Rules for Using International Baccalaureate (IB) Credit for the Associate Degree

Ventura College faculty has determined passing scores and, when appropriate, certification areas for General Education (GE) and course equivalency of International Baccalaureate (IB) examinations as provided below:

• Students who complete the IB Diploma with a score of 30 or above will receive 20-semester units of credit.
• Students completing IB Higher Level exams with scores of 5, 6, or 7 will receive credit for each exam as specified below. 
• Students will not receive credit for Standard Level exams.
• An acceptable AP score equates to 3-semester units for GE certification purposes, except where noted otherwise.
• Students who have earned credit for an IB exam should not take a comparable college course because credit will not be granted for both.
• Credits awarded for IB exams shall not impact a student’s GPA, nor can the units earned be used toward financial aid or the 12-unit residency requirement.
• Units granted for IB will not be subject to the unit limits for Credit for Prior Learning or Pass/No Pass grading which otherwise apply within the district.

Reference:

• VCCCD AP 4235 Credit for Prior Learning, last reviewed in 2025.

International Baccalaureate (IB) Credit for Transfer and Cal-GETC

The International Baccalaureate (IB) Organization awards either a diploma or a certificate for individual IB exams. The California State University and University of California systems award students who complete the IB diploma with a score of 30 or above with 6 quarter (4 semester) units toward their degree, in addition to the units earned for individual Higher Level exams (usually 24 quarter/16 semester units). Students who receive IB certificates with scores of 5, 6 or 7 on Higher Level exams will receive 8 quarter (5.3 semester) units per exam.

Designated IB Higher Level exams passed with scores of 5 or higher can be used to meet portions of the seven-course pattern for transfer students, but not the English composition requirements.

The units granted for IB exams are not counted toward the maximum number of credits required for declaration of a major or the maximum number of units a student may accumulate prior to graduation. Students who enter the UC with IB credit do not have to declare a major earlier than other students, nor are they required to graduate earlier.

IB and Transfer

Students should refer to the CSU and UC system office websites and the individual campus catalogs/bulletins for information on how subject credit may be granted for the IB exams. Below are the Rules and the IB exams that can be applied to the Cal-GETC.

Rules for IB and Cal-GETC Certification

1. A minimum score of 5 on Higher Level exams is required to grant credit for Cal-GETC certification. 
2. An acceptable IB score equates to either 3 semester or 4 quarter units for Cal-GETC certification purposes, except where noted otherwise.
3. Students will not receive credit for Standard Level exams.
4. Students who have earned credit for an IB exam should not take a comparable college course because credit will not be granted for both.
5. The IB curriculum offers language at various levels for native and non-native speakers. Language B courses are offered at the intermediate level for non-natives. 
6. IB courses that have been discontinued are not shown in the table below. A student with catalog rights may be able to use a now discontinued course if accepted under the directly comparable of IGETC or under Cal-GETC at the time the course was taken.
7. Actual IB transfer credit (including possible differences in units to be awarded beyond those used for Cal-GETC certification) awarded for these and other IB exams at admission is determined by the CSU and UC.

• The UC Policy for IB credit
• The CSU system-wide minimums policy, CSU Systemwide Credit for External Examinations governing the use of these and other IB exams for awarding general education credit.

¹

IB exam may be used in either area regardless of where the certifying CCC's discipline is located.

²

Credit may not be granted at all UCs.

Reference:

• UC Admissions and IB Credit
• 2025 Cal-GETC Standards, Policies, and Procedures. Version 1.3