About IB DP

The International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme (IB DP) is a two-year secondary school study programme taught exclusively in the English language upon the successful completion of which the candidates receive the prestigious school leaving certificate, the International Baccalaureate (IB). This internationally accepted qualification is a prerequisite for studying at high-ranking foreign universities. If the appropriate structure for the International Baccalaureate is chosen and a corresponding score is achieved, the result will likely lead to admission to the best universities in the world, including the TOP 10. Information regarding the specific mean of acceptance of the IB International Baccalaureate by individual universities can be found here. The programme is intended as a supplement to study or an alternative study for students of the second and third year of grammar school (that is fourth year and fifth year of a 6-year grammar school or sixth year and seventh year of an 8-year grammar school). You can read more about the IB mission here.

After fulfilling demanding requirements and an international assessment within the school premises, the PRIGO Language and Humanities Grammar School in Ostrava has successfully completed the authorization process for the IB Diploma Programme this year. This study programme is not subject to the national Czech accreditation process but has been validated by the internationally operating institution International Baccalaureate Organization, which is based in Geneva, Switzerland. All evaluation processes connected to it are then carried out in the United Kingdom.

To help our students in the preparation for the International Baccalaureate, the Grammar School has been involved in the DofE (The Duke of Edinburgh’s International Award) project since 2017 (https://www.dofe.cz/en/). The programme’s goal is to support young people aged 14–24 in their complex development of skills and abilities through long-term and regular activities in four interrelated areas: talent development, sports, volunteering, and adventure expeditions at three levels. Upon the programme’s completion, the participants can receive an internationally recognised DofE certificate, which can help them with the admission or preparation for studying at prestigious foreign universities. You can find out more about the DofE project here.

The IB is recognized worldwide – Interview in the Deník PRÁVO (available in the Czech language only)

PRIGO World School

The PRIGO Language and Humanities Grammar School has acquired the status of an IB World School. Thereby, we have joined the ranks of more than 5,000 World Schools, which have been providing an internationally recognized secondary education with an international school leaving exam since 1968. The IB is recognized and, more importantly, needed at most foreign universities. The IB World Schools share a common philosophy: a commitment to improve the teaching and learning of a diverse and inclusive community of students by delivering challenging, high quality programmes of international education with a powerful vision to all students irrespective of their backgrounds.

IB DP Study and Curriculum

The study programme is delivered exclusively in English and is primarily intended for students of the second and third year of a 4-year grammar school, that is fourth year and fifth year of a 6-year grammar school (or alternatively sixth year and seventh year of an 8-year grammar school).

The schedule is set up in a way as to enable the simultaneous study of the IB DP and the regular study of the 6-year and 4-year at the PRIGO Language and Humanities Grammar School. At the same time, it will take due account of the schedule requirements for students of the PRIGO Medical and Science Grammar School or the PRIGO High School who would take part in the IB DP study programme.

The IB DP study at our Grammar School is also offered to students of other grammar schools or high schools. However, it will probably not be possible to ensure the compatibility of the IB DP schedule and the regular teaching schedule at the home secondary school in all cases. The IB DP can be further studied if the student does not attend any PRIGO school or even if he / she does not study at any secondary school if compulsory schooling has been completed.

The IB DP study and the International Baccalaureate comprises of 6 subjects, an Extended Essay, and a Theory of Knowledge (TOK) course. It is also necessary to meet the criteria in the field of Creativity, Activity, Service. i.e. CAS.

Regarding the study subjects, it is necessary to choose these so that the student completes 3 subjects at a higher level (High Level – HL) and 3 subjects at a lower level (Standard Level – SL). The student also chooses the level according to his / her focus, interests and with regard to the field of study which he / she intends to study at the university level. The HL subjects include 320 teaching hours for the entire study, i.e. an average of 4 teaching hours per week, while the SL subjects include 200 teaching hours for the entire study. The accumulated hourly intensity of IB the study (including TOK, CAS and Extended Essay) is approximately 1700 hours in two years, which translates into an average of approximately 20 hours per week. With respect to the mutual compatibility of the Czech ordinary grammar school teaching curriculum and the IB DP study, and particularly the intersection of study content in some parts, the expected weekly hourly allowance of both study programmes is approximately 35-40 hours per week.

For committed students, combining both study programmes is therefore manageable. Teaching takes place in the afternoon and, together with the most common Czech grammar school curriculum, it is rather more demanding hourwise. It is necessary to take into account that those students, who will simultaneously take part in the IB DP and the regular secondary school studies, will in some cases finish classes in the late afternoon, always in accordance with the standard schedule.

The individual subjects are classified in 6 subject groups out of each the student must choose one subject offered by our school. An exception is subject group number 6, in which the given subject can be replaced by a subject from the subject group number 3-5.

The list of subjects can be found here.

Discover how it looks like at our Grammar School below:
PRIGO Video Guide – Grammar School from the perspective of our students
PRIGO Video Guide – Information sources from the perspective of teachers

IB Application

The deadline for applications for the 1st round is set for May 24, 2024.

Online application can be filled out here (available in the Czech language only).

An obligatory part of the application is an essay reflecting the motivation for studying the IB DP and the professional focus of the applicant (the recommended extent is 10 standard pages). The structure of the essay is not prescribed, and its content is subject to the free creation of the candidate. The essay must be submitted no later than May 24, 2024 (to the school secretariat or via regular post with a postmark dated no later than May 24, 2024).

The application further includes a letter of recommendation. The letter is not mandatory, but only a recommended annex to the application. It could be a statement of a teacher from the current secondary school, preferably of a subject related to the applicant’s preferred field of interest. The date and method of delivery remain the same as for the essay.

IB Entrance examination and Admission conditions

The date of the entrance examination for the 1st round of the admission procedure is set for May 31, 2024.

The entrance examination is conducted in English in front of a board of commissioners and includes only a motivation interview which concerns the applicant’s motivation for the IB DP and a discussion on the topic of the submitted essay (it does not include an entrance test nor a professional subject exam).

On the day of the entrance examination, it is necessary to provide a certified copy of the last three secondary school certificates (or the last three certificates from the period before the end of compulsory schooling if the student is no longer studying secondary school) and language certificates (if any), in person.

The condition for admission is not the current study at a secondary school.

The condition for admission is the completion of compulsory schooling.

IB Tuition and other fees

Tuition fees represent the amount that is paid for studying the IB DP. After fulfilling the scholarship conditions, a student of any PRIGO secondary school completes the entire IB DP study free of charge as his / her tuition is paid from the scholarship fund. In other cases, tuition fees for IB DP study apply. Other fees represent the amount paid directly to the International Baccalaureate Organization (IBO) which provides the certification. These are the fees for undertaking the constituent exams, specialized textbooks, or sitting the International Baccalaureate. These fees are determined according to the number of subjects and the degree of use of professional textbooks as specified by the valid IBO price list and should not exceed the amount of CZK 30,000. More information about tuition and other fees can be found here.

IB International Baccalaureate

Our students can complete both the Czech school leaving certificate (CZ) and the International Baccalaureate (IB), either in full, or as a combination of their parts based on the student’s own choice. A unique advantage of studying the IB DP at our Grammar School is the fact that the International Baccalaureate examination takes place in the next-to-last year of study (third year of a 4-year grammar school, fifth year of a 6-year grammar school or the seventh year of an 8-year grammar school). The Czech school leaving examination is then held in the last year of study (fourth year of a 4-year grammar school, sixth year of the 6-year grammar school or eight year of the 8-year grammar school). The study obligations are therefore spread out and there is no risk of collision between the dates of both examinations. Additionally, depending on how the student succeeded (and in which parts) in the International Baccalaureate, he / she can adapt the composition of the Czech school leaving examination in order to meet the conditions of both foreign and Czech universities. More information about the specific means of combining the Czech school leaving examination and the IB can be found here.

The minimum condition for passing the International Baccalaureate is the achievement of 24 points out of a total of 45.