Your first IB exam can feel like walking into a room where everyone speaks in numbers.
A friend says they “need a 36.” A teacher mentions “boundaries moved.” Someone else is suddenly obsessed with the difference between a 6 and a 7 like it’s a personality trait. In the middle of it all, you’re just trying to answer questions and stay calm.
This guide slows the whole IB grading system down to something you can actually use. You’ll see how the 1–7 grades work, where marks come from, how TOK and the Extended Essay add core points, and how your final IB score becomes a number out of 45.
IB grade boundaries comic
IB grading scale at a glance (quick checklist)
Each IB subject is graded from 1 (lowest) to 7 (highest)
You take six subjects (a mix of HL and SL)
Maximum from subjects = 42 points (6 × 7)
TOK + Extended Essay add 0–3 core points
Maximum total IB Diploma score = 45 points
If you want to estimate your score quickly while revising, the IB Grade Calculator is the fastest way to translate raw marks into an overall IB total.
How the IB 1–7 grading scale actually works
The IB does not award a final subject grade by “percent.” Instead, your raw marks (from exams and internal assessment) are combined, then mapped onto a grade boundary for that exam session.
Here’s the meaning of the IB grades:
7: Excellent
6: Very good
5: Good
4: Satisfactory (often treated as a practical “pass”)
3: Mediocre
2: Poor
1: Very poor
A useful way to think about it: the IB number is the label universities see, but underneath that label is a conversion process. If boundaries are confusing, use the page to see how raw mark cutoffs vary by subject and session.
Where your IB marks come from: exams vs internal assessment
Most IB subjects are built from two types of assessment:
External assessment (final exams)
These are your papers (Paper 1, Paper 2, sometimes Paper 3 depending on the subject). In many subjects, exams make up roughly 70–80% of the final grade.
Internal assessment (IA)
This is coursework marked by your teacher and moderated. In many subjects it’s roughly 20–30%.
Your combined marks are then compared against boundaries to decide whether your final subject grade is a 4, 5, 6, or 7.
To train for the kind of performance the IB rewards (not just the content you understand), build your revision loop around targeted practice and feedback: use the Questionbank for topic drilling, then pressure-test with timed work and review errors using Mock Exams strategies.
IB core points: TOK + Extended Essay (0–3)
TOK and the Extended Essay can feel like side quests until you realize they can change your final IB score in a very real way.
TOK is graded A–E
Extended Essay is graded A–E
Those two letters combine in a matrix to award 0–3 core points
Here’s the key rule to remember: if you receive an E in either component, you risk not being awarded the diploma (confirm details with your coordinator, because diploma conditions matter).
FAQ: IB grading scale (the questions students actually ask)
What is a “good” IB score?
A “good” IB score depends on your goals, not your ego. For diploma award, many students focus on clearing the minimum overall requirement, but university targets often push that higher. Competitive programs commonly look for results in the mid-30s and above, especially with strong HL grades. The more specific your university/course is, the more important it becomes to focus on individual subject requirements, not only the total. This is why tracking your grades across subjects matters: one weak HL can change your options. If you need a fast benchmark, use the IB Grade to GPA & Letter Grade Conversion article to understand how your IB number is interpreted in other systems.
Is it rare to get a 7 in IB?
Yes, a 7 is usually rare because it represents consistent, high-precision performance across components, not just a few strong answers. In many subjects, you need to be strong at both knowledge and technique: command terms, structure, and time management. A 7 often comes from fewer avoidable mistakes, not from “being smarter.” That’s why timed practice matters: you’re training execution under pressure, not only understanding. A strong method is to drill weak topics in the Questionbank, then sit timed sets that feel like the real IB experience. RevisionDojo is built for that loop: Questionbank for repetition, Study Notes for clarity, Flashcards for daily recall, and Mock Exams plus Predicted Papers for stamina and pacing.
Do all IB subjects use the same grade boundaries?
No, IB grade boundaries differ by subject and by exam session, because each paper has its own mark totals and difficulty profile. Even within the same session, a 70% in one subject might map differently than 70% in another because the boundary tables are different. That’s why comparing “percentages” across subjects is often misleading in IB. The more practical approach is to track raw marks and boundary-based grade outcomes for your exact subject and timezone. Use the IB Grade Boundaries tool to see what your marks likely convert to. Then use the Ultimate IB Grade Predictor Guide to build a realistic prediction strategy.
Conclusion: make the IB grading scale work for you
The IB grading scale isn’t meant to scare you. It’s meant to standardize performance so a 6 in one country means roughly the same thing in another.
Once you understand the pipeline (raw marks → boundaries → 1–7 grades → core points → total out of 45), you stop guessing. And when you stop guessing, you can plan.
If you want to turn revision into numbers you can trust, start with RevisionDojo: run topic practice in the Questionbank, tighten recall with Flashcards, get unstuck with AI Chat, use Grading tools for coursework feedback, then pressure-test with Mock Exams and Predicted Papers. Finally, check your progress using the IB Grade Calculator and the IB Grade Boundaries tables so your IB target becomes a strategy, not a wish.
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