IP vs IB Singapore 2026: Pathway, Qualification and School Routes

Short answer: IP and IB describe different things. Singapore's Integrated Programme (IP) is a six-year school course. The International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme (IB DP) is a two-year pre-university programme and qualification. Some IP routes lead to the IB Diploma, while others lead to the Singapore-Cambridge GCE A-Level or the NUS High School Diploma.

Last reviewed: 19 July 2026. Programme offerings and school-level rules can change. Confirm the current details with MOE and the school before making an application decision.

What is the Integrated Programme?

The Ministry of Education's current IP overview defines IP as a six-year course. Students do not need to take the Singapore-Cambridge Secondary Education Certificate in Secondary 4.

MOE lists three possible qualifications at the end of an IP route:

• the Singapore-Cambridge GCE A-Level;
• the IB Diploma; or
• the NUS High School Diploma.

Compulsory subjects, electives, promotion requirements and school culture vary across IP schools. The label IP therefore does not, by itself, tell you which qualification a student will take or which subjects the school will offer.

What is the IB Diploma Programme?

The IB Diploma Programme is a two-year pre-university programme for students aged 16 to 19. It is not another name for IP.

The current DP curriculum contains six subject groups and the DP core. Students normally study six subjects, with at least three and at most four at higher level. The remaining subjects are taken at standard level.

The three required core components are:

• Theory of Knowledge;
• the Extended Essay; and
• Creativity, Activity, Service.

Schools do not necessarily offer every IB subject. A family should check the school's current subject menu, timetable restrictions and entry requirements instead of assuming that every combination shown on the IB website is locally available.

Which Singapore IP routes lead to the IB Diploma?

MOE's current IP directory lists these IP routes leading to the IB Diploma:

• Anglo-Chinese School (Independent), as a six-year programme;
• Methodist Girls' School for Years 1 to 4, followed by Anglo-Chinese School (Independent); and
• St. Joseph's Institution, as a six-year programme.

This is a list of