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Are you planning your study sessions and wondering how many points you need to get a good IB score? This post is here to offer clarity on the IB grading system so that you can plan your efforts accordingly.
What is a good IB score?
In the IB Program, you can receive a total of 45 points. The majority of them come from the 6 subjects graded on a scale from 1 to 7 (6 x 7 = 42), and the remaining 3 derive from your EE and TOK grades according to the matrix below:
EE/TOK | A | B | C | D | E |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
A | 3 | 3 | 2 | 2 | X |
B | 3 | 2 | 2 | 1 | X |
C | 2 | 2 | 1 | 1 | X |
D | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | X |
E | X | X | X | X | X |
Beware! Being awarded an E from either EE or TOK is a failing condition.
IB passing conditions:
- CAS requirements are met.
- The candidate has achieved at least 24 total points.
- A grade has been awarded in all subjects, TOK and EE.
- A grade of at least a 2 has been awarded in all subjects.
- There are no more than two grade 2s awarded (SL or HL).
- There are no more than three grade 3s or below awarded (SL or HL).
- The candidate has at least 12 points on HL subjects.
- Candidates have at least 9 points on SL subjects.
How to classify your score?
38 points is probably the minimum if you aim for top universities, and 40+ for very competitive schools.
In the May 2023 session, the average score was around 30 points, and the total points distribution was the following:
0-23 - fail (16,10%)
24-29 - sub-average (28,30%)
30-34 - mediocre (26,95%)
35-39 - good (19,78%)
40-45 - very good (8,87%), 42+ can be considered outstanding
We highly recommend checking the requirements of your university and the specific course that you will be applying to! Usually, you will be given a minimal score out of the 45 total and requirements for Higher Level subjects, for instance, a minimum of 38 points and 7/6/6 from HLs.
When it comes to specific examples, see the table below. Keep in mind that these are only estimates, and any admissions decisions are made based on a variety of factors other than your IB score, such as extracurricular activities, personal statements, supplemental essays, and reference letters.
Top US Universities | Typical IB Score Required |
|---|---|
Harvard | 42 |
Princeton | 42 |
Yale | 40 |
Columbia | 40 |
Brown | 40 |
Stanford | 40 |
Duke | 40 |
MIT | 40 |
UPenn | 38 |
Cornell | 38 |
Dartmouth | 37 |
Northwestern | 37 |
UC Berkeley | 37 |
UCLA | 37 |
NYU | 37 |
U Chicago | 36 |
We hope this post was helpful! On our blog, you can find grade boundaries for different subjects as well as tips for meeting the written assessments' criteria. Moreover, there is a variety of free exemplars for you to browse!
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