The VBCPS IB Admissions Entrance Exam is one of the most consequential tests your Virginia Beach 8th grader will take — and I have watched students walk in completely unprepared simply because no one told them what the exam actually tests. This post explains the exam's two-part structure, names who must take it, and maps out a realistic 10-week prep plan that works backward from the January test date. If your child is applying to the IB Diploma Programme at Princess Anne High School, read this before the application portal opens in October.
Quick Facts: VBCPS IB Admissions Entrance Exam at Princess Anne High School
- Exam name: VBCPS IB Admissions Entrance Exam
- Who must take it: Students NOT previously enrolled in the IB Middle Years Programme (MYP) — the structured IB program offered at Plaza Middle School
- What it tests: Analytical and critical reasoning, reading comprehension, and written response or essay writing
- Format: Mixed — multiple-choice reasoning sections plus at least one written response component
- Test date: January (morning OR afternoon session assigned by the school; makeup session offered the following week)
- Application window: Mid-October through early January (October 17 – January 8, 5:00 PM for the 2025–26 cycle; verify current-year dates)
- Decision timeline: Late February to mid-March (verify at vbschools.com each cycle)
- Information Night: Typically held in December — attend to confirm current-year logistics directly with staff
- IB Coordinator contact: Jamie LaCava-Owen, 757.648.5600
- Official site: princessannehs.vbschools.com/ib-myp/ib
What Is on the Princess Anne IB Entrance Exam — Reading, Reasoning, Writing, or All Three?
VBCPS does not publish an official test blueprint. That said, the IB Diploma Programme's core demands make the exam's likely structure fairly clear. The program requires students to write a 3,700- to 4,000-word Extended Essay and pass an externally scored Theory of Knowledge essay. Both require analytical reading, logical reasoning, and structured written argumentation. The admissions exam screens for the same skills early.
Based on the program's curriculum and the application's student written response component, the exam covers three areas:
- Reading and verbal reasoning — comprehension of complex, multi-disciplinary texts
- Quantitative and analytical reasoning — logical problem-solving and pattern recognition, not arithmetic drill
- Written response and essay writing — building a coherent, evidence-based argument under timed conditions
Exact section names, question counts, and total exam duration are not publicly disclosed. Call Jamie LaCava-Owen at 757.648.5600 before your child's cycle to ask for any updates to the format. The one thing that is consistent: this exam rewards reasoning ability, not memorized facts. Standard SOL review will not prepare your child for it.
Who Must Take the VBCPS IB Admissions Entrance Exam — and Who Is Exempt?
Entrance testing applies only to students who were NOT enrolled in the IB Middle Years Programme (MYP). Students who completed MYP at Plaza Middle School are exempt from the exam. Every other applicant — including students from non-VBCPS middle schools, private schools, or any Virginia Beach school outside the MYP pipeline — must sit for the January exam.
This matters for your prep strategy. MYP graduates enter the application with two or more years of IB-style interdisciplinary reasoning already built in. Your child is starting from a different baseline, and the exam will reflect that difference. Targeted practice with IB-style critical thinking and essay writing directly closes that gap.
All applicants — MYP graduates included — still submit a student written response, a parent or guardian recommendation, and teacher recommendations from English, math, science, and social studies. The exam score is one additional data point that only non-MYP applicants provide.
How to Prepare for the IB Admissions Test Virginia Beach Students Are Actually Facing
The biggest prep mistake I see families make is treating this exam like a content review test. The Princess Anne IB entrance exam does not ask your child to recall the causes of World War I or solve quadratic equations from memory. It asks them to read an unfamiliar passage, reason through the argument's logic, and write a coherent response — all under time pressure. That is a skill set, and skills take practice repetitions to develop.
Here is a concrete 10-week prep plan working backward from a mid-January exam date:
- Weeks 1–3 (October) — Build baseline: Complete two to three timed STEM critical thinking practice sets per week. Focus on identifying argument structure and evaluating evidence quality in multi-paragraph passages.
- Weeks 4–6 (November) — Add essay writing: Write one timed, evidence-based response per week. Practice organizing a clear claim, supporting it with two or three specific reasons, and writing a conclusion — all in under 30 minutes.
- Week 7 (early December) — Attend Information Night: Ask the IB Coordinator directly about the current exam format. Adjust your prep calendar based on anything new you learn.
- Weeks 8–9 (mid-to-late December) — Simulate full test conditions: Complete one combined reasoning-plus-essay practice session per week without interruption. Replicate actual test timing as closely as possible.
- Week 10 (early January) — Light review only: No new material. Confirm your child's assigned session (morning or afternoon) and parking at Princess Anne High School. Focus on rest and confidence, not cramming.
How the Princess Anne IB Entrance Exam Differs from SOL Testing or SAT Prep
Virginia SOLs measure mastery of specific grade-level content standards. The SAT, even its evidence-based reading sections, rewards test-taking strategies built around a predictable format. The VBCPS IB Admissions Entrance Exam does neither of those things.
The IB curriculum is built on interdisciplinary, concept-driven learning. The exam screens for students who can transfer reasoning skills across unfamiliar contexts — not students who can recall what they studied last semester. A student with strong SOL scores but no practice in evidence-based writing will be underprepared for this exam. I have seen that happen more than once.
The written response component is particularly distinct. IB programs score essays on the quality of the argument, the use of evidence, and the clarity of reasoning — not on the number of correct facts cited. Students who practice structured, evidence-based writing before the exam arrive with a real advantage on both the admissions test and the IB Diploma's long-form assessments.
Full IB Admissions Timeline for Princess Anne High School (2026–27 Cycle)
Exact dates shift each year. Verify every date at vbschools.com/academics/academies/application-process or by calling the school. The pattern below held for the 2025–26 cycle and is expected to repeat:
- Mid-October: Online application portal opens (opened October 17 for the 2025–26 cycle)
- December: IB Information Night at Princess Anne High School — attend to ask questions directly
- Early January: Application deadline (5:00 PM, January 8 for the 2025–26 cycle)
- January: VBCPS IB Admissions Entrance Exam — morning or afternoon session assigned; makeup session offered the following week
- Late February to mid-March: Admissions decisions released (verify the current cycle date each year at vbschools.com)
Submit teacher recommendation requests by late November. Teachers need at least three to four weeks to write a thoughtful, specific letter. Waiting until the January deadline to ask is one of the most common — and most avoidable — application mistakes families make.
Princess Anne IB Diploma Programme vs. Ocean Lakes Math & Science Academy: Which Fits Your Child?
Many Virginia Beach families apply to both programs at the same time. They are meaningfully different, and knowing which fits your child better can help you prioritize your prep focus.
The Ocean Lakes Math & Science Academy is a STEM-focused magnet program. Its curriculum emphasizes advanced coursework in mathematics and science. The admissions process also includes a VBCPS academy entrance exam. It is a strong fit for students whose primary strengths are quantitative.
The Princess Anne IB Diploma Programme is an internationally accredited, interdisciplinary credential. Students complete courses across six subject groups, write a 3,700- to 4,000-word Extended Essay, and sit for externally scored IB exams. A minimum composite score of 24 out of 45 is required to earn the full IB Diploma. The program is a better fit for students who are strong writers and analytical thinkers across multiple subjects — not just science and math.
Both entrance exams test overlapping skills: multi-step analytical reasoning and structured written argument. Practice that builds those two skills prepares your child for either program's admissions test.
Frequently Asked Questions: Princess Anne High School IB Admissions Entrance Exam
Q: What is on the VBCPS IB Admissions Entrance Exam?
A: The exam tests STEM critical thinking — including reading comprehension, logical reasoning, and analytical problem-solving — plus a written response or essay component. The format combines multiple-choice reasoning questions with at least one written section. VBCPS does not publish exact section names or question counts, so call 757.648.5600 for any updates before your child's cycle. Students who were not in the IB MYP must take this exam; MYP graduates are exempt.
Q: When should my child start preparing for the Princess Anne IB entrance exam?
A: Start in the first week of October. The application portal typically opens around October 17, and the exam is in January — that gives you 10 to 12 weeks. Use the first three weeks to build familiarity with analytical reasoning question types before adding timed pressure. The December Information Night is your last chance to confirm exam logistics directly with school staff before the test.
Q: Is the IB entrance exam different from SOL or SAT prep?
A: Yes — very different. SOLs test content recall. The SAT tests a predictable format. This exam tests whether your child can reason through unfamiliar material and write a structured argument under time pressure. A student who scored 700+ on a practice SAT Math section may still struggle here without practice in analytical writing. STEM critical thinking practice sets are the most targeted preparation available for this format.
Q: What if my child did NOT attend Plaza Middle School's MYP program?
A: Your child must take the entrance exam — no exceptions for outside-pathway applicants. MYP graduates skip the exam because they have already spent two-plus years doing IB-style interdisciplinary work. Your child has not had that exposure yet. Start practice in early October, two to three weeks ahead of the minimum timeline, and prioritize both the reasoning and essay components equally.
Q: Does my child need to take the IB admissions exam if they are already in the IB Middle Years Programme at Princess Anne?
A: No — MYP students at Princess Anne are exempt from the entrance exam. All applicants still complete a student written response as part of the VBCPS academy application, plus four teacher recommendations and a parent recommendation. MYP students should treat that written response seriously; it is evaluated as part of the full holistic review even without an exam score attached.
Q: When will we find out if my child was accepted into the IB Diploma Program?
A: Decisions typically arrive in late February or March — verify the exact date for your cycle at vbschools.com each year, since the release date shifts. VBCPS notifies families through the same portal used to apply. If you have not received a decision by late March, call the school directly rather than waiting. Portal notification emails occasionally end up in spam folders.
Q: What GPA or grades does my child need for a competitive IB Diploma Program application?
A: VBCPS does not publish a GPA minimum. The review is holistic. Because all four core teachers — English, math, science, and social studies — submit individual recommendations, a single weak subject can affect the application even if overall grades look strong. Ask each teacher in late November, not in January. A teacher who has four weeks to write will produce a much more specific and helpful letter than one who has four days.
Q: What is the difference between the IB Middle Years Programme and the IB Diploma Programme at Princess Anne?
A: The IB Middle Years Programme (MYP) runs through 8th grade at Plaza Middle School and serves as the standard feeder pathway into the high school program. The IB Diploma Programme (DP) is the full two-year credential completed in 11th and 12th grade. To earn the IB Diploma, students must score a minimum of 24 out of 45 combined across six subjects — scored 1–7 each by the IB Board of Examiners — and pass both a Theory of Knowledge essay and a 3,700- to 4,000-word Extended Essay. Students who did not attend MYP can still enter the DP through the January admissions entrance exam.
Start Preparing for the Princess Anne IB Admissions Entrance Exam Today
The students who perform best on selective program admissions exams are not always the ones with the highest grades. They are the ones who practiced the right skill set before test day. The VBCPS IB Admissions Entrance Exam rewards analytical reasoning and structured writing — not memorized content — and those are skills your child can build with the right practice material.
At stemcriticalthinking.com, our STEM Critical Thinking Practice Tests are built specifically for the kind of interdisciplinary reasoning the Princess Anne IB program demands. Our Essay Writing Practice Tests train your child to build a clear, evidence-based argument under timed conditions — the exact skill the exam's written response component rewards, and the same skill the IB Diploma's Extended Essay will require once your child is enrolled.
The January exam will come faster than you expect. If your child is applying to the Princess Anne IB Diploma Programme, the 10-week window you have right now is the one that matters. Try a free STEM Critical Thinking practice set and see exactly what targeted preparation looks like for this exam.
