IB Score Calculator & Grade Boundaries: The Complete Guide
How IB Scoring Works: The 45-Point System Explained
Every IB diploma candidate takes six subjects — three at Higher Level (HL) and three at Standard Level (SL). Each subject is graded on a scale of 1 to 7, giving a raw maximum of 42 subject points. The remaining 3 points come from the core: Theory of Knowledge (TOK) and the Extended Essay (EE) together award between 0 and 3 bonus points.
Maximum total: 6 subjects × 7 points = 42 + 3 bonus points = 45 points.
How to Calculate Your Predicted IB Score Step by Step
- List your six subject predicted grades. Add them together. A student predicted 7, 7, 6, 6, 6, 6 scores 38 subject points.
- Add your TOK and EE grades to the bonus matrix (see the table below). The combination determines your bonus: 0, 1, 2, or 3 points.
- Sum subject points + bonus points. The result is your predicted IB diploma score.
- Check the failing conditions (see below).
Example: 7, 7, 7, 6, 6, 5 = 38 subject points. TOK grade A, EE grade B = 3 bonus points. Predicted total = 41 points.
IB Bonus Points Matrix: TOK and Extended Essay
Your bonus depends on the letter grade you receive in both TOK and the EE (A highest to E lowest). An E in either TOK or EE is an automatic failing condition regardless of your total points.
| EE TOK | A | B | C | D | E |
|---|
| EE \ TOK | A | B | C | D | E |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| A | 3 | 3 | 2 | 2 | Fail |
| B | 3 | 2 | 2 | 1 | Fail |
| C | 2 | 2 | 1 | 0 | Fail |
| D | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | Fail |
| E | Fail | Fail | Fail | Fail | Fail |
IB Grade Boundaries: What They Are and Why They Change
Grade boundaries are the minimum raw marks required to achieve each grade from 1 to 7. They are set by the IB after each examination session by senior examiners who review the actual distribution of student scores. Grade boundaries are not fixed. A mark of 65% in one session might earn a grade 6, while the same mark earns a grade 7 in a harder paper.
Why Grade Boundaries Change Each Session
- Paper difficulty: If the May 2025 Mathematics HL paper was harder than May 2024, the boundary for grade 7 will typically drop.
- Cohort performance: Statistical standardisation ensures grade distributions remain broadly consistent across years.
- Curriculum changes: New syllabuses often produce boundary shifts in transition years.
Grade Boundary Trends 2022–2026
Mathematics Analysis and Approaches HL, Physics HL, and Economics HL frequently require 75–85% of available marks for a grade 7. Biology and Chemistry HL boundaries have been relatively stable. The post-pandemic 2022 session produced notable boundary drops; by 2025–2026 most subjects are tracking back toward pre-2020 historical norms.
What IB Score Do You Need for Top Universities?
UK Universities
- Oxford and Cambridge: 38–40 points overall, with specific HL grade requirements (e.g., 7,7,6). Medicine typically requires 40–42 with 7s in Biology and Chemistry HL.
- Imperial / UCL / LSE: 36–39 points with relevant HL grades of 6 or 7.
- Russell Group generally: 32–36 points.
US Universities
- Ivy League: Most admitted IB students score 38–43. No formal cutoff but below 36 is rare in top-10 admitted pools.
- Top-30 US: 34–40 points with strong HL performance in intended major area.
Other International
- University of Toronto / McGill: 32–36 for competitive programmes; 38+ for medicine.
- ETH Zürich: 37–40 with strong Mathematics and Sciences HL.
- NUS / NTU (Singapore): 38–43 for medicine and law; 34–38 for engineering and science.
Failing Conditions: When a High Score Doesn't Save You
- Grade E in either TOK or EE — automatic diploma failure.
- CAS not completed — diploma failure regardless of academic scores.
- Grade 1 in any subject — automatic failure.
- Grade 2 in three or more subjects (HL or SL) — automatic failure.
- A grade of 3 or lower awarded more than three times across the diploma — automatic failure.
- Total subject score below 24 points — automatic failure.
- Malpractice finding — diploma withdrawal.
Improve Your Essay Scores — Improve Your Diploma Total
The Extended Essay and TOK essay directly affect both your bonus points and your teacher's confidence in your predicted score. A weak EE draft can cost you up to 3 bonus points and reduce your predicted grade — a double penalty at the worst possible time.