Plan your Grade 11 and 12 courseswith every option in view.
Every IB, AP and general course in the Program of Studies, compared side by side, with plans that check the rules for you.
Where to start
Pick the step you are on. Each button opens the right tool below.
Choose a direction
Not sure what to study? Find a major first, then see the courses it needs.
Build your schedule
Pick your 8 classes. Choose Full IB or a blended plan.
Check your choices
See how your classes fit your major, read about any course, and work out your GPA or IB points.
Three ways to build your schedule
General courses
University-prep classes from the Program of Studies.
- Good for a balanced schedule that focuses on earning your high school diploma
- Can be mixed with AP and IB courses
- Includes arts, design, film, PE, languages and more
Advanced Placement (AP)
University-level courses, one subject at a time.
- Most students take 2–3 AP classes a year
- One-year courses ending in a May exam, scored 1–5
- Lets you specialize in a subject and take several courses in it
IB Diploma Programme
A two-year programme across six subject groups.
- Three Higher Level and three Standard Level subjects
- Plus Theory of Knowledge, Extended Essay and CAS
- Scored 1–7 per subject; 24 points minimum for the Diploma
- Not doing the full Diploma? You can still take individual IB courses and earn a certificate
Graduation basics
25 credits total, with minimums of 4 English, 3 Math, 3 Science, 3 Social Studies, 2 World Language (same language), 1 Creative Arts, 2 PE & Health and 7 electives. Grade 11 and 12 students take 8 classes, and everyone takes Self-Directed Studies as one of them. Attendance must be 80% or higher in each class.
The six IB groups
1 Language and Literature, 2 Language Acquisition, 3 Individuals and Societies, 4 Experimental Sciences, 5 Mathematics, 6 The Arts. You can replace Group 6 with a second course from Groups 1–4. Maximum of three Higher Level courses.
Dates and changes
Course selection runs February to April, with help from counselors, the Assistant Principal and the IB DP Coordinator. You can add or drop a course in the first two weeks of school. Courses only run if there is enough student interest, staffing and timetable space.
UAE requirements
Students with passports from listed Arab countries take Arabic in Grades 9–12, and Emirati students take Islamic Studies every year. The UAE High School Equivalency has extra requirements. Check the full handbook and your counselor.
Build your plan
Choose one course from each of six groups. You can only take 3 HL subjects, and the other three are SL. Once you pick 3 HL courses, the other HL options lock. Theory of Knowledge and Self-Directed Studies are required and already added, so a Full IB schedule is 8 classes. The Extended Essay and CAS run alongside.
Rate this plan for your major
Take some IB courses alongside AP and general courses without committing to the full Diploma. A blended schedule is 8 classes, and everyone uses one of them for Self-Directed Studies. You can take at most 3 HL courses.
Rate this plan for your major
Type a major or pick one. You get the courses to prioritize and what to take before Grade 11. Not sure what you want to study?
Major map
Every major on one chart. Left to right: how hard the major is overall, from the workload at university, how competitive it is to get into, and the high school courses it expects. Bottom to top: how much it leans on math and science versus reading, writing and people. Hover or tap a dot to see its key courses, then open it.
Hover or tap a dot to see a major.
See the map as a list
Positions are Pathwise estimates that combine university workload, how competitive admission usually is, and the high school prep each major expects. Every major is hard to do well; this is a guide, not an official ranking.
Step 1: tap the IB classes you are taking in Grade 12. Step 2: tap the Grade 11 AP or general classes you took. You get the best continuation for each.
Your IB classes
Your Grade 11 AP and general classes
Search for your major, then add the classes you are taking. Each class gets a 1 to 10 fit rating: 1 means a poor fit for the major, 10 means an excellent fit. Ratings come from this guide's own list of priority courses per major.
Tell Pathwise your major or the subjects you enjoy, and AI builds an 8-class schedule for you, including Self-Directed Studies. It uses at most 3 HL or AP courses unless you choose more.
Not sure what to major in? Answer 20 quick questions about what you enjoy. You get your top 3 majors out of 51, why they fit, and the courses to look at. It takes about 3 minutes.
Every class has its own page: what it covers, how SL and HL differ, what it leads to, the majors it fits and videos about it.
Browse every course
Search and filter all Grade 11 and 12 courses. Add any course to your shortlist, which you can see at the bottom of the screen.
GPA calculator
Add your classes and grades. You get your unweighted GPA, where every class counts on the 4.0 scale, and your weighted GPA, where IB SL, IB HL and AP classes earn extra points, using the Program of Studies grade scale.
Your classes
Pick a letter grade, or type your achievement score (1 to 4) and the letter fills in. Class type fills in when you choose a course from the list.
Unweighted GPA
Every class on the standard 4.0 scale.
Weighted GPA
IB SL up to 4.25, IB HL and AP up to 4.50.
IB Diploma points
For Full IB students. Enter a grade from 1 to 7 for each of your six subjects, plus your Theory of Knowledge and Extended Essay grades (A to E). You get your total out of 45 and whether those grades pass the Diploma.
How IB Diploma points work
Each subject is graded 1 to 7, so six subjects give up to 42 points. Theory of Knowledge and the Extended Essay are graded A to E and combine for up to 3 bonus points: two As give 3, an A with a B gives 3, two Cs give 1, and an E in either one means no Diploma.
You need at least 24 points, and all of these must also be true: no grade 1, fewer than three grade 2s, fewer than four grades of 3 or below, at least 12 points across your HL subjects, at least 9 points across your SL subjects, and CAS completed.
These are the IB's general rules. They can change, so confirm with the IB DP Coordinator.
Program of Studies grade scale
Theory of Knowledge and other half-credit classes count half. Self-Directed Studies and Learning Lab have no grade, so they are left out. Your official GPA on your transcript is the one that counts.
About Pathwise
Hi, I'm Laith Halaseh
I'm a student in the Class of 2028, and I'm on a blended plan, mixing IB, AP and general courses. I built Pathwise because the people around me weren't as prepared for course selection as they could be. Everything you need is in the Program of Studies, but it is long, and it is hard to see how the choices connect: which course leads to which, and what a prerequisite really blocks.
So I made the guide I wanted us all to have. Every Grade 11 and 12 course is in one place, IB, AP and general courses are easy to compare, and you can test a plan before you submit your course requests.
What you can do here
Build a Full IB or blended schedule, plan Grade 12 from what you took in Grade 11, follow a subject's pathway, rate your classes for a major, find your major with the quiz, and work out your GPA and IB points.
Follow Pathwise on Instagram
I post on @pathwise_education: breakdowns of IB and AP courses, the best classes for each major, and course selection tips. Comment or DM me there if you want a course or major covered next.
Tell me what to improve
Pathwise is new, and your feedback decides what I build next. It takes 30 seconds and it is anonymous.
Questions?
For any inquiries, email me at hello@pathwise.tech or message @pathwise_education on Instagram.
Major fit ratings are estimates, not official Program of Studies numbers. This guide is unofficial, so always confirm your choices with your counselor.
Find your universities
Enter your GPA, SAT and activities, pick where you would like to study, and AI suggests reach, target and likely universities.