BC High School Education System

Summary

BC/Vancouver secondary school system details, welcome to inquire

 

BC High School Graduation Requirements

  • High school graduates in British Columbia receive the Dogwood Diploma, a high school diploma. The minimum graduation requirement is to obtain 80 credits in grades 10-12 (form 4 to 6) and study for 2 years.
  • Usually each subject is 4 credits, and 80 credits require about 20 subjects. Of these, 13 subjects (or 52 credits) are compulsory subjects. At least 16 credits are completed in grade 12, including Language Arts 12 and Career Life Connections. The other 28 credits come from elective subjects.
  • In addition, students are required to complete at least 30 hours of volunteer service.
  • Before graduation, you need to pass three provincial exams: Literacy 10, Literacy 12, Numeracy 10. Each student has three chances, so it is less stressful than the Hong Kong DSE.
  • Some subjects can be further divided, for example, Science can be further divided into biology, chemistry, physics, etc. It also depends on the subjects you are applying for in college. For example, if you plan to study engineering in college, you need to take Pre-Calculus instead of Foundation of Math. You can discuss adjustments with your teacher when selecting courses.
  • Many schools offer Advanced Placement courses. AP courses can count as credits, and if you have good grades, they can also count as college credits.

 

The difference between different academic systems (Linear, Semester, Trimester)

  • Linear is a year-based system. Generally speaking, each school year is from September to June, and students study 8 subjects each year. The advantage is that each subject can be studied for 10 months. The disadvantage is that it is less flexible, especially for students who transfer in the middle of the semester. Some schools will not accept students who transfer in the middle of the semester, and the school can only be postponed to September.
  • The semester system has two independent semesters, September to January and February to June. The advantage is that you can complete a set of courses in one semester, and start a new course in the next semester. It is more flexible and suitable for students who want to transfer to other classes.
  • The trimester system is a three-term system. Students have to complete three terms of subjects each year. Each term is about 3.5 months, and each term is 4 subjects. The maximum number of subjects per year is 12. September to December, January to April, and May to August. The advantage is that students can graduate faster. They can study up to 12 subjects in a year. Most schools study 8 subjects a year. The disadvantage is that each term is very short, and there is less time to study each subject. It is difficult for students who graduate in the summer to match the time to apply for university. Because most universities require transcripts to be submitted in April or May, students in the trimester system often have to wait until the second year to enter university.
 

ESL English Tutoring Course

  • ESL stands for English as a Secondary Language.
  • Students in Hong Kong, especially those from international schools, are good at academic English, writing, and conversation. Most of these students do not need to take ESL. If students' English scores are not up to standard, they need to take ESL.
  • Some schools require students to pass ESL before starting to study regular subjects.
  • Some schools allow students to study ESL while taking other less academic subjects or subjects that do not require high English skills. Some schools allow students to study ESL and regular English courses simultaneously.

 

Secondary school subjects required for admission to British Columbia universities

  • Different subjects in BC universities require different secondary school subjects
  • If you want to study engineering in college, you need to study English, Pre-Calculus, Social Studies, Second Language, Chemistry, Physics in your 11th year. In your 12th year, you need to study English, Pre-Calculus, Physics, Chemistry.
  • If you are studying science, food, nutrition and health at university, the courses required are similar to engineering, and you will study English, Pre-Calculus, Social Studies, Second Language, Chemistry, Physics or Biology in grade 11. In grade 12, you will study English, Pre-Calculus plus one of Biology, Physics or Chemistry, and one grade 12 subject.
  • If you want to study business, you need to study English, Social Studies, Second Language in grade 11, and English, Pre-Calculus and two other grade 12 subjects in grade 12.
  • Students who study arts will study English, Social Studies, and Secondary Language in grade 11. Students who study arts will study English and three other grade 12 subjects in grade 12.
  • Universities may have other requirements. It is best to have a general idea of ​​the university major you want to study when choosing courses, choose courses strategically, and improve your resume.

Related Reading

 

Reading about BC's secondary school system

 

FAQ about BC Secondary School System

1. I have completed Form 5, but BC secondary schools require two years to graduate. Doesn't that mean I will graduate from college a year later than other students?

  • Studying in Vancouver after Form 5 : This article compares 3 options for studying in Vancouver after Form 5. In 2 of the options, you can graduate with your classmates.

 

2. How much does secondary school cost in Vancouver?

  • Canadian secondary school tuition : There are Canadian public secondary schools and Canadian private secondary schools, and the tuition fee increase rate. The first choice for cost-effectiveness is of course Canadian public secondary schools.

 

3. BC High School Rankings

 

4. Is it better to go to a public or private high school in BC?

 
 

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