Norway · Trondheim
Katta offers Trøndelag’s public Pre-IB and IB Diploma route. Pre-IB is a 30-place Vg1 programme; the Diploma is a separate Vg2–Vg3 admission with published academic and residence requirements.
Trondheim Katedralskole, usually called Katta, is a Trøndelag county upper secondary school at Munkegata 8. It offers a Vg1 programme with extra English and preparation for the IB, followed by a separate two-year IB Diploma Programme. It is a public day school, not a boarding school.
The distinction between the two entry points matters. Pre-IB is Vg1 and follows Norwegian curricula. The IB Diploma corresponds to Vg2 and Vg3 and has its own application and academic requirements. Completing Pre-IB prepares a pupil for the Diploma but does not guarantee admission.
The Pre-IB programme has 30 places and accepts applicants from across Trøndelag through the ordinary county admissions process at Vigo. The published code is STUSP1Z, and the deadline is 1 March.
Pre-IB is academically equivalent to Vg1 studiespesialisering. Pupils follow Norwegian curricula but receive more teaching in English and become familiar with the methods and teachers used in the Diploma Programme. After completing the year, they must apply separately for the IB Diploma.
This is the clearest route for a pupil coming directly from Norwegian Year 10. The Diploma policy normally expects applicants to have completed Vg1 or an equivalent first year of upper secondary education.
The current 2025 policy requires a valid Norwegian residence permit, a registered address in Trøndelag and satisfactory English. A conditional offer may be possible when a documented move to the county is in progress. Applicants from another Norwegian county should contact the Trøndelag admissions office.
Applicants submit both the school’s IB application and a Vigo application using code STUSP2Z by 1 March. The school requires certified evidence of previous education, including first-term grades, and encourages references. A pupil without a Norwegian identity number must contact the county admissions office because the standard Vigo route requires MinID.
The policy publishes these academic expectations:
Other educational backgrounds are assessed individually. Translated documentation may be required, and the school may use additional tests or interviews where equivalence is unclear. The policy permits limited flexibility in special circumstances when places remain.
A mature, exceptionally strong Year 10 applicant can be considered without the usual Vg1 year only after completing the specified Norwegian Vg1 mathematics, science and English examinations with grades of at least 4. This is an exception, not the standard route.
The 2026 application form lists English A, Norwegian A, Spanish B, Norwegian B, history, Global Politics, biology, chemistry, physics, Mathematics Analysis and Approaches, and Mathematics Applications and Interpretation. Subject combinations depend on demand and the timetable. Physics and biology cannot currently be combined at any level.
Spanish B and Mathematics Applications and Interpretation are offered only at Standard Level. English A and Norwegian A teaching is offered at Higher Level, although pupils may register for the Standard Level examination. A different Language A may be studied as school-supported self-taught literature at Standard Level, but the family must arrange additional language tuition. Norwegian B SL by itself does not meet the Norwegian-language requirement for admission to higher education in Norway.
Progression from DP1 to DP2 requires at least 20 IB points, no grade 1 or N, and all planned first-year work submitted. The policy specifically includes CAS, Theory of Knowledge, the Extended Essay, Internal Assessments and Higher Level language essays.
The live programme page and the 2025 policy both state a current NOK 6,500 annual exam fee to cover registration and IB examinations. Neither labels this as a guaranteed 2026–27 tariff. Confirm the current invoice before accepting. The school does not charge the monthly tuition associated with private international schools.
Katta is the strongest fit for a pupil who lives in Trøndelag, wants an English-medium public IB Diploma and can meet the academic thresholds after Vg1 or an equivalent programme. Pre-IB is valuable preparation for a pupil entering upper secondary school, but it is not a reserved seat in DP1.
The school is a less natural fit for a younger child who needs several years of English-medium compulsory schooling; Birralee International School serves that earlier stage but ends after Year 10. Families considering the sequence should compare Birralee’s IGCSE subjects with Katta’s Vg1-equivalence and grade requirements well before the application year.
Before applying, verify residence eligibility, educational equivalence and the proposed six-subject combination. Submit both applications by 1 March, and do not assume that a subject listed on the form will run if too few pupils choose it.
Official pages and documents we read. If a figure matters to your budget or your application, open the link and confirm it is still current.
Friendly orientation, not an application. Dates, fees, and programme details move. Confirm everything with the school.
Birralee provides an English-medium route from Year 1 to IGCSE in central Trondheim. It receives state support and publishes modest monthly fees, but pupils must move elsewhere for upper secondary school and the IB Diploma.
BergenA public upper-secondary school in central Bergen offering English-taught Pre-IB and IB Diploma routes. The pupil and parent or guardian must live in Vestland. Direct MYP entry has exact grade, project and two-year conditions.
SageneChoose DENOSO for sustained German–Norwegian education, not an English-medium international curriculum. The complete Grade 11–12 route, after-school costs and absence of a school bus matter before committing to Sagene.
SandsliInternational School of Bergen is a day school in Sandsli, about 15 km from central Bergen. It teaches children from age one through Grade 10, but does not offer the IB Diploma. School fees depend on the family’s residence, employer support and other eligibility conditions; early-childhood fees follow a separate municipal schedule.
Birralee serves ages 6–16 in English and ends with IGCSE. Trondheim Katedralskole offers public Pre-IB and the IB Diploma in upper secondary.
7 minStart with the qualification your child would actually receive. Then check its subjects, language demands, and recognition in the countries where they may study next.
7 minStart with your child and the family's likely plans. Define the non-negotiables, verify the school's claims, compare three realistic options and visit with specific questions.
7 minTuition is only one line of the budget. Separate charges from advance payments, record what each figure includes, and ask the school to confirm your calculation in writing.