What is the minimum score to pass under IB Grading?

The minimum total score to earn the IB Diploma is 24 points out of 45. That total includes your six subject grades (out of 42) plus up to three core points from TOK and the Extended Essay. But IB Grading is not only about reaching 24, because failing conditions can still block the diploma. For example, a 1 in any subject can disqualify you even if your total is high enough. Likewise, if CAS is incomplete, you don’t receive the diploma regardless of points. So your real goal is 24+ points with a safe distribution across subjects and core.

Can you pass the IB if you do poorly in one subject?

Sometimes, yes, but it depends on how “poorly” and whether it triggers a failing condition in IB Grading. A low score like a 2 can be survivable if the rest of your subjects are strong and you still meet the HL and SL point minimums. A 1, however, is a major red flag that can prevent you from receiving the diploma. The practical solution is to protect your weakest subject with targeted practice and clear minimum goals, rather than hoping it won’t matter. Use topic filters in RevisionDojo’s Questionbank to focus on the easiest marks first, then expand to harder tasks. Most students don’t need their weakest subject to become their best -- they just need it to stop being dangerous.

Do TOK and EE really matter for IB Grading if they’re only worth 3 points?

They matter more than the “3 points” suggests because they can change the outcome at the margins and they interact with failing conditions. First, those points can be the difference between 23 and 24, or between meeting a university offer and missing it. Second, IB Grading includes the risk of an E in both TOK and EE, which can prevent the award of the diploma. Third, TOK and EE often reward clear structure, explicit reasoning, and good academic habits -- which also transfer into your HL essays and long responses. Treat them like a small but powerful lever: steady work, frequent feedback, and realistic scopes. If you want to sanity-check outcomes quickly, use the IB Grade Calculator to see how core points affect totals.

How can RevisionDojo help me improve my IB Grading quickly?

Speed in IB Grading usually comes from better feedback, not longer study hours. RevisionDojo helps by giving you a full loop: Study Notes to patch understanding, Flashcards to lock in recall, and a Questionbank to convert knowledge into marks. When you get stuck, AI Chat can explain what the markscheme is looking for in plain language and help you rewrite answers with stronger structure. The Grading tools are especially useful because they reduce the guesswork about what earns marks, which is where many students waste time. When you’re ready to simulate pressure, Mock Exams and Predicted Papers help you practice timing and decision-making. And if you need human accountability, RevisionDojo’s Tutors can help you build a plan that fits your subjects, deadlines, and stress levels.

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IB Grading: Criteria to Pass the IB Diploma | RevisionDojo

IB Grading: Criteria to Pass the IB Diploma

IB Grading IB University

RevisionDojo Team

• 19 Jul 2026•10

/5 from students worldwide

If the IB Diploma feels like a mountain, it’s because it is. Not because you’re incapable, but because the path is long, the weather changes, and the summit is hidden until the final stretch.

Most students don’t fail because they “didn’t know enough.” They fail because they misunderstood IB Grading -- what counts, what disqualifies you, and where the points quietly leak away.

This guide is your map. We’ll break down the criteria to pass, the common traps, and a calm strategy to reach the finish line with your diploma.

A student measuring the diploma like a mountain

IB Grading, in one page

The IB Diploma Programme (DP) is built from two pillars:

Six subjects (a mix of SL and HL), each graded 1 to 7
The core: Theory of Knowledge (TOK), the Extended Essay (EE), and CAS

Under IB Grading, your maximum score is 45:

6 subjects x 7 points = 42
TOK + EE core points = up to 3
CAS is compulsory (no points, but failing it can block the diploma)

If you want a deeper breakdown of how marks become grades, keep this open: Understanding the IB Grading System.

The criteria to pass the IB Diploma (what you must hit)

There’s one headline requirement, and then a set of conditions that can override it.

Minimum total points: 24

To pass the diploma, you need at least 24 points out of 45 under IB Grading.

That number is deceptively simple. It’s not “easy” or “hard” on its own -- it depends on whether your points are spread safely, and whether your core requirements are clean.

Minimum subject performance (SL and HL)

To receive the diploma, you must:

Take 3 Higher Level (HL) subjects and 3 Standard Level (SL) subjects
Earn at least 12 points total across your HL subjects
Earn at least 9 points total across your SL subjects
Avoid critical low grades (more on that below)

In other words, the diploma isn’t only about your total. It’s also about whether your points come from a stable base.

Core requirements: TOK, EE, and CAS

This is where many “I scored 24+” stories fall apart.

TOK and EE are graded from A to E
Together they contribute up to 3 core points to your total under IB Grading
CAS must be completed to receive the diploma (even though it gives 0 points)

If you’re rusty on how the core points work, RevisionDojo’s IB Grade Calculator makes the whole system feel less abstract.

The failing conditions (how students lose the diploma with enough points)

Here’s the uncomfortable truth about IB Grading: it includes “automatic no” outcomes.

Even if your total is 24 or higher, you can be blocked from the diploma if any of these happen:

You score an E in both TOK and EE
You score a 1 in any subject
You do not reach the minimum HL (12) or SL (9) point totals
You do not complete CAS

These rules matter because they change how you should revise. You’re not only chasing points. You’re also building a “no-disaster” safety net.

To stay aware of the boundaries that turn raw marks into final 1--7 grades, keep an eye on: IB Grade Boundaries and this explainer: IB Grade Boundaries: How They’re Actually Calculated.

A practical checklist to pass (without burning out)

Think of this as your “minimum viable diploma” checklist under IB Grading:

I can reliably earn 4+ in my three strongest subjects
My weakest subject is protected from slipping to a 1 or 2
My HL total projects safely above 12
My SL total projects safely above 9
TOK and EE are not both trending toward E
CAS evidence is not a last-minute scramble
I am practicing timed responses, not just reading notes

If you want a full routine for the last stretch, use: How to Study for IB Exams: Step-by-Step Guide and Is 1 Month Enough to Study for IB Exams?.

How to build points fast (the smart way IB Grading rewards)

IB Grading is criterion-based. That means your improvement often comes from learning the examiner’s expectations, not just learning more content.

Train with questions, not vibes

A quiet superpower in the IB is realizing that “understanding” is not the same as “scoring.” You score when you can produce the right structure under time pressure.

RevisionDojo’s Questionbank is designed for that exact shift: practice questions aligned to what IB-style marking rewards, with fast feedback.

If you want a method for using question practice strategically, read: IB Question Bank: How to Use It Effectively.

Use feedback loops like an athlete

Most students repeat the same mistakes because they never name them.

A high-scoring loop looks like:

Do a timed set in the Questionbank
Review mistakes with AI Chat (ask “what did the markscheme want here?”)
Retake similar questions 48 hours later
Turn recurring gaps into Flashcards

That’s also where RevisionDojo’s Grading tools help: you stop arguing with yourself about whether an answer is “good,” and start calibrating to markscheme logic.

Add stamina with Mock Exams and Predicted Papers

At some point, the issue isn’t knowledge. It’s performance under pressure.

Building stamina is simple:

Once per week, do a timed block using Mock Exams
In the final stretch, rotate in Predicted Papers to rehearse full-paper decision-making

If you need the mental model behind this, it’s captured well here: What No One Tells You Until After IB Exams.

The core components: how to stop them from sabotaging your IB Grading

TOK, EE, and CAS can feel like background noise until they suddenly aren’t.

TOK + EE: treat them like point multipliers

Under IB Grading, TOK and EE can add up to 3 points. But more importantly, they can also create a failing condition if both go to E.

Practical approach:

Choose an EE topic you can sustain when motivation drops
Build a small weekly routine (even 60 minutes) instead of heroic weekend marathons
Use RevisionDojo’s Study Notes to clarify concepts quickly, then ask AI Chat to stress-test your argument and structure

CAS: boring consistency beats panic

CAS is pass/fail, and it has ended more diploma dreams than it should.

Make it dull:

Log a little each month
Keep evidence organized
Pick activities you can realistically repeat

Closing: make IB Grading work for you

The diploma isn’t awarded to the student who panics the most красиво in April. It goes to the student who understands IB Grading, avoids the disqualifying traps, and practices the exact skills the exams reward.

Aim for safety first: protect against a 1, secure your HL and SL totals, keep TOK/EE away from the E-zone, and make CAS boringly complete. Then build upward with question practice, feedback loops, and timed sessions.

When you’re ready to turn effort into marks, open RevisionDojo and build your system: Questionbank for practice, Study Notes for clarity, Flashcards for recall, AI Chat and Grading tools for feedback, plus Mock Exams, Predicted Papers, Coursework Library, and Tutors when you need the next level. IB Grading becomes much less scary when you’re no longer guessing what matters.

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If the IB Diploma feels like a mountain, it’s because it is. Not because you’re incapable, but because the path is long, the weather changes, and the summit is hidden until the final stretch.

Most students don’t fail because they “didn’t know enough.” They fail because they misunderstood IB Grading -- what counts, what disqualifies you, and where the points quietly leak away.

This guide is your map. We’ll break down the criteria to pass, the common traps, and a calm strategy to reach the finish line with your diploma.