Updated on
August 20, 2026
IB Grades Explained: 1 to 7 Scale and 45-Point Diploma
A clear guide to IB grades, the 45-point Diploma total, the TOK and Extended Essay matrix, grade boundaries and every Diploma passing condition.
IB Diploma subject grades run from 1 to 7, with 7 the highest. Six subject grades contribute up to 42 points. Theory of Knowledge (TOK) and the Extended Essay (EE) can add up to three core points, making 45 the maximum. A candidate needs at least 24 points for the Diploma, but 24 alone is not enough: every published passing condition must also be met (International Baccalaureate, 2026).
There is no official IB pass grade for an individual Diploma Programme subject. A grade 4 is often described informally as satisfactory, but the Diploma decision depends on the complete result profile. This guide separates the subject scale, core matrix and Diploma rules so teachers, school leaders, learners and families can check the right thing.
For example, a coordinator checking a learner with 26 total points must still inspect all six subject grades, the HL and SL subtotals, CAS, TOK and the EE. If one subject is grade 1, the total does not rescue the Diploma. That concrete profile is more useful in a progress meeting than asking whether 26 is simply a “pass” (IB, 2026).
Key Takeaways
- Subjects use a 1-to-7 scale. Higher Level and Standard Level grades carry the same number of Diploma points, although Higher Level covers a greater body of knowledge and skills.
- The maximum is 45. Six grade 7s make 42, then TOK and the Extended Essay can add up to three core points.
- There is no single subject pass mark. Do not tell a learner that every 3 fails or every 4 guarantees a pass.
- Twenty-four points are necessary, not sufficient. CAS, subject-grade limits and minimum Higher Level and Standard Level totals also apply.
- Grade boundaries are not fixed percentages. Use the correct subject, level and examination-session boundaries when reviewing a result.
IB grades from 1 to 7
Each assessed Diploma Programme course receives a whole-number grade from 1 to 7. The IB describes 7 as the highest grade and uses published grade descriptors to express the standard of work expected. Examiners compare candidate work with those descriptors when setting boundaries (International Baccalaureate, 2026).
| Grade | Plain-English reading | How a school should use it |
|---|---|---|
| 7 | Excellent performance | Check the subject descriptor, not a generic percentage target. |
| 6 | Very good performance | Identify the specific criterion keeping the work below 7. |
| 5 | Good performance | Use component evidence to choose the next improvement. |
| 4 | Satisfactory performance | Do not present this as a universal official pass grade. |
| 3 | Mediocre performance | Check the whole Diploma profile and the grade limits below. |
| 2 | Poor performance | A Diploma can contain no more than two grade 2s. |
| 1 | Very poor performance | A grade 1 in any subject is a Diploma failing condition. |
This table is a quick orientation, not a replacement for the official subject descriptors. A grade in Biology, History or Mathematics is based on the assessment model and criteria for that course. Schools should use the current guide, component weightings and marked evidence when predicting or explaining a grade. Our IB assessment guide explains the wider assessment process.
Higher Level (HL) and Standard Level (SL) use the same 1-to-7 scale and contribute the same points to the Diploma total. The difference is scope: HL candidates demonstrate the descriptors across a greater body of knowledge, understanding and skills. Learners normally take three HL courses, but the programme permits three or four, with the remainder at SL.
How the 45-point Diploma score is calculated
Add the six subject grades to produce a maximum of 42, then add the 0 to 3 points awarded by the TOK and Extended Essay matrix. CAS adds no points but must be completed. The resulting figure is the Diploma total out of 45, not the complete pass decision.
The arithmetic has two parts:
- Six subjects: each contributes 1 to 7 points, so the maximum subject total is 42.
- DP core: the combined TOK and EE result contributes 0 to 3 points.
Creativity, Activity, Service is compulsory but does not add points. Completion is confirmed by the school. CAS must therefore appear on a Diploma checklist even though it is absent from the numerical calculation.
For example, a learner with subject grades 6, 6, 6, 5, 5 and 5 has 33 subject points. If their TOK and EE combination earns two core points, their Diploma total is 35. The same total can be produced by a different subject profile, so universities may also specify named subjects and Higher Level grades. Use our separate IB-to-UCAS guide for UK applications rather than inventing a universal conversion.
TOK and Extended Essay core points matrix
Theory of Knowledge and the Extended Essay are each graded A to E. Read the EE grade down the first column and the TOK grade across the top. The meeting cell gives the number of core points (International Baccalaureate, 2026).
| EE \ TOK | A | B | C | D | E |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| A | 3 | 3 | 2 | 2 | Failing condition |
| B | 3 | 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 |
A TOK B and EE C, for example, earns two core points. A/A, A/B and B/A each earn all three. An E in either component is a failing condition. Two low but passing component grades can earn zero core points without automatically preventing the Diploma, provided every other condition is met.
Every IB Diploma passing condition
A candidate needs at least 24 points, completed CAS, an awarded grade in every subject and core component, no grade 1, acceptable numbers of low grades, the required HL and SL subtotals, and no E in TOK or the EE. The rules operate together, so the total alone cannot decide the outcome (International Baccalaureate, 2026).
The official rules should be treated as one checklist:
- CAS requirements have been met.
- The total is at least 24 points.
- A grade has been awarded in all six subjects, TOK and the EE.
- Every subject grade is at least 2, so there is no grade 1.
- There are no more than two grade 2s across SL and HL.
- There are no more than three grades of 3 or below across SL and HL.
- The candidate has at least 12 points across HL subjects. For four-HL candidates, the three highest HL grades count.
- The candidate has at least 9 points across SL subjects. A candidate registered for two SL subjects needs at least 5 SL points.
- Neither TOK nor the EE has been awarded an E.
This is why “is 3 a pass?” has no reliable yes-or-no answer by itself. A grade 3 can appear in a successful Diploma profile, but too many grades of 3 or below create a failing condition. A grade 4 is satisfactory, but it does not cancel a grade 1, incomplete CAS or an E in TOK or the EE.
If the full Diploma is not awarded, individual course results can still record completed assessment. Schools should explain the exact missing condition and check the implications for a learner’s intended course before changing registrations. Our guide to Diploma and individual course results covers that decision.
How grade boundaries work
Raw marks are not the final 1-to-7 grade. Assessment components have marks and weightings. After the marks are aggregated, grade boundaries divide the scaled total into grades. The IB reviews candidate work against grade descriptors when setting boundaries, with statistical evidence used to support comparable standards (International Baccalaureate, 2026).
That means a percentage seen on an old forum post, revision website or previous session is not a guaranteed boundary for the next examination. Boundaries can differ by subject, level and session. Internal assessment and examination weightings also differ between courses. The current subject guide and official results information are the correct sources.
When discussing a result, separate three numbers:
- the learner’s component or scaled marks;
- the lower and upper boundary for the awarded subject grade;
- the number of marks needed for a grade increase.
Candidates may be able to see this detail through the results service, depending on access provided by the DP coordinator. A coordinator can also explain the current enquiry-upon-results process and deadlines. Do not promise that a re-mark will increase the grade: the decision should use the component evidence, boundary distance and current procedure.
Predicted grades and final grades
A predicted grade is a teacher’s professional estimate of the grade a candidate is expected to achieve. It should draw on the learner’s work and the teacher’s knowledge of IB standards. It is not an extra mark, a guaranteed final result or a percentage conversion (IBO, 2026).
Schools need a shared prediction process because university decisions can depend on these grades. Agree which evidence is current enough to use, moderate a sample across teachers and record the reason for the judgement. A predicted 6 should mean that the available work matches the relevant descriptors consistently enough to support that forecast, not that the learner once reached an arbitrary percentage.
Final subject grades are awarded after the relevant assessed components have been marked, moderated where applicable, weighted and placed against the session’s boundaries. If the predicted and final grades differ, review the component evidence before concluding that the prediction or examination was wrong. The gap may sit in one component, in the weighting, or close to a grade boundary.
A practical school checking process
- Verify the source. Use the current official passing-criteria page and subject guide, not a copied points graphic.
- Build the subject profile. Record all six predicted or final grades, marking HL and SL clearly.
- Calculate the subject total. Add the six grades, then calculate TOK and EE core points separately.
- Run every condition. Check CAS, awarded grades, low-grade limits, HL and SL minima, and the core grades.
- Check the intended destination. Record the university or progression requirement, including named HL subjects.
- Agree the next teaching response. Use component evidence to identify one criterion or skill to improve rather than setting an unexplained total-score target.
A simple spreadsheet can make the rules visible, but it should never replace professional checking. Add a source date and ask a second member of the Diploma team to verify high-stakes advice. The DP curriculum guide can help colleagues see where each course and core component fits.
Common questions about IB grades
Is 4 a passing grade in IB?
The IB does not set an official pass grade for an individual DP subject. Grade 4 is described as satisfactory and is often called a pass informally, but the Diploma is awarded from the complete profile and every published condition.
Is 3 a failing grade in IB?
Not automatically. A successful Diploma profile can include a grade 3, but there can be no more than three grades of 3 or below, alongside the other conditions. Course or university requirements may still demand a higher grade.
What is the highest IB Diploma score?
The maximum is 45: 42 points from six grade 7s plus three core points from TOK and the EE matrix.
Do HL subjects earn more Diploma points than SL subjects?
No. A grade 6 contributes six points at either level. HL has greater scope and separate minimum-total rules, and universities often specify HL grades or subjects.
Do grade boundaries stay the same each year?
No. The IB sets boundaries through a grade-awarding process. Schools should use the correct subject, level and session rather than a generic percentage conversion.
Limitations and update note
This guide covers the Diploma Programme, not the Middle Years Programme or Career-related Programme. Local school reporting grades and university offers may use additional rules. Official programme procedures can change, so high-stakes decisions should be checked against the live IB source and the school’s DP coordinator.
The factual rules and linked sources were checked on 20 August 2026. The quickest useful action is to take one learner’s current profile and run all nine Diploma conditions, rather than looking only at whether the total has reached 24.
References
- International Baccalaureate (2026). DP passing criteria and core points matrix.
- International Baccalaureate (2026). Understanding DP assessment.
- International Baccalaureate (2026). Assessment FAQ: grade boundaries and results.
- International Baccalaureate (2026). Diploma Programme grade descriptors.
- International Baccalaureate (2026). FAQs for counsellors, learners and parents.
