What Is Harder, AP or IB? A Real-World Comparison for Students Choosing Their Path

When you're standing in front of your guidance counselor with a list of options-AP courses or the full IB Diploma-it’s not just about which one looks better on a college application. It’s about which one you can actually survive. And the truth? Neither is easy. But one might be harder for you-depending on how you think, how you work, and what kind of pressure you can handle.

AP: Depth Over Breadth

AP courses are standalone. You pick the subjects you want-maybe AP Calculus, AP Biology, AP U.S. History-and study them in isolation. Each one ends with a single 3-hour exam in May. If you bomb one, you can still walk away with a 4 or 5 in the others. No one’s forcing you to take six of them.

The workload? Heavy, but focused. For AP Chemistry, you’ll spend 6-8 hours a week on homework, labs, and review. The exam tests your mastery of specific content: stoichiometry, equilibrium, thermodynamics. If you memorize the formulas and drill past papers, you can do well. Many students treat APs like sprint races-intense, short bursts of effort.

But here’s the catch: colleges don’t just look at your AP scores. They look at how many you took. So if you’re aiming for a top school, you’ll likely end up taking 4-7 APs in your junior and senior years. That’s not just classes-it’s a full-time job on top of extracurriculars, part-time work, and family responsibilities.

IB: The Marathon That Never Ends

IB is not a collection of courses. It’s a system. A philosophy. A way of life for two years. You don’t pick your subjects-you’re assigned a full curriculum: six subject groups (Language, Literature, Sciences, Math, Individuals & Societies, Arts), plus three core requirements: Theory of Knowledge (TOK), the Extended Essay (EE), and Creativity, Activity, Service (CAS).

Let’s break that down.

• Six subjects: You take three at Higher Level (HL) and three at Standard Level (SL). HL classes are roughly equivalent to a first-year university course. You’re expected to write 20+ page research papers, do complex lab investigations, and analyze texts in depth.
• TOK: A philosophy class that asks, “How do you know what you know?” It’s not about memorizing facts-it’s about questioning everything. You write a 1,600-word essay and give a 10-minute presentation. Many students say this is the most mentally exhausting part.
• Extended Essay: A 4,000-word research paper on a topic of your choice. You pick a subject, find a supervisor, draft, revise, and defend it. It’s not optional. It’s worth 3 points toward your final score.
• CAS: 150 hours of activities outside academics-volunteering, sports, arts. You have to log them, reflect on them, and prove you didn’t just do it for the checkbox.

And then, at the end of two years, you sit for six final exams-each 2-3 hours long-and hope your scores in TOK and EE don’t drag you down. The maximum score is 45 points. You need 24 to pass. Most students score between 28-32. A 40+ is considered excellent.

Which One Is Actually Harder?

Let’s be clear: AP is harder if you hate pressure. IB is harder if you hate structure.

AP lets you choose your battles. You can skip the AP Art History if you’re not into it. You can take AP Statistics instead of AP Calculus if math isn’t your thing. You can drop a course mid-year if it’s overwhelming. The system is flexible. But that flexibility comes with a trade-off: you’re responsible for managing your own workload. No one’s holding your hand.

IB doesn’t give you that freedom. You have to take a language, a science, a math, a humanities subject, and an arts subject-even if you hate writing essays or can’t stand biology. You can’t drop a class after October. You can’t skip TOK. You can’t ignore CAS. The system is rigid. And that rigidity is what makes it brutal.

Think of it this way: AP is like building a custom car. You choose the engine, the tires, the color. IB is like driving a Formula 1 race car that was built for you by someone else-and you have to win the championship.

Real Student Experiences

In Dublin, I’ve talked to students who did both. One girl took 5 APs and got a 4.5 GPA. She said, “I was exhausted every night, but I knew when the exam was over, I was done. I had weekends off.”

Another student did the full IB Diploma. She got a 41. She said, “I didn’t have a single weekend free for two years. I wrote my Extended Essay during Christmas break. I cried during TOK presentations. But I learned how to manage time, how to argue, how to think-not just memorize.”

Neither is “better.” But one is more draining. IB doesn’t just test your knowledge-it tests your endurance. AP tests your ability to perform under pressure in short bursts.

How Colleges See Them

Top universities-Harvard, Oxford, UCL, Trinity College Dublin-respect both. But they look at context. If you’re from a school that only offers AP, they’ll judge you based on what you had access to. Same with IB.

But here’s the thing: IB students are more likely to get into selective programs in Europe and the UK because the diploma is structured like a university prep course. AP scores are often used for course credit in the U.S., letting you skip intro classes. So if you’re aiming for a U.S. school and want to graduate early, AP might give you a head start.

But if you’re aiming for a program like Medicine or Engineering in the UK or Ireland, IB HL subjects in Chemistry, Math, and Biology carry more weight than AP scores alone.

Who Should Choose What?

Choose AP if:

• You want control over your schedule
• You’re strong in one or two subjects and want to shine there
• You plan to apply mostly to U.S. universities
• You need flexibility to balance sports, jobs, or family

Choose IB if:

• You thrive in structured environments
• You want to develop research, writing, and critical thinking skills
• You’re applying to universities in Europe, Canada, or the UK
• You’re okay with no “off” days for two years

And if you’re unsure? Try one AP class and one IB HL subject in your junior year. See which one drains you more. That’s the real test.

The Bottom Line

Is IB harder than AP? Yes-if you measure it by total hours, required components, and lack of escape routes. Is AP harder? Also yes-if you measure it by how much pressure you put on yourself to ace every single exam.

There’s no universal answer. The hardest program is the one that doesn’t match your strengths. If you’re a deep thinker who loves writing and hates cramming, IB might feel like home. If you’re a focused test-taker who hates essays and wants to move on fast, AP will suit you better.

Don’t pick based on what looks impressive. Pick based on what you can survive-and even thrive in.

What Comes Next?

If you’re still deciding, talk to students who’ve done both. Ask them what their worst day looked like. Ask them if they’d do it again. Look at your own schedule-how much time do you really have? Are you the kind of person who needs structure to stay on track, or do you thrive when you’re in charge?

There’s no right answer. But there is a right choice-for you. And that’s the only one that matters.