Standard Level

Standard Level courses in the IB Diploma Programme are allocated approximately 150 teaching hours over the two-year programme, compared to 240 hours for Higher Level courses. Despite the reduced hours, SL courses are still academically demanding and cover substantial curriculum content. The distinction between SL and HL is one of breadth and depth, not of quality or rigor.

SL courses cover the core syllabus content for each subject but exclude the additional HL topics and extensions. For example, SL Physics covers fewer topics in areas like wave phenomena, fields, and nuclear physics compared to the HL course. SL Language B courses have different assessment tasks, including a shorter individual oral examination. In Mathematics, students can choose from SL Analysis and Approaches or SL Applications and Interpretation, each with a different emphasis.

Assessment at SL typically involves shorter or fewer examination papers compared to HL. The IA component may also have different requirements. SL grades are awarded on the same 1-7 scale, and each SL subject contributes equally to the diploma total alongside HL subjects.

While university requirements often focus on HL grades, SL subjects still play an important role. Some universities have minimum SL grade requirements (such as a 5 in SL Mathematics for certain programmes), and the overall diploma score, which includes SL subjects, is used for many university admissions decisions. Students should view their SL choices not as "less important" but as an opportunity to broaden their academic profile while focusing their HL choices on subjects most relevant to their future plans.