IB predicted grades are teacher-set forecasts of the grades you are expected to achieve at the end of the Diploma Programme. Teachers use evidence such as mock examinations, class tests, Internal Assessment work and performance over time, interpreted through their knowledge of IB standards.
There is no universal calculation that every IB school must follow. Schools determine how evidence is considered, while teachers are expected to predict accurately rather than deliberately inflate or suppress grades. Understanding the process helps you produce evidence that can genuinely strengthen your prediction.
What an IB predicted grade means
The IB defines a predicted grade as the teacher's prediction of the grade a candidate is expected to achieve in a subject, based on all available evidence of the candidate's work and the teacher's knowledge of IB standards. Subjects use the 1-7 scale, while Theory of Knowledge and the Extended Essay use A-E grades.
A predicted grade is not:
- Your mark on the most recent test
- A guaranteed minimum final result
- A reward for effort, attendance or behaviour
- A number calculated directly by the IB
- A grade selected independently by the student
The official IB explanation of predicted grades states that predictions should be as accurate as possible, without over-prediction or under-prediction. The IB may work with schools whose predictions are consistently inaccurate.
How IB predicted grades are set
The IB predicted grades process normally starts with each subject teacher reviewing the available evidence. A head of department, DP coordinator or another teacher may then check the judgement through internal standardisation.
Some schools publish fixed weightings for mocks, tests and coursework. Others use best-fit professional judgement across the complete body of evidence. The IB requires an evidence-based prediction but does not prescribe one percentage formula for every school and subject.
| Evidence | What it shows | Important limitation |
|---|---|---|
| Mock examinations | Performance across broad content under timed conditions | One result may be affected by illness or incomplete syllabus coverage |
| Class tests and essays | Developing knowledge and subject skills | Short tasks may cover narrow content |
| Internal Assessment work | Achievement against component-specific criteria | Teacher marks may be moderated by the IB |
| Homework and classwork | Understanding and consistency over time | Unsupervised work is weaker evidence of independent exam performance |
| Oral, practical or performance tasks | Skills not captured by written examinations | Relevance varies by subject |
| Performance trend | Whether recent improvement is sustained | One high result may not establish reliability |
Why mocks often matter
Mocks resemble final examinations more closely than ordinary homework. They test retrieval, application, command terms, timing and decision-making across substantial syllabus content, making them strong evidence of likely examination performance.
A mock result is not automatically your predicted grade. A student earning a 5 could still be predicted a 6 if later timed work and coursework consistently support that judgement. Conversely, one unusually strong mock may not justify an increase when the remaining evidence is substantially lower.
How IAs affect the prediction
An Internal Assessment matters because it contributes to the actual subject assessment and is judged against published criteria. Strong work can support a higher prediction, particularly when it demonstrates accurate knowledge, analysis and evaluation.
However, an IA does not guarantee a particular overall grade. In many subjects, teachers mark the component before the IB moderates the school's marking. Moderation may leave marks unchanged, raise them or lower them. The IB assessment overview explains how internal and external components contribute to DP results.
Teacher judgement and grade descriptors
Teachers do more than average percentages. They compare your work with criteria, markschemes and the qualities associated with different achievement levels. The official DP grade descriptors support reporting and grade prediction.
Two students with similar averages can therefore receive different predictions. One may demonstrate reliable performance across every required skill, while the other has significant gaps hidden by several high scores. Professional judgement must still be grounded in evidence, not personal preference.
University and IB-submitted predictions
Schools may create predictions at more than one point in DP2. An early set may support university applications, while another set is submitted to the IB later. Additional assessments between those dates mean the figures are not necessarily identical.
Universities use predictions to inform admissions decisions or offer conditions, but they remain forecasts rather than final awards. For UK applications, UCAS guidance on predicted grades says predictions should be achievable, objective, evidence-based and informed by professional judgement.
Ask your DP coordinator which prediction is being discussed, when it will be finalised and whether students may see it. Disclosure and review policies differ between schools. UCAS predictions normally cannot be changed within an application after it has been submitted.
How to maximize your IB predicted grades honestly
You cannot legitimately improve a prediction through pressure or promises about future effort. You can influence it by producing stronger evidence before your school's deadline.
1. Learn the policy and timeline
Ask which assessments inform predictions, whether mocks receive special emphasis and when departments finalise decisions. Also ask what your current evidence demonstrates. A useful question is: “What would I need to show consistently for a 6?” This invites specific feedback rather than an argument about the number.
2. Prioritize timed, independent work
Complete regular timed sections without notes or assistance. Mark them carefully, record why each mark was lost and repeat similar questions after addressing the weakness.
The RevisionDojo guide to how schools predict IB scores can help you connect targeted questions with mock-style practice. Improvement is more persuasive when it appears repeatedly under realistic conditions.
3. Improve consistency
Three results near the standard for a 6 are generally more persuasive than one 7 surrounded by several 4s. Consistency suggests that performance is repeatable rather than dependent on a favourable topic.
Record each assessment's date, topic, conditions, result and main error pattern. An IB grade prediction estimate may identify subjects close to the next grade boundary, but it cannot replace teacher judgement.
4. Treat coursework as assessed evidence
Use the official criteria while planning and revising your IA. Respond to permitted teacher feedback, meet internal deadlines and ensure the submitted work remains authentically yours.
RevisionDojo's IA help guide explains how criteria, exemplars and feedback can be used without surrendering authorship. Outside support must never write or substantially rewrite assessed work for you.
5. Request a review using evidence
If your prediction no longer reflects your performance, request a calm meeting before the deadline. Bring marked assessments, explain the improvement pattern and ask whether the new evidence changes the most reasonable forecast.
Do not demand an increase because a university requires it. Teachers must predict what you are likely to achieve. The guide to whether teachers can change predicted grades explains why meaningful new evidence matters more than persuasion.
What does not reliably raise a prediction
Common mistakes include:
- Relying on effort alone: predictions concern expected achievement, even though effort matters educationally.
- Arguing from one high mark: teachers normally seek a stable pattern across different tasks.
- Completing only untimed practice: this does not fully demonstrate exam readiness.
- Comparing yourself with classmates: their complete evidence may differ from yours.
- Waiting until the deadline: teachers need time to observe and verify improvement.
- Treating old boundaries as guarantees: boundaries can vary by subject and examination session.
In RevisionDojo's 2026 State of Learning Survey of 2,975 students and teachers, 78.7% of students reported that their average subject grade increased, with a reported average rise of 0.57 points on the 1-7 scale. These self-reported, observational findings do not prove that RevisionDojo caused the changes. They support tracking actual performance rather than assuming study hours alone demonstrate progress.
A four-week evidence plan
| Week | Main action | Evidence created |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Identify two recurring weaknesses in marked work | Error log and revision priorities |
| 2 | Complete targeted questions and correct each error | Marked sets demonstrating improved understanding |
| 3 | Sit two timed sections under controlled conditions | Comparable evidence of pacing and technique |
| 4 | Complete and review a broader mock-style task | Evidence that improvement transfers across topics |
Use the guide to calculating an IB predicted grade as a planning tool only. Your estimate may combine component marks and recent boundaries, but the official teacher prediction can draw on broader evidence and professional judgement.
Conclusion
IB predicted grades are set by teachers using available evidence and their understanding of IB standards. Mocks, class assessments, IAs, subject-specific tasks, consistency and recent progress may contribute, but each school determines its procedure and timeline.
To maximize your prediction, create credible evidence before the deadline. Practise independently, correct recurring weaknesses, complete coursework carefully and discuss progress professionally. RevisionDojo can support this through Questionbank practice, Study Notes, Mock Exams, IA Feedback and Jojo AI, but the decisive evidence must come from work you complete independently.
Sources and referenced URLs
- IB student assessment and predicted grades
- IB Diploma Programme assessment overview
- Official IB Diploma Programme grade descriptors
- UCAS guidance on predicted grades
- How schools predict IB scores
- RevisionDojo IB grade predictor guide
- RevisionDojo IA help guide
- Can teachers change IB predicted grades?
- RevisionDojo 2026 State of Learning Survey
- How to calculate an IB predicted grade