The San Mateo County Community College District (SMCCCD) grants credit toward its local associate degrees and applies it towards associate degrees (AA, AS, AA-T, AS-T), certificates, and California General Education Transfer Curriculum (Cal-GETC) certifications.

A score of 5, 6, or 7 on Higher-level (HL) exams is required to grade credit for CAL-GETC certification. However, some IB exams only require a minimum score of four (4) on a Higher-level exam. Students can earn a minimum of 3-semester units of credit for each IB exam satisfactorily passed.

The IB Credit Equivalency Guide defines how each IB exam credit will be applied. Please note that CSU, UCs and other transfer four-year universities may define their credit differently than SMCCCD. Students should consult a counselor or the individual university regarding their IB credit policy.

If your SMCCCD college does not offer a course similar in content to an IB exam, the college will award credit for the General Education area shown in the SMCCCD IB Equivalency Guide below. If an IB exam does not align with a general education area, the College may award elective credit.

If you took an IB exam and received a minimum score of 4 or higher on a HL exam, you can:

  1. Request your official IB scores be sent to your SMCCCD College. For information about obtaining your IB scores, contact the International Baccalaureate. NOTE: If you have submitted your scores to another institution outside our district, you will need to submit your scores again to SMCCCD.

  2. Upon receipt of your official IB scores, credit will be determined according to the SMCCCD IB Credit Equivalency Guide; coursework and units will be posted on your SMCCCD transcripts.

  3. Upon notification, meet with a counselor to determine if you wish to accept, decline, or appeal the application of the IB credit to your transcript.

Please note:

  • IB credit will receive a grade of CRE, which does not affect GPA.

  • The equivalencies defined by the IB Test Policy will be applied based on when the student completed the exam.

  • If you have any questions regarding Math and English placement or IB credit, please contact your counselor.

  • While SMCCCD does not put a limit on the number of External Exams you may earn credit for, please be aware that transfer schools may have limits. Please check with your Counselor.

  • IB exams that have been discontinued are not shown on this table.

For more information on IB regulations for the CSU and UC segments, please see:
https://admission.universityofcalifornia.edu/admission-requirements/ap-exam-credits/ib-credits.html
https://calstate.policystat.com/policy/14685671/latest/

All units listed are semester units.

SMCCCD IB Credit Equivalency Guide

IB Examination HL SMCCCD Course Equivalent SMCCCD Associate Degree GE Area SMCCCD Units CalGETC GE Area CalGETC Units
  (A minimum score of 5, unless otherwise indicated) (A minimum score of 5, unless otherwise indicated)   (Minimum score of 5 for CalGETC)  
Biology N/A Area 5B and Area 5C 4 Units Area 5B 3 Units
Chemistry CHEM 192 (score: 5,6) CHEM 210 (score: 7) Area 5A and Area 5C CHEM 210 (5 units), CHEM 192 (4 units) Area 5A 3 Units
Classical Languages N/A Area 3 3 Units N/A N/A
Computer Science CIS 254 N/A 4 Units N/A N/A
Economics N/A Area 4 3 Units Area 4 3 Units
Geography GEOG 100 Area 4 3 Units Area 4 3 Units
History (any Region) N/A Area 3B or Area 4 3 Units Area 3B or Area 4 3 Units
Language A: Literature (any language, except English)  N/A Area 3B (Minimum Score of 4) 3 Units Area 3B 3 Units
Language A: Literature (any language)  N/A Area 3B (Minimum Score of 4) 3 Units Area 3B 3 Units
Language A: Language and Literature (any language, except English)  N/A Area 3B (Minimum Score of 4) 3 Units Area 3B 3 Units
Language A: Language and Literature (any language)  N/A Area 3B (Minimum Score of 4) 3 Units Area 3B 3 Units
Mathematics: Analysis and Approaches  MATH C2210 (score: 5,6)  MATH C2210 and MATH  C2220 (score: 7) Area 2 (Minimum Score of 4) 5 Units Area 2 3 Units
Mathematics: Applications and Interpretation  STAT C1000 (score: 5) Area 2 (Minimum Score of 4) 4 Units Area 2 (may not be at all UC) 3 Units
Philosophy N/A Area 3 3 Units N/A N/A
Physics PHYS 210 and PHYS 220 Area 5A 4 Units Area 5A 3 Units
Psychology PSYC C1000 Area 4 3 Units Area 4 3 Units
Theatre N/A Area 3A (Minimum Score of 4) 3 Units Area 3A 3 Units