The IB Diploma Programme is a two-year comprehensive curriculum with a culminating set of externally graded final exams. IB, Advanced Placement (AP) and other college-preparatory curricula like Cambridge are all university preparatory, academically rigorous programmes. There are important differences, however, in the content and exams. The DP is a cohesive and comprehensive programme, not a collection of individual courses as is the case with Advanced Placement. The most important distinguishing factors are the core of the Diploma Programme (CAS, TOK and extended essay) as well as the emphasis on a liberal arts approach, encompassing both breadth and depth and allowing IB students to cultivate cross-disciplinary thinking and problem solving skills rather than just focusing on a few specialised subjects.