Cairo American College is an authorized International Baccalaureate (IB) Primary Years Programme School. 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 that share a powerful vision. 

Enrollment in the IB Diploma Programme at CAC is available to all students as long as the prerequisites have been met for individual courses.  However, recommendations for enrollment in the IB Diploma or individual IB courses are made by the teachers, counselors, and IB Coordinator based upon previous academic performance.  Specific course selections are made during the Spring Semester of Grade 10.

Students who elect to undertake the IB Diploma with its expectations within and beyond the classroom have chosen the most rigorous academic challenge available at CAC. Although the IB Diploma is designed to be accessible to all learners, it is a two-year comprehensive program that calls for a high degree of commitment. At CAC, we want all students to participate in our vibrant campus culture, but in order to do so, IB students must judiciously select their extracurricular activities.  The homework, major assessments, and Diploma requirements will absorb many hours of any given week, and students must come into the IB Programme with an awareness of the workload. 

Students may elect to participate in the IB program in one of two ways, either by Diploma or individual course (formerly called “Certificate”).  IB courses are almost always two years in length.  The IB courses are intended for Diploma candidates, and if there is limited space in an IB class, priority will be given to Diploma candidates. Every student in any IB class will undertake all IB requirements in order to keep the IB course label and, for Higher Level courses, the weight. All students taking two years of an IB course are required to complete all IB requirements and register with the IB for the subject(s), including sitting May examinations.