Singapore’s IB students top in Asia-Pacific with above-average pass rate

04 Jan 2017

International Baccalaureate (IB) students in Singapore did the country proud, outperforming other countries in the Asia-Pacific region with a pass rate of 97.32 percent – higher than the regional pass rate.

While 57 out of the 1,849 students who sat the exams in November 2016 obtained perfect scores of 45 – earning Singapore the additional accolade for highest number of students in the region with a maximum score – the average total points scored was an admirable 38.27.

However, compared to the results from the November 2015 examinations, the 2016 results took a slight dip – previously, 97.7 percent passed and 48 students achieved perfect scores.

Image via Channel News Asia

Australia came second in the region, with a pass rate of 94.07 percent and an average total points score of 34.56 out of 45. Up to 32 of its students scored full marks – the second highest number in the Asia-Pacific.

Japan was lowest in the region with a pass rate of 76.92 percent, an average total points score of 30.10 and no student achieving the maximum score.

Globally, over 14,000 students sat for the exams, achieving a pass rate of 70 percent and an average total points score of 29.21.

In comparison to the global average, students in the Asia-Pacific region performed far better, with a pass rate of 91.3 percent and an average total points score of 34.82. Over 5,200 students in the region took part in the exams.

Singapore tops Asia-Pacific in International Baccalaureate exams with 97.32% pass rate https://t.co/T7aBgPLa29

— The Straits Times (@STcom) January 4, 2017

Last year, a total of 161,344 students were awarded IB diplomas, a 6 percent increase from the previous year.

In a press release, IB director-general Dr Siva Kumari congratulated the new graduates and wished them well in their future success.

She said the graduates “join an ever-growing community of IB alumni across the world, a group well-equipped to contribute productively wherever they choose”.

“Their preparation for entry to higher education is second to none, and the most highly-reputed universities recognise graduates [of the Diploma Programme] as holistic, well-rounded individuals who can perform successfully wherever they choose to study,” she added.

Founded in 1968, the IB is a non-profit organisation with more than 1.3 million students enrolled at over 4,580 schools in 150 countries and territories worldwide.

In the Asia-Pacific, IB supports more than 770 schools, providing more than 1,100 IB programmes.

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