AP/IB Blog Nation

The first part of this page is a breakdown of what services are available from IB and what fees pay for; what you get for your buck. The actual fees are listed at the end of the page if you want to skip all this and get right to the bottom line (literally).
The following information is straight from the International Baccalaureate Handbook of Procedures 2009 Fees, Page H5 (with a few deletions of information that does not apply.) © International Baccalaureate Organization, 2008

H4.2 Diploma Program candidate assessment fees
There are two candidate assessment fees; the candidate registration fee and the candidate subject fee. (Candidates no longer pay a per capita fee.)

In return, schools receive the following services:

• This comprehensive handbook for coordinators and teachers.
• Access to a coordinators’ help desk by e-mail, phone or mail.
• Access to the IB information system (IBIS) for tasks necessary to administer candidate assessment.
• A 24-hour support line during the Diploma Program examinations.
• A range of teacher feedback, including selected subject reports for each examination session.

Candidates receive the following services:

• Comprehensive assessment using a wide range of assessment methods, including moderated internal assessment and externally marked examinations.
• Assessment by an international team of examiners and moderators, overseen by independent chief examiners.
• Detailed clerical checking of every examination script to ensure administrative accuracy.
• Where appropriate, accommodation for special educational needs and detailed consideration of individual special circumstances.
• Access to results on the day of publication via a dedicated and secure web site.
• A printed diploma, diploma results or certificate (depending on their results).
• Up to six free requests to transmit results to universities and admission centers worldwide.

Candidate registration fee

The candidate registration fee is paid once for each candidate to take one or more examinations in a particular examination session. The same fee is paid for each candidate, regardless of a candidate’s registration category. Diploma category candidates who take one or two anticipated subjects one year early do not pay the registration fee when they are registered for their remaining diploma subjects the following year. However, if such candidates are registered after the first or final registration deadline, the difference between the standard registration fee and the higher late registration fee must be paid to the IB.

Six-month retake candidates, including certificate candidates who are registering to take the same certificate subject(s) again after six months, pay the standard registration fee. Candidates from a May session must be registered by 29 July for the following November session. The registration of six-month retake candidates, regardless of whether they are diploma or certificate candidates, is not accepted after these deadlines; therefore, higher registration fees do not apply.

Candidate subject fees

The candidate subject fee is paid for each assessed subject taken by an individual candidate. There is no subject fee for either theory of knowledge or the extended essay assessment when first taken as part of the full Diploma Program, regardless of whether the candidate anticipated one or more subjects.

Higher fees are charged for candidate registrations and amendments to subject details made between the first and final registration deadlines, and a second higher fee after the final registration deadline. Owing to the additional administration involved, amendments after the final registration deadline are charged at a significantly higher rate.

There is no registration amendment fee for:
• withdrawing a candidate from a subject
• withdrawing a candidate from an examination session
• amending a candidate’s personal details
• changing a candidate’s registration category before the first registration deadline.

If a candidate’s registration category is changed after the first or final registration deadline the appropriate registration amendment fee will apply.

H4.3 Registration and amendment fees

First registration deadline: 10 November

Any change to a candidate’s subject details will incur an amendment fee if the amendment is made after the first registration deadline. Owing to the additional administration involved, amendments made after the final registration deadline are charged at a significantly higher rate. The fee is charged for each amendment to a candidate’s subject details. For example, a change of level for a subject would result in a fee being payable, although a change to candidate’s subject, level and response language would also result in one fee only being payable. There are no amendment fees for amendments to personal details or for withdrawal from a subject. However, the initial registration and subject fees are not refundable if a candidate withdraws from a subject or from the entire examination session.

H4.4 Payment of the registration, subject and amendment fees (this refers to the school itself passing on the payment from the students to IB)

For candidate registrations made by the first registration deadline of 10 November an invoice is sent to schools from the appropriate billing office within a few days after this date. If amendments are subsequently made to subject details further invoices will be sent when necessary. For schools in the IB North America region the billing office is the IB North America office in New York. Payment for registration, subject and amendment fees can be made either by check or bank transfer as detailed above (H3.2). For schools other regions the billing office is the finance department at IB Cardiff, UK. Payment for registration and amendment fees can be made either by check or bank transfer as detailed above (H3.1).

H4.5 By request service fees

The IB offers a number of optional services that schools can request when needed. For the Diploma Program the by request services are:

• The enquiry upon results service.
• The legalization of examination results.
• Replacements diplomas, diploma results and certificates of results for candidate who have mislaid the original documentation.
• Sending results to a university or admission centre (in excess of the six free requests). See section B6.3 for further details. A fee is charged for each of these additional services. A school may receive invoices throughout the year according to when fees were incurred for the following services.

Enquiry upon results (This is for anyone who want to challenge the scoring of a test/paper)

The fee is according to the category of enquiry requested. No fee is charged if the enquiry results in a change of grade. If a review of the process leading to the grade upon re-marking is requested on behalf of the candidate a fee is payable. This fee is stated in the scale of fees. See section B9 for further details.

Replacement diploma, diploma results or certificate of results

Requests for replacement diplomas or certificates must be sent to the coordinator help desk at IB Cardiff. The fees also apply if replacement diplomas or certificates are required because the school’s legal name has changed. See section B10 for further details.

Results to universities and admission centers

For each candidate the first six issues of results to universities or admission centers will be sent without charge. A fee for each additional results issue applies until the end of the examination session, which is 15 September. After the close of the session a fee will be levied for each set of results that is sent, regardless of whether any results were sent before the close of the examination session. See section B6.3 for further details.

H4.6 Appeals

A fee is payable to the IB if a candidate requests an appeal under the General
Regulations: Diploma Programme. Invoices for appeal fees will be sent from the relevant office, (IB North America or IB Cardiff) and payment must be submitted in accordance with section H3.1 and H3.2.

H5 An appeal against a decision of the final award committee

Circumstances are defined in the General Regulations: Diploma Program under which a candidate may appeal against a decision of the final award committee. Upon receiving the appeal the IB will request a non-reimbursable handling fee that must be paid before the appeal procedure begins. This fee is stated in the scale of fees.

H6 Refund of fees

After the annual fee and registration fees have been paid to the IB, the fees will not be refunded. However, if a candidate withdraws from one or more subject before the final registration deadline of 15 January, the subject fee(s) will be refunded. The same applies to six-month retake candidates, whether diploma or certificate, who are withdrawn before the equivalent deadline of 29 July. If a school has made a duplicate payment in error and there are no billings outstanding for payment, a request for a refund can be submitted to the IB North America regional office for schools in this region, or to the credit control office at IB Cardiff for schools outside the North America region.

H7 Reimbursement of costs

When it has been necessary for a school to pay a customs’ duty in order to obtain a mailing of examination papers, examination stationery or other material sent by the IB for an examination session, the IB will reimburse the cost. Original receipts must be sent to IB Cardiff with a full explanation of what the receipt(s) is for.

H8 Transfer candidates

If a candidate is intending to transfer to a different IB World School that offers the Diploma Program, the candidate’s original school is responsible for paying the registration fee and subject fees if the candidate transfers, or is intending to transfer after the deadline for the payment of these fees.

H9 Special circumstances

A candidate affected by special circumstances, such as illness or accident, may not be able to complete their written examinations in the May session. Where 50% of their marks for the affected subject(s) are available, including an external component, a grade will normally be awarded. However, candidates who have not met these criteria for the award of a grade should be registered in either the examination session six months later, or one year later, for the subjects not taken. The subjects being retaken cannot be spread over more than one examination session. (However, if one or more of the subjects is not available in a session, an exception will normally be made.)

At the discretion of IB Cardiff, such candidates will be exempt from the registration fee and subject fees. In the case of diploma candidates the additional session will not count as one of the three sessions towards their diploma. However, if other subjects are taken in addition to those not completed owing to the special circumstances, this session will be counted as one of the three sessions towards the diploma. If the coordinator help desk authorizes this arrangement and the candidate is registered for a session that is not the main examination session for the school, the usual conditions of candidate registration and subject availability apply.

Scale of fees
(1 September 2009 to 31 August 2010)

1. Registration fee (per candidate)

• Before the first registration deadline $135
• Between the first and final registration deadline $181
• After the final registration deadline $388

The fee for six-month retake candidates is the fee payable
before the first registration deadline of 10 November.

2. Subject fee (per candidate) $92
Fee for each subject (including Theory of Knowledge and Extended Essay when taken as retake subjects) a candidate is registered for

3. Registration amendments (per candidate)
The fee is for the addition of a new subject, each
amendment to a registration category, subject, level or
response language, including Theory of Knowledge and the
Extended Essay.

• Between the first and final registration deadline $29
• After the final registration deadline $116

4. Enquiry upon results

• Category 1: per candidate/subject/level $96
• Category 2: per subject component (photocopies) $69
• Category 2: per subject component (electronic format when available) $43
• Category 3: per moderation sample $146
• Review of a category 1 re-mark $164

5. Other by request services

• Legalization of diploma results (per candidate) $106
• Replacement diploma or certificate (per diploma or certificate) $64
• Results to universities (per candidate: no charge for first six universities) $14

6. Appeals (per candidate)

• Fee for an appeal under article 29 of the Diploma Program: General Regulations $218

The typical student’s fees will include the registration fee of $135 and $92 per subject being tested. So a student taking just one test would have fees totaling $227 and one taking two tests would have fees totaling $319. Juniors who are anticipated diploma candidates would pay the registration fee their junior year but not in the senior year. Seniors taking all six exams their senior year would pay $687 (registration fee of $135 plus 6 X $92 for each exam). Seniors who have taken exams as a junior would pay $92 per exam (no registration fee).

For those in need of financial assistance, there is aide available for those who qualify (proof of income is required). See Mr. McCarthy in room 53 or Mr. Fowler in the assistant principal’s office.