After pass rates, the next statistic IB students obsess over is the average IB score. Social media, school corridors, and group chats quickly fill with comparisons: Is the average high? Is it low? Am I above or below it?
The problem is that the average IB score is one of the most misunderstood IB statistics.
This article explains what the average IB score in 2025 actually was, what “average” really means in a global programme, and why comparing yourself to it is usually unhelpful — and sometimes misleading.
Quick Start Checklist
- What the IB average score measures
- What the 2025 average tells us
- Why “average” is a dangerous comparison
- How students misread this statistic
- What matters far more than the average
What Does the Average IB Score Actually Represent?
The average IB score is calculated by taking the total points earned by all diploma candidates and dividing it by the number of students.
It includes:
- Students from every region
- All subject combinations
- A wide range of school contexts
- Both strong and struggling candidates
This makes it a broad statistical snapshot, not a benchmark for individual success.
What Was the Average IB Score in 2025?
In the May 2025 session, the global average IB score sat at around 30 points, consistent with recent years.
This tells us:
- The IB has maintained stable standards
- The Diploma remains demanding
- Most students cluster in the mid-to-high 20s and low 30s
The average did not spike or collapse — a sign of continuity rather than change.
Is 30 Points a “Good” IB Score?
This is where many students go wrong.
An average score is not a target. It simply describes where the middle of a very large and diverse group sits.
Whether a score is “good” depends on:
- Your subject combination
- Your Higher Level choices
- Your university goals
- Your starting point
- Your school context
For some students, 30 points represents strong progress. For others, it may fall short of personal or university expectations. The number alone has no universal meaning.
Why Comparing Yourself to the Average Is Misleading
The IB average blends together students with vastly different circumstances.
You are being compared with:
- Native and non-native language speakers
- Students with different subject difficulties
- Schools with unequal resources
- Candidates across 150+ countries
This makes the average a poor tool for self-evaluation.
A student with demanding HLs scoring slightly below average may be performing exceptionally well relative to expectations.
What the Average IB Score Does Not Tell You
The average score does not indicate:
- Your likelihood of passing
- Your chance of meeting university offers
- How hard your subjects are
- How close you are to your personal goals
Using the average as a judgment tool often causes unnecessary anxiety without improving performance.
A Better Way to Interpret the Average
Instead of asking “Am I above or below average?”, better questions are:
- Am I improving over time?
- Do I understand how marks are awarded?
- Are my weaknesses consistent or random?
- Am I meeting subject-specific criteria?
Progress and consistency matter far more than proximity to a global average.
Why Students Get Stuck Obsessing Over the Average
Students fixate on the average because:
- It is easy to compare
- It feels objective
- It creates a sense of ranking
But this mindset often distracts from the real work: refining structure, improving technique, and practising under exam conditions.
How RevisionDojo Shifts Focus Away From Averages
RevisionDojo is designed to pull students away from unhelpful comparisons and toward controllable actions.
RevisionDojo helps students by:
- Breaking down markschemes clearly
- Showing exactly where marks are gained and lost
- Helping students track improvement over time
- Reinforcing skills that directly raise scores
- Focusing on personal progress, not global stats
When students understand how to earn marks, averages lose their emotional grip.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is scoring above the IB average impressive?
It can be, but context matters. Subject difficulty, HL choices, and goals all affect how a score should be interpreted.
Should I aim to beat the average?
You should aim to meet your goals, not beat a global statistic. Improvement relative to your starting point is far more meaningful.
Does the average IB score affect grade boundaries?
No. Grade boundaries are set by performance patterns within each subject, not by overall averages.
Final Thoughts
The average IB score in 2025 shows that the Diploma remains stable, challenging, and achievable. But it is not a measuring stick for individual success.
Students succeed when they focus on understanding assessment criteria, refining exam technique, and improving consistently over time — not when they chase averages.
That is the mindset RevisionDojo is built to encourage.
