Updated on
August 20, 2026
IB to UCAS Points: 2026 Conversion Table and Guide
The correct 2026 IB-to-UCAS component table, worked example and current university guidance for teachers, advisers and families.
IB Diploma totals do not convert to one fixed UCAS Tariff score. UCAS assigns points to each Higher Level subject, Standard Level subject, Theory of Knowledge grade and Extended Essay grade, then adds those component values (UCAS, 2026). A university may ignore the Tariff and instead ask for a total IB score, particular Higher Level grades and named subjects.
This matters whenever a teacher, adviser or family compares an IB offer with an A-level offer. A false total can make a suitable course look unavailable or create confidence that a learner meets conditions they have actually missed. The reliable route is simple: calculate from the component grades when a course uses the Tariff, and copy the live course requirements when it does not.
Key Takeaways
- There is no official 45-to-UCAS conversion formula. Two learners with the same Diploma total can have different Tariff totals because their component grades differ.
- Check the course, not just the points. Universities decide whether to use Tariff points, overall IB points, Higher Level grades, subject requirements or a combination.
- HL 6, 6, 6 is worth 144 Tariff points. That arithmetic matches three A grades at A level, but it does not make the whole IB Diploma equivalent to AAA.
- TOK and the Extended Essay are separate Tariff components. Their A-to-E grades are not the same as the combined zero-to-three core points in the Diploma total.
- Requirements change. Use this guide to understand the system, then verify the current course page before advising a learner or submitting an application.
How IB scores convert to UCAS Tariff points
The UCAS Tariff Guide describes the IB Diploma as a composite qualification. Instead of awarding one Tariff value to the complete Diploma, UCAS allocates a value to each of its parts. Learners add the values for their three Higher Level subjects, three Standard Level subjects, Theory of Knowledge and Extended Essay (UCAS, 2026).
This distinction matters because an IB Diploma total and a UCAS Tariff total answer different questions. The Diploma total combines six subject grades and up to three core points. The Tariff uses the grade profile of the individual components. A headline such as “39 IB points equals X UCAS points” therefore hides information that the calculation needs.
Use four steps:
- Record each of the three Higher Level grades.
- Record each of the three Standard Level grades.
- Record the A-to-E grade for Theory of Knowledge and the A-to-E grade for the Extended Essay.
- Look up each component in the current UCAS table and add the eight values.
Do not convert the overall Diploma total by multiplication or division. The previously circulated “one point per 7.89 Diploma points” rule is not part of the UCAS method.
2026 IB component Tariff table
The table below reproduces the component values in the current UCAS guide. Read across the row for each actual component grade, then add the eight results. It is a calculation aid, not a university offer table, and it should not be used to infer a missing grade profile from an overall Diploma total.
| IB grade | Higher Level | Standard Level | TOK | Extended Essay |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 7 or A | 56 | 28 | 12 | 12 |
| 6 or B | 48 | 24 | 10 | 10 |
| 5 or C | 32 | 16 | 8 | 8 |
| 4 or D | 24 | 12 | 6 | 6 |
| 3 or E | 12 | 6 | 4 | 4 |
| 2 | 0 | 0 | Not applicable | Not applicable |
| 1 | 0 | 0 | Not applicable | Not applicable |
TOK and the Extended Essay use letter grades in this calculation. Do not substitute the Diploma core-points result. TOK B and Extended Essay B, for example, contribute 10 Tariff points each even though the Diploma uses a separate matrix to award the combined core points.
The safest practice is to check the live UCAS calculator or guide each application cycle. Qualification tables can be revised, and an institution may not use Tariff totals for the course a learner has chosen.
A worked IB Tariff example
Suppose a learner has Higher Level grades 6, 6 and 6; Standard Level grades 6, 6 and 5; TOK grade B; and Extended Essay grade B. The Tariff calculation is:
- Higher Level: 48 + 48 + 48 = 144
- Standard Level: 24 + 24 + 16 = 64
- Theory of Knowledge: 10
- Extended Essay: 10
- Total UCAS Tariff: 228 points
This example deliberately starts from the eight component grades. It does not start from an overall Diploma total because that total cannot recover the precise component profile. A learner should copy the grades from their results record rather than reverse-engineer them from a number such as 36, 38 or 40.
Does HL 6, 6, 6 equal AAA at A level?
In Tariff arithmetic alone, three Higher Level grades of 6 produce 144 points. Three A grades at A level also produce 144 points because an A is worth 48. That is a comparison between three components, not a declaration that the full IB Diploma is academically identical to three A levels. Our separate IB and A-level comparison explains the wider programme differences.
The programmes differ in structure, breadth, assessment and compulsory components. Universities normally publish separate IB and A-level offers for that reason. A course may ask for 38 points overall with 766 at Higher Level, while its A-level offer is expressed as three grades. Applicants must satisfy the offer written for the qualification they are taking.
Teachers can use the component comparison to explain a Tariff calculation, but should avoid telling families that 34, 38, 40 or 45 IB points has one universal A-level equivalent. No such official total-score equivalence table appears in the UCAS guide.
Why universities may not use UCAS points for IB offers
UCAS states that some universities use Tariff points to set entry requirements and offers, while others use grades or a mixture. Its guidance tells applicants to check the individual course requirements. A Tariff total is therefore a common language for qualifications, not an instruction that every admissions team must follow (UCAS, 2026).
Selective courses often need information the total cannot show:
- Overall Diploma performance: a minimum such as 38 or 39 including core points.
- Higher Level profile: a pattern such as 766 or 777.
- Named subjects: Chemistry, Mathematics or a language at a specified level and grade.
- Admissions assessment: a current test such as UCAT for Medicine.
- Other selection evidence: contextual information, written work, interview or portfolio where the course requires it.
A learner can have a high Tariff total and still miss a named Higher Level subject. Another can meet the published IB offer even when the course page never mentions a Tariff number. The course page is the deciding source.
Current university examples
These examples show why a universal conversion table is misleading. One asks for 39 and 766, another asks for 41 to 42 and 776, and LSE publishes a range by programme. They were checked on 20 August 2026 and must be checked again for a later admissions cycle.
| University example | Published IB requirement | What the example shows |
|---|---|---|
| Oxford Medicine | 39 including core points, with 766 at Higher Level. Chemistry and at least one of Biology, Physics or Mathematics must be at Higher Level. | The total, Higher Level pattern and named subjects all matter. |
| Cambridge Medicine | 41 to 42 points, with 776 at Higher Level. The current course page also requires UCAT. | The admissions test and course-specific profile cannot be inferred from a Tariff total. |
| LSE undergraduate entry requirements | IB offers range from 37 with 666 at Higher Level to 39 with 766, depending on the programme. | Requirements vary inside one university, so applicants must inspect the selected programme. |
Cambridge does not offer an undergraduate PPE course. Learners interested in Philosophy, Politics and Economics should look at institutions that publish that course, including Oxford, and then check its current requirements. Never transfer an offer from a similarly named course or another university.
Admissions tests: use the current course page
Old advice about BMAT and MAT is no longer reliable. Oxford and Cambridge Medicine currently use UCAT. Oxford also states that MAT will not run in the 2026 admissions round; applicants for relevant mathematical courses use the test named on the current course page, including TMUA where specified.
Admissions-test arrangements can change faster than general qualification guidance. Sixth-form teams should check them at the start of Year 12 planning, again before registration opens and once more before the application is submitted. Record the source URL and date beside each learner's action plan.
How TOK, the Extended Essay, CAS and EPQ fit
Theory of Knowledge and the Extended Essay are compulsory Diploma core components. UCAS assigns each A-to-E component grade its own Tariff value. This is separate from the IB rule that TOK and the Extended Essay together contribute up to three core points to the Diploma total. See our IB grades guide for the 1-to-7 subject scale and 45-point structure.
Creativity, Activity, Service is required for the Diploma but does not receive a UCAS Tariff value in the IB component table. It can still support reflection and experience, but applicants should follow current personal-statement guidance rather than presenting CAS as extra qualification points.
The Extended Project Qualification is a separate qualification with its own Tariff value. Whether a university adjusts an offer or considers an EPQ depends on its published policy. Do not simply add every available point and assume a selective course will lower its IB requirement.
A reliable school checking process
- Start with the exact course. Record the university, course title, course code and intended entry year.
- Copy the IB requirement verbatim. Separate the overall total, Higher Level pattern and named-subject conditions.
- Check whether Tariff points are accepted. If the course gives only IB grades, do not invent a Tariff requirement.
- Check the admissions test. Record its name, registration window and official information page.
- Calculate Tariff points from components only when needed. Use the current UCAS table and the learner's actual subject, TOK and Extended Essay grades.
- Date the record. Recheck before submission because course requirements can change.
For a learner considering a lighter route, compare the recognition and admissions implications in our guide to the full IB Diploma and individual course certificates. Do this before changing the programme, not after applications have been shortlisted.
Common questions about IB and UCAS points
These answers address the score conversions families and advisers search for most often. The same rule applies throughout: an overall Diploma total cannot reveal the component Tariff total, and a Tariff total cannot replace a course's published IB grades or named-subject conditions.
How many UCAS points is 40 IB points?
There is no single answer. The Tariff depends on the three Higher Level grades, three Standard Level grades, TOK grade and Extended Essay grade. Use those eight components in the current UCAS table.
How many UCAS points is 45 IB points?
A perfect Diploma total still should not be converted with a universal multiplier. Calculate the Tariff from the component grades. The overall 45 includes a core-points result that is not the same as the separate TOK and Extended Essay Tariff values.
Do Russell Group universities accept the IB?
Many do, but “Russell Group” is not one admissions policy. Each university and course publishes its own total, Higher Level and subject conditions. Check the current course page for the intended year.
Can a high Tariff total compensate for a missing Higher Level subject?
Not when the course names that subject as an entry requirement. A total cannot replace a specific condition such as Chemistry at Higher Level.
Should schools put a UCAS total beside every IB learner?
Only when it is useful for the courses being considered. For many selective courses, the more useful record is the predicted Diploma total, Higher Level profile, subject conditions and admissions-test actions.
Limitations and update note
Tariff tables and university requirements can change. This article was checked against primary sources on 20 August 2026, but it cannot replace the live UCAS guide or a university's course page. International admissions outside the UK use different systems and are outside the scope of this guide.
Use the table to understand the calculation, then make one practical move: open the first course on a learner's shortlist and record its overall IB total, Higher Level grades, named subjects and current admissions test on one line.
References
- UCAS (2026). UCAS Tariff Guide. See the International Baccalaureate Qualifications table.
- University of Oxford (2026). Medicine: entry requirements.
- University of Cambridge (2026). Medicine MB, BChir: entry requirements and UCAT.
- London School of Economics and Political Science (2026). Undergraduate entry requirements.
- International Baccalaureate (2026). Diploma Programme core.
