Starting IB DP1 can make every number feel permanent. A 5 on your first chemistry test looks like a final judgment. A predicted 6 begins to feel like something you must defend for two years.
Neither interpretation is quite right.
So, how is IB graded? Each of your six subjects receives a final grade from 1 to 7, giving a maximum of 42 subject points. Theory of Knowledge and the Extended Essay can add up to 3 core points, bringing the highest possible Diploma score to 45. You generally need at least 24 points to earn the Diploma, but you must also satisfy several minimum-grade conditions and complete CAS.
The arithmetic is simple. The system underneath it deserves more attention.
The IB grading system at a glance
For a new IB DP1 student, these are the essentials:
- Six subjects are each graded from 1 to 7.
- A 7 is the highest subject grade; a 1 is the lowest.
- Six grade 7s produce 42 subject points.
- TOK and the Extended Essay are graded from A to E.
- TOK and EE combine to contribute 0-3 core points.
- The maximum Diploma score is therefore .
- At least 24 total points are required, alongside the other passing conditions.
- CAS does not add points, but its requirements must be completed.
- HL and SL subjects contribute the same 1-7 points, although HL courses cover greater scope.
- Grade boundaries convert weighted assessment marks into final subject grades.
If you want a place to test different combinations, the free IB Grade Calculator can turn a collection of subject grades into a clearer Diploma estimate.
How the 1-7 subject scale works
A subject grade is not simply your examination percentage divided into seven equal bands. Most Diploma Programme subjects contain several assessment components. These may include written examinations, oral work, investigations, performances or other internally and externally assessed tasks, depending on the subject.
Each component has a prescribed weighting. Your weighted marks are combined into a total, and grade boundaries determine whether that total becomes a 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6 or 7.
For example, imagine a subject with this simplified result:
| Component | Weighted contribution |
|---|---|
| Examination component A | 28 marks out of 40 |
| Examination component B | 21 marks out of 30 |
| Internal assessment | 23 marks out of 30 |
| Combined result | 72 marks out of 100 |
The mark of 72 is not automatically a 7, 6 or 5. It must be interpreted using the applicable boundary for that subject, level and examination session. Boundaries are established by reviewing candidate work against grade descriptors, so they should not be treated as universal fixed percentages.
This is why a 70% in one subject need not represent the same IB grade as 70% in another. RevisionDojo's IB grade-boundary comparison tool helps you examine the relevant subject, level, component and session instead of relying on a generic percentage chart.
How 42 subject points become 45 Diploma points
Your six subject grades are added directly:
If you earned grades of 6, 6, 5, 5, 5 and 4, your subject total would be:
TOK and the Extended Essay then contribute between 0 and 3 core points. If that combination earned 2 points, your Diploma total would be:
HL subjects do not receive a multiplier. A 6 at HL contributes six points, just as a 6 at SL contributes six points. The difference lies in the course scope and performance expected, not in the numerical value added to your total.
For a broader overview, see RevisionDojo's guide to how IB points work.
How TOK and Extended Essay bonus points work
The phrase “bonus points” is widely used, although “core points” is more precise. TOK and the Extended Essay each receive a letter grade from A to E. Their combination is converted through the official core points matrix.
| Extended Essay | TOK A | TOK B | TOK C | TOK D | TOK E |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| A | 3 | 3 | 2 | 2 | Failing condition |
| B | 3 | 2 | 2 | 1 | Failing condition |
| C | 2 | 2 | 1 | 0 | Failing condition |
| D | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | Failing condition |
| E | Failing condition | Failing condition | Failing condition | Failing condition | Failing condition |
A few examples make the matrix easier to remember:
- TOK B and EE B earn 2 points.
- TOK A and EE C earn 2 points.
- TOK C and EE C earn 1 point.
- TOK C and EE D earn 0 points.
- An E in either TOK or the EE is a failing condition for the Diploma.
Zero core points do not automatically mean failure if neither result is an E and every other condition is met. The important distinction is between earning zero from an acceptable combination and receiving an E.
RevisionDojo's complete explanation of IB bonus points explores the matrix further. You can also review how TOK, EE and CAS fit into the IB core.
What you need to pass the IB Diploma
Reaching 24 points is necessary, but it is not the only condition. Under the current IB Diploma award rules, a candidate must satisfy all of the following:
- Earn at least 24 total points.
- Receive a grade in every subject, TOK and the Extended Essay.
- Earn at least a grade 2 in every subject.
- Receive no more than two grade 2s across HL and SL.
- Receive no more than three grades of 3 or below across HL and SL.
- Earn at least 12 points across the three HL subjects.
- Earn at least 9 points across the three SL subjects.
- Avoid an E in either TOK or the Extended Essay.
- Complete the CAS requirements.
For students taking four HL subjects, the three highest HL grades count toward the 12-point HL check. If a student is registered for only two SL subjects, at least 5 SL points are required.
Consider a student with HL grades of 4, 4 and 3. Their HL subtotal is 11. Even if their SL grades and core points lift the overall score beyond 24, the student has not met the 12-point HL requirement.
This is the part of the IB Diploma explained poorly by a single total. A score is not merely a pile of points. It also has a structure.
What grades mean during IB DP1
Your DP1 report is normally a school-based indicator, not your final IB result. Schools use subject evidence, teacher judgment and their own reporting policies to describe current performance. A predicted grade is also distinct from a final grade awarded after IB assessment.
That distinction should reduce panic, but not effort. Early grades are useful because they expose patterns. A 4 caused by weak content knowledge requires a different response from a 4 caused by poor timing or misunderstanding command terms.
Read how IB predicted grades work and ask your teachers what evidence they use. Do not assume that one test determines your future prediction.
The practical lesson is to track direction rather than react to every fluctuation. One mark is an event. Several marks, reviewed honestly, become information.
A practical grading routine for DP1
Create a simple score record for each subject and update it after meaningful assessments.
Track these five items:
- Your current teacher-reported grade
- The component or skill assessed
- Your raw mark and the relevant boundary, when available
- The main reason marks were lost
- The next action you will take
RevisionDojo can make that action specific. Use Study Notes to repair understanding, Flashcards to strengthen retrieval and the Questionbank to practise applying knowledge. Jojo AI can help unpack a difficult concept, while Grading tools show where a response misses assessment expectations.
As DP1 progresses, Predicted Papers and Mock Exams can test performance under pressure. The Coursework Library can clarify what criteria reward, and Tutors can provide human guidance when feedback needs deeper interpretation. The goal is not to collect tools. It is to build a loop: identify weakness, study it, practise it, receive feedback and try again independently.
Turn the grading system into a planning system
The IB scale looks intimidating when every grade feels like a verdict. It becomes more useful when you see it as a map.
Know your six subject grades. Check the HL and SL subtotals separately. Estimate TOK and EE points realistically. Confirm that every Diploma condition is being met, and treat CAS as a requirement rather than an afterthought.
Most importantly, keep a record. Memory tends to preserve the emotional meaning of a disappointing test while forgetting the actual pattern. A tracker is less dramatic and far more useful.
You can create a free RevisionDojo account to save your score and track it across DP1. As your grades change, the record will show not only where you stand, but where your work is beginning to compound.