Choosing the Right Path for Your Future
At AIA, we are proud to offer two exceptional senior pathways: the International Baccalaureate (IB) Diploma Programme and the NSW Higher School Certificate (HSC). Both are academically rigorous, well-respected, and provide a strong foundation for university and career success.
We support each student to make an informed decision based on their strengths, interests, learning style, and future goals
Assessment and Results
In short: IB results are not scaled or ranked against others, making it a more consistent pathway.
HSC marks are influenced by cohort performance and scaling rules, which can benefit or disadvantage depending on subject choices and school performance.
What is right for my child?
The IB and HSC provide different opportunities and experiences for different students.
Your child may find it more ‘difficult’ to begin focusing from Year 11. Alternatively, your child may find that accounting for both years of study in the final results removes the stress of Year 12.
The current IB conversions are quite generous. UAC data reveals approximately 5% of IB students last year received scores converting to an ATAR of 99.95, compared to 0.1% of HSC students.
The IB is academically vigorous and encourages independent learning.
However, if your child is considering undertaking the IB they must be academically well rounded due to the course curriculum structure. In the HSC, if your child is not as strong in maths or science, they would not be required to complete these subjects.
AIA Support Throughout
- Dedicated IB and HSC Coordinators
- Study skills workshops and mentoring
- Islamic and emotional wellbeing support
- Career guidance and university application assistance
- Alumni panels and scholarship preparation