If you have ever walked out of a mock thinking, “That felt… fine?” and then watched your brain immediately convert “fine” into a precise university offer (or a disaster), you have met the strange power of the IB predicted grade.
In the IB, predicted grades are not just numbers. They are early signals that shape conversations with teachers, set expectations for applications, and quietly decide how seriously you take the next month. The good news is that you can estimate your predicted grade yourself with calm, boring math, and then use that estimate to study smarter.
What a predicted grade means in IB (and what it doesn’t)
A predicted grade in IB is your teacher’s best estimate of the final grade (1-7) you are likely to achieve in a subject. It usually draws from your coursework progress (like the IA), class performance, and most heavily your school assessments and mocks.
It is not the same as your final result. Moderation, exam-day performance, and session-specific grade boundaries can all move the final outcome. If you want the clearest explanation of what teachers typically use, read How Are IB Predicted Grades Calculated?.
Quick checklist: what you need to calculate an IB predicted grade
Before you touch a calculator, gather:
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Your most realistic timed exam scores (mocks or timed papers)
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Your best estimate of your IA level (or rubric-based mark)
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The component weightings for your subject (IA vs papers)
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A set of grade boundaries for your session/timezone range
For boundaries, bookmark IB Grade Boundaries. It saves you from rumor math.
Step-by-step: how to calculate your predicted grade in IB
The basic method in IB is always the same: convert each component into a percentage, apply its weighting, and then map the total to a grade boundary.
Step 1: list your subject components and weightings
Most IB subjects are built from:
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Internal Assessment (often 20-30%)
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External exams (often 70-80%)
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Sometimes an oral or coursework component (common in languages and arts)
Your teacher has the definitive breakdown, but you can often infer it from your course outline. The key is to avoid guessing the weighting.
Step 2: turn your IA mark into a percentage
If your IA is marked out of 24 and you scored 20:
- IA % = 20/24 = 83.3%
If you do not have a final mark yet, use the most honest estimate you can. A realistic predicted grade in IB is built on evidence, not optimism.
Step 3: estimate your exam performance using timed data
Use your timed results (mocks, paper sections, or full practice papers). Convert to a percentage.
Example:
- Mock paper total: 72/100 = 72%
If you have multiple mocks, use the average of your last two. In IB, the trend matters because teachers often reward improvement and consistency.
For routines that make your mock scores more reliable, see IB Mock Exam Tips: Expert Strategies for Better Performance.
Step 4: apply the weighting formula
Use:
Predicted % = (IA % × IA weighting) + (Exam % × Exam weighting)
Example (HL science style weighting):
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IA: 20%
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Exams: 80%
Predicted % = (83.3 × 0.2) + (72 × 0.8)
= 16.66 + 57.6
= 74.26%
Step 5: map your percentage to IB grade boundaries
Now compare your final percentage to boundaries for that subject, level, and session. Boundaries shift each year, which is why people get confused.
To understand why boundaries move (and why “easy paper” rumors are usually unhelpful), read IB Grade Boundaries: How They're Actually Calculated and IB Myth: “Easy Paper = Higher Boundaries”.
How to calculate your total IB predicted score (0-45)
Once you have a predicted grade (1-7) for each subject:
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Add your six subject grades (max 42)
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Add core points from TOK + EE (max 3)
Total predicted IB score = Subjects (max 42) + Core (max 3)
If you want the fastest version of this, use the free IB Grade Calculator. It is built to combine subjects, core points, and boundaries into one clear estimate.
How to raise your IB predicted grade (without studying “more”)
Predicted grades in IB usually respond to two levers: coursework quality and exam performance under time.
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Tighten coursework using criteria and examples: the RevisionDojo Coursework Library plus Grading tools help you see what earns marks.
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Convert weak topics into daily recall using Flashcards, not rereading.
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Practice with purpose: the RevisionDojo Questionbank lets you drill the exact question types you keep missing.
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Get unstuck quickly: AI Chat is for the 5-minute block that would otherwise become a 50-minute spiral.
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Rehearse realism: Mock Exams and Predicted Papers turn knowledge into performance.
If you are in the final stretch, IB: The Last 2 Weeks Before Exams (What Matters) is a good reset.
A calm finish: turn your IB predicted grade into a plan
Your predicted grade in IB is not a prophecy. It is a measurement taken mid-journey, when you still have time to improve the things the exam rewards: accuracy, structure, timing, and consistency.
If you want to calculate your predicted grade quickly and then build a real improvement loop, start with the IB Grade Calculator, then use RevisionDojo’s Questionbank, Study Notes, Flashcards, AI Chat, Grading tools, Predicted Papers, Mock Exams, Coursework Library, and Tutors to turn that number into marks you can actually earn on exam day.
