equivalent to TOK in the Australian Curriculum. The Australian Curriculum's Critical and Creative Thinking general capability is the closest analogue — it is woven across all learning areas — but it is not a standalone subject or assessed component. TOK is unique in the secondary education landscape: a dedicated course in the philosophy and theory of knowledge, assessed through an essay and an oral exhibition, that asks students to examine the nature of knowledge across disciplines. Some Australian state senior subjects (particularly in English and Philosophy, where offered) touch on similar terrain, but not with the same systematic, interdisciplinary depth.
