For Parents
IB Diploma for Parents: Subjects, Core and Key Decisions
The map of the whole Diploma: six subjects, HL and SL, TOK, CAS and the Extended Essay.
4 min read
RENZO DIAZ — Reference library
The Renzo Diaz Index
A reference library for IB families: how the Diploma works, how Mathematics and Physics are assessed, which course to choose and what universities ask for. Every piece lists its sources and says what each figure counts.
Search for advice on the IB and you mostly find recycled definitions and directories padded for keywords. This library is the opposite: specific, long-form answers to the questions families ask before they decide, written by someone who has taught IB Mathematics and Physics since 2016.
It grows slowly, on purpose. Today it covers the IB Diploma Programme in Mathematics and Physics, and IGCSE joins when it has a first real piece of its own. Nothing is written to hit a word count.
Start here
Five pieces, one for each section, that answer what families ask first.
For Students
Where IB Mathematics Students Actually Lose Marks — And Why Knowing the Maths Isn't Enough
The marks that go for reasons other than not knowing the maths.
5 min read
Programs
IB Math AA vs AI: How to Choose, and What Grade Boundaries Miss
The most-asked course choice, tested against university requirements.
7 min read
University
Is My IB Score Enough for University? A Checklist
A checklist you can run for any course, without a table that goes stale.
4 min read
Schools
International Schools in Milan: Which Offer the IB Diploma
The ten IB Diploma schools in and around Milan, and how they differ.
2 min read
Catalogue — sections of the collection
What the library covers
Sec. A
For Parents
What to look for before you commit — how to read a school report or a predicted grade, and how to tell a tutor's real claim from a marketing one.
11 pieces published
Sec. B
For Students
Study method and revision strategy, and the specific mechanics of IB assessment that no syllabus document explains.
8 pieces published
Sec. C
Programs
The IB courses organised by what a student is actually enrolled in — Mathematics AA and AI at SL and HL, and Physics — with exam structure and marking folded into each program rather than a separate page that fits none of them well.
9 pieces published
Sec. D
University
How IB subject choices carry through to university admissions — requirements, the UCAS Tariff, and a checklist for any course.
16 pieces published
Sec. E
Schools
The schools where students take the IB, starting with Milan: which are authorised for the Diploma, what comes before it, and which Mathematics and Physics courses they teach.
4 pieces published
Every piece in the library
How each piece is checked
Every piece lists its sources, says what each figure counts and links the official page it relies on. Exam structure, weights and requirements are read from the IB’s own guides and from each university’s admissions pages rather than repeated secondhand.
Recently reviewed
The pieces whose facts were last checked against their sources most recently.
- IB Physics IA Ideas: 15 Research Questions by Theme, With How to Measure EachLast reviewed October 8, 2026
- IB Points and UCAS Tariff Calculator: Diploma Total, Pass Conditions and Tariff PointsLast reviewed October 8, 2026
- IB Requirements for Medicine: UK Universities and English-Taught Medicine in Italy (2027 Entry)Last reviewed October 8, 2026
- IB Requirements for Architecture: UK and European Universities (2027 Entry)Last reviewed October 8, 2026
- How to Choose a Tutor: Stop Asking Questions. Start Verifying Claims.Last reviewed October 7, 2026
- IB Diploma for Parents: Subjects, Core and Key DecisionsLast reviewed October 7, 2026
Grows slowly, on purpose