Singapore tops IB exam in region for fourth year

SINGAPORE — For the fourth consecutive year, Singapore has topped the Asia-Pacific region in the International Baccalaureate (IB) diploma examination. Of the 1,747 students here who took the IB diploma exam last year, there were 43 who scored a perfect 45 points — two more compared to a year ago.

The students here achieved an average of 36.53 points, higher than the global average of 29.95 points. A total of 96.8 per cent of students who took the exam last year earned an IB diploma, down from the 97.9 per cent who did so in 2012.

Students can score up to 45 points in six subjects, such as history and mathematics, and they must complete requirements such as submitting a 4,000-word essay. To pass and receive an IB diploma, 24 points are needed.

Among the 20 schools here offering the IB Diploma programme, Anglo-Chinese School (Independent) produced the bulk of perfect scorers, with 32 students achieving the distinction. Its students also achieved an average score of 41.54. A student who scores 36 points and above is considered excellent by educators.

St Joseph’s Institution (SJI) International, meanwhile, celebrated its best-ever results, said Principal Bradley Roberts. A total of 37 per cent of its students scored 40 points or more in the latest IB result, compared to a quarter of students who achieved such a result in 2012.

At the School of the Arts Singapore (SOTA), more than half of the 110 students scored between 40 and 45 points. The students, who are the second batch to sit for the IB diploma exam at the school, also managed an average score of 39.18.

Theatre student Fong Tyen Ying, 19, was among SOTA’s top performers. Entering the school with a Primary School Leaving Examination score of 222, she emerged from the IB diploma exam with 43 points.

Ms Fong said her experiences at SOTA have enriched her. When she went to the Philippines in 2012 for a community involvement project, she used theatre to advocate against corporal punishment.

Her essay on the ethics of population control, meanwhile, was selected for publication in SOTA’s annual Anthology of Essays.

For the past two years, Ms Fong also volunteers weekly at an after-school programme for underprivileged children, while performing in a band to raise funds for charity.

With these commitments, Ms Fong said she had not watched television for the past few years. By taking time out for rehearsals amid a packed study schedule, the eldest daughter of two lawyer parents said: “They were a mental break for me and I become more motivated.”