Vilniaus licėjus

IB Diploma programme

• Diploma Programme Curriculum

  The International Baccalaureate Diploma programme (IB DP) has been offered at Vilnius Lyceum since 1997, with up to 100 students enrolled across all IB classes. Intended for students aged 16 to 19, the IB Diploma Programme is a rigorous, two-year course of study in the final years of secondary education, providing a well-rounded and academically challenging curriculum that prepares students for success in higher education and life beyond school. The IB Diploma is recognized by universities worldwide, including those in Lithuania.

  The curriculum is made up of the DP core and six subject groups.

  THE DP CORE

  All IB DP students must engage in three core components: Theory of Knowledge (TOK), the Extended Essay (EE), and Creativity, Activity, and Service (CAS). Together, these elements support critical thinking, intellectual depth, and personal growth.  

  • Theory of Knowledge (TOK)a 100-hour course that teaches students to understand the nature and scope of knowledge, critically evaluate different ways of knowing, and explore various areas of knowledge. As part of this course, students complete a TOK exhibition (an oral presentation) and submit a 1600-word essay, fostering both self-reflection and critical analysis skills.
  • Extended Essay (EE) – an independent, self-directed research work of about 4000 words, which is written over a period of one year. Students select a research question within one of their studied subjects and spend approximately 40 hours on this process. This component builds skills in independent inquiry and academic writing.
  • Creativity, Activity, Service (CAS) – to balance academic demands, students dedicate 2–3 hours per week to activities that develop creativity, physical activity, and community engagement. CAS activities allow students to pursue interests and hobbies while developing initiative, teamwork, and reflective self-assessment. Through CAS, students experience holistic personal growth and develop a sense of responsibility to their communities.

  Learn more about the DP-core.

  DP SUBJECTS

  Students are required to select one subject from each of six groups. Three subjects are studied at the Higher Level (HL), and the other three at the Standard Level (SL). Higher-level courses require 240 hours, while standard-level courses require 150 hours over two years. Students are encouraged to select subjects based on their interests, preferences, and intended fields of study.

  Subjects offered at Vilnius Lyceum:

  Subject group	Subjects
  Group 1: Studies in Language and Literature	Lithuanian A: Literature, English A: Language and Literature
  Group 2: Language Acquisition	English B, German B, French B
  Group 3: Individuals & Societies	History, Geography, Psychology, Economics
  Group 4: Sciences	Biology, Physics, Chemistry, Environmental Systems, Computer Science
  Group 5: Mathematics	Mathematics
  Group 6: Electives	A second subject from Groups 2 - 4

  More information about the course selection can be found in the  ,,Access and Admission Policy“ under the section ‘The IB DP course selection at Vilnius Lyceum‘.

  Detailed information about each subject can be found in the table below.

  Subject	Subject
  Lithuanian A: literature	Language A: literature
  English A: language and literature	Language A: language and literature
  English (B) German (B) French (B)	Language B SL & HL
  German (B) French (B)	Language AB initio
  History	History SL History HL
  Geography	Geography Geography
  Economics	Economics SL Economics HL
  Psychology	Psychology
  Computer science	Computer science SL
  Physics	Physics
  Chemistry	Chemistry
  Biology	Biology
  Environmental systems and societies	ESS
  Mathematics: Analysis and approaches	Mathematics AA

  Learn more about the Diploma-programme.

  
  

  LANGUAGE OF INSTRUCTION

  The language of instruction in IB classes is English (with the exception of Lithuanian, German, and French lessons). Courses are taught using textbooks designed specifically for IB schools. The Lithuanian literature course is taught, and final exams are taken, in accordance with the IB-prepared curriculum.

  ASSESSMENT

  In alignment with the IB Diploma Programme, Vilnius Lyceum uses formative, summative, and formal assessments to provide meaningful insights into student learning and development. Teachers apply clear and consistent grading criteria that align with IB subject-specific standards. A 7-point grading scale, where 7 represents the highest achievement, is applied.

  More information about assessment.

  FEES

  The annual fee for the implementation of the IB Diploma Programme at Vilnius Lyceum (9150 EUR) is covered by the Vilnius City Municipality. The exam fee (534 EUR) and postal expenses are covered by students' parents.

• IB Final Examinations

  At the end of the second year of study (in May), students take final examinations in all six subjects. These exams are prepared by the IBO Examination and Assessment Center. According to the IB’s established schedule, examinations are held simultaneously in May across all IB schools in the Northern Hemisphere. Each subject’s final examination consists of two or three papers.

  Examination papers are assessed by external examiners, with assessments moderated and final grades confirmed by the IB Examination and Assessment Center in Cardiff, Wales. All papers are assessed based on the standard IB assessment criteria, using a 7-point grading scale.

  The final examination grade for each subject comprises scores from examination papers and the Internal Assessment (IA). The IA is completed by students during the school year and is initially assessed by the subject teacher and later may be moderated by the IB examiners. Each assessment component, including the examination papers and the IA, carries a designated weight that contributes to the final grade according to its significance in the overall assessment structure. Consequently, the final grade reflects a weighted combination of these scores rather than a simple arithmetic average.

• International Baccalaureate (IB) Diploma

  The International Baccalaureate (IB) Diploma is awarded to students who successfully pass all six subject examinations and complete the requirements for the DP core: Theory of Knowledge (TOK) course, the Extended Essay (EE), and the Creativity, Activity, Service (CAS).

  To be awarded the IB diploma, a minimum of 24 points is required. The highest score that a candidate can achieve is 45 points. The diploma points are calculated by adding together the grades achieved from each of the six subjects (a grade of 1-7 for each subject) and up to three points for the core (TOK and EE).

  More information about the requirements for the IB Diploma can be found in the Asessment policy, under the section ‘Award of the IB Diploma‘

  The final IB examination results are released on July 6 at  https://candidates.ibo.org/#/ and IB diplomas are sent to schools in August or September.

  Students graduating from the Vilnius Lyceum Diploma Programme are awarded a bilingual IB diploma, qualifying them to pursue higher education in both Lithuanian and English. In Lithuania, the IB diploma is recognized as equivalent to the national Maturity Certificate (Brandos Atestatas), and IB final exams are regarded as equivalent to national Matura exams. According to the guidelines endorsed by the Lithuanian Ministry of Education, Science, and Sport, IB examination grades are converted to a 100-point scale.

  IB examination HL	Matura examination	IB examination SL	Matura examination
  7	100	7	90
  6	90	6	85
  5	85	5	65
  4	65	4	44
  3	44	3	35
  2	35	2	21
  1	nėra atitikmens	1	nėra atitikmens

  Information about admission to higher education institutions in Lithuania can be found at https://lamabpo.lt/ under the section Bachelor‘s  Studies -> International-students.

  More information about the global recognition of the IB Diploma and university admissions for IB students worldwide can be found at https://www.ibo.org/university-admission/.