Hundreds of Vic IB students celebrate results

The wait is over for hundreds of Victorian International Baccalaureate students, with results being released today.

PLC students Maella Teele, Thea Thomas, Britney Pham and Emma Colmbridge. Picture: Wayne Taylor

The wait is over for almost 600 Victorian International Baccalaureate (IB) students who today receive their final results.

Three weeks after VCE students learned their fate, the cohort of 2423 Australian students that studied the specialised program will receive a score out of 45, which is the equivalent of a ‘perfect’ 99.95 ATAR.

568 Victorian students completed their IB this year, down from 670 in 2021.

Some of Melbourne’s most elite private schools were on Tuesday morning anticipating top scores.

Six students from Presbyterian Ladies’ College received a perfect score of 45 in their IB studies, while an additional six achieved a score of 44.

The school had a total of 51 students enrolled in the IB program.

Principal Cheryl Penberthy said the “tremendous results” reflected the students’ dedication to their studies over the past two years.

“Each year we are always inspired by our IB students’ capacity for learning as well as their deep involvement in every facet of school life and their passion for the many co-curricular opportunities available to them,” she said.

“We look forward to following our IB cohort’s endeavours and achievements into the future.”

PLC IB students Sara, Sarah, Sarah, Faria, Stephanie and Chelsea all received a perfect score.

MLC’s average IB score this year was 38, with about 35 per cent of the cohort scoring above 40.

Principal Diana Vernon said she was “immensely proud” of her students for achieving such high marks despite their senior years being marred by Covid.

“Ultimately, today’s extraordinary IB results are testament to the idea that students will excel when they enjoy what they’re studying,” she said.

“MLC has a proud history of offering the IB because we are committed to providing our students with an international outlook and value supporting students’ individual talents and interests.”

Grace and Alisa Yang, 17-year-old twins who completed their program after moving to Australia from China in 2017, received their final marks on Tuesday.

Alisa said the pair overcame cultural barriers when they arrived in Australia and developed their interests in science.

“Throughout my time studying the IB Diploma, I realised economics was what I was most engaged in, even though I originally wanted to pursue a career in chemistry,” she said.

“If it wasn’t for the IB and getting perspective across multiple subjects, I would have never known.”

More than a quarter of Wesley College’s senior students undertook the international program this year, with three of those 94 pupils receiving perfect scores.

“We congratulate them on this outstanding achievement,” Principal Nick Evans said.

“We also extend our congratulations to a further six students who achieved a remarkable IB DP (Diploma Programme) score of 44.”

Year 12 student Madeleine Groves-Crawford said studying music during her IB benefited her in her other subjects.

“My commitment to music is a large reason for my academic success, as it improved my time management, memory and efficiency and gave me a creative outlet to process my thoughts and feelings,” she said.

Madeleine plans to study a Bachelor of Music at the Melbourne Conservatorium of Music before completing the Juris Doctor law degree at the University of Melbourne.

Australian Catholic University (ACU) educational leadership senior lecturer and former IB school principal Paul Kidson said the niche program was becoming more popular in both private and public schools.

“We are seeing interest in all three IB programs rising among a range of school sectors, and not just within the private schools more commonly associated with it, including primary school,” Dr Kidson said.

“It provides a holistic framework that prepares students well for tertiary study and provides international recognition.”

About 23 Victorian secondary schools offer the international program, including 5 government schools.

Werribee Secondary College assistant principal and IB co-ordinator Joanna Sommers said students excelled across a range of subjects.

Thirty per cent of the school’s IB cohort achieved scores above 40.

“We really had some strong mathematics and visual arts students this year,” she said.

“It is great to see students undertake this alternative academic pathway that suits them.”

Ivanhoe Grammar School students Ben Kasjan, Ella Ray and Angus McCreadie breathed a sigh of relief on Tuesday after being held in suspense while their VCE classmates celebrated finishing school over the summer period with schoolies and first round university offers.

With plans to study science at Monash University, Ben said it became“stressful” waiting for his final marks when more than 40,000 VCE students had already received their results.

“I had so many dreams about it,” he said.

Students who complete their IB must study a range of subject areas during their senior school years across languages, humanities, mathematics, and a research essay.

Subjects are scored out of 7, with a maximum of 42 possible across all units.

Three bonus points can be awarded for high marks in additional research essays, making up the highest possible score of 45.

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