How is the IB scored? Your final Diploma Programme score is the sum of your six subject grades, each awarded from 1 to 7, plus up to 3 core points from Theory of Knowledge and the Extended Essay. This produces a maximum of 45 points: 42 from subjects and 3 from the core.
Reaching 24 points is necessary for the diploma, but it is not sufficient by itself. You must also complete Creativity, Activity, Service and satisfy the IB's minimum performance conditions. Understanding the stages from individual assessment marks to the final total helps you set realistic targets and revise for the marks that matter.
How the IB score is calculated
The basic calculation is straightforward:
Six subject grades out of 7 + TOK/EE core points out of 3 = final score out of 45
| Part of the Diploma Programme | Scoring system | Maximum contribution |
|---|---|---|
| Six academic subjects | Each graded 1--7 | 42 points |
| Theory of Knowledge and Extended Essay | Combined through the core points matrix | 3 points |
| Creativity, Activity, Service | Completion requirement, not graded | 0 points |
| Maximum diploma score | 45 points |
A Higher Level subject and a Standard Level subject can each contribute a maximum of 7 points. HL courses involve more recommended teaching time and greater depth, but an HL grade is not multiplied or given additional numerical weight in the 45-point total.
For example, suppose a student receives these grades:
| Subject | Level | Grade |
|---|---|---|
| English A | HL | 6 |
| Biology | HL | 5 |
| History | HL | 5 |
| Mathematics | SL | 6 |
| Spanish B | SL | 5 |
| Chemistry | SL | 4 |
The six subjects contribute 31 points. If the student receives a B in TOK and a C in the EE, the core matrix adds 2 points, producing a final score of 33 out of 45.
How each subject grade is produced
Your subject grade is not usually based on one examination. Most DP subjects contain several assessed components, such as written papers, an oral, an investigation, a portfolio or another form of coursework.
The process can be summarized in four stages:
- Raw marks are awarded for each assessment component using subject-specific markschemes or criteria.
- Component marks are scaled according to the weighting specified in the current subject guide.
- The weighted component marks are combined into an overall scaled mark.
- That mark is compared with the session's grade boundaries to produce a grade from 1 to 7.
For illustration, imagine that a subject has two examination papers and an internal assessment. If the components are weighted at 40%, 40% and 20%, a raw mark of 70% on the internal assessment contributes 14 percentage points to the weighted total, not 70 points. This example explains the calculation method only: actual components and weightings vary by subject, level and syllabus.
Internal and external assessment
External assessments are submitted for marking by IB-appointed examiners. These commonly include examination scripts, although some externally assessed coursework may also contribute.
Internal assessments, often called IAs, are normally marked by the student's teacher using IB criteria. The IB moderates samples of school marking and may adjust marks when necessary to maintain a consistent international standard. An IA therefore counts toward the official subject result, but an ordinary school report grade does not automatically become part of the final IB calculation.
The IB's overview of Diploma Programme assessment explains this distinction between internal and external assessment.
What IB grade boundaries mean
A grade boundary is the cut-off that converts an overall scaled mark into a grade from 1 to 7. There is no universal rule such as 80% always equalling a 7, because boundaries differ among subjects, levels and examination sessions.
The IB describes DP assessment as criterion-related. Student work is judged against defined standards and grade descriptors, rather than assigning a fixed proportion of students each grade. Senior examiners consider candidate work, grade descriptors, assessment difficulty and statistical evidence when establishing boundaries.
This means the system is not a simple competitive curve. Other candidates' results provide useful statistical evidence, but the IB does not decide in advance that only a set percentage may receive a 7. The official IB assessment FAQ provides further detail about grade boundaries and results.
Historical boundaries can help you interpret practice scores, but they cannot guarantee the boundary for a future session. RevisionDojo's IB grade-boundary guide explains how to use them without treating them as fixed targets, while the IB Grade Calculator can convert representative practice marks into an indicative score.
How TOK and the Extended Essay add core points
TOK and the EE are each graded from A to E. Their two letter grades are combined through the official core points matrix to award between 0 and 3 points.
| Extended Essay \ TOK | A | B | C | D | E |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| A | 3 | 2 | 2 | 2 | Failing condition |
| B | 2 | 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 |
For example, A in TOK and A in the EE earns 3 points, while B and C earns 2. Two D grades earn no additional points but do not, by themselves, trigger the E-grade failing condition. An E in either TOK or the EE prevents the diploma from being awarded, regardless of the student's numerical total.
CAS does not add points and is not assigned a 1--7 or A--E grade. However, its requirements must be completed for the diploma to be awarded.
What you need to pass the IB Diploma
According to the IB's current Diploma Programme passing criteria, a candidate must earn at least 24 total points and satisfy all additional conditions. In practical terms, the diploma cannot be awarded if any of the following applies:
- CAS requirements have not been met.
- The total score is below 24.
- An N, meaning no grade awarded, appears for a contributing subject, TOK or the EE.
- TOK or the EE receives an E.
- Any subject receives a grade 1.
- Grade 2 is awarded in three or more subjects.
- Grade 3 or below is awarded in four or more subjects.
- The candidate has fewer than 12 points across the three contributing HL subjects.
- The candidate has fewer than 9 points across three SL subjects.
For a candidate registered for four HL subjects, the three highest HL grades count toward the 12-point HL condition. A candidate taking only two SL subjects must obtain at least 5 points across them. These are official award requirements, not suggested targets.
Consequently, a student can score 24 or more and still not receive the diploma. For instance, a total of 28 accompanied by an E in the EE would result in Diploma Programme course results rather than the full diploma.
Turning score knowledge into exam marks
Knowing how the arithmetic works does not by itself raise your score. The most productive revision connects syllabus knowledge to the precise methods, explanations and command terms that earn raw marks.
Use this deliberate-practice cycle:
- Attempt a real or realistic question without looking at the solution.
- Mark the response honestly and identify exactly where marks were lost.
- Review a worked method or video solution line by line.
- Close the solution and reproduce the answer independently.
- Attempt a similar question several days later.
The review stage is essential. Simply reading a solution can create familiarity without proving that you can select and execute the method yourself. RevisionDojo's per-question past-paper video solutions and subject resources can help you examine how a complete answer is constructed, while the Math AA Questionbank provides an example of topic-filtered practice with detailed solutions.
As exams approach, move from isolated questions to timed sections and complete papers. The guide to reviewing past IB papers efficiently shows how to classify errors and rework missed questions, while IB predicted papers can support full-paper rehearsal. Historical boundaries are best used to measure progress and create a safety margin, not to predict the exact number needed in your session.
Common scoring mistakes to avoid
- Assuming 24 points automatically guarantees the diploma. All minimum performance and core conditions still apply.
- Adding extra weight to HL grades. A 6 at HL and a 6 at SL each add six points to the total.
- Treating CAS as bonus points. CAS is required but contributes no numerical points.
- Using one historical boundary as a fixed target. Boundaries can change by subject, level and session.
- Confusing predicted grades with final grades. Predictions support applications and planning, but official results come from IB assessment components.
- Focusing only on final answers. Depending on the subject, correct working, reasoning, evidence and use of command terms may earn substantial credit.
Conclusion
The IB is scored by adding six grades of 1--7 and up to three core points, producing a maximum of 45. Each subject grade comes from weighted assessment components converted through session-specific grade boundaries, while the diploma requires at least 24 points and compliance with all additional passing conditions.
Once you understand the calculation, focus on the part you can control: earning more raw marks. RevisionDojo's Questionbank, Grade Calculator and timed papers can track progress, but the highest-leverage habit is to attempt questions before studying the worked method. Use the relevant per-question video solutions to diagnose lost marks, then reproduce the method without assistance.
Sources and referenced URLs
- IB Diploma Programme passing criteria
- IB understanding assessment overview
- IB assessment and results FAQ
- RevisionDojo guide to IB grade boundaries
- RevisionDojo IB Grade Calculator
- RevisionDojo per-question past-paper video solutions
- RevisionDojo Math AA Questionbank
- RevisionDojo guide to reviewing past IB papers
- RevisionDojo IB predicted papers
