IB Candidate School vs IB World School: The Difference

If you've been looking into international schools in Hoi An or Da Nang, you may have noticed us calling Odyssey an "IB Candidate School" and wondered how that's different from an "IB World School." It's a fair question, so here's the short answer.

The Simple Version

An IB World School has been officially approved by the International Baccalaureate to teach its programmes.

An IB Candidate School, which is what Odyssey International School is right now, is a school that's actively working through that approval process, under the IB's guidance, before that final stamp is given.

Think of it less like a waiting room and more like an apprenticeship. We're not teaching a "lite" version of IB while we wait. We're already teaching the real thing.

What IB Education at Odyssey Looks Like

Our classrooms already run on the full IB PYP and MYP framework: inquiry driven learning and the same Learner Profile values IB World Schools around the globe teach by. Our teachers are IB trained, our curriculum is built around IB standards, and your child's daily experience at Odyssey already looks like an IB education, because it is one.

The Good News

As the first and only IB Candidate School in Hoi An and Da Nang, candidacy means the IB is watching closely. Their consultants visit regularly to check our progress, review what's happening in classrooms, and talk with our teachers and leadership to make sure we're building the real thing, not just the paperwork. We're proud to say we're fully on track, with two IB consultant visits scheduled next month as part of that ongoing check in.

From here, the path leads to a final evaluation and a decision by the IB itself. Once that's granted, Odyssey officially becomes an IB World School, joining a global network of schools that share the same standards, all while being the first to bring that opportunity to families here in central Vietnam.

The Takeaway for Parents

Your child doesn't have to wait for a certificate to get an authentic IB education at Odyssey. They're getting one now, from trained teachers, in a school that's proving itself every step of the way. We just also happen to be on our way to making it official.

Curious what an IB education at Odyssey looks like for your child?

Get in touch with our admissions team and book a visit.