IB Biology HL Grade Boundaries: 71-81% for a 7

Overall boundaries, every session on record

Minimum scaled mark, out of 100, for each grade in IB Biology HL. One row per session and timezone; May 2021 and 2022 and November 2021 and 2022 show the examination route.
Session	7	6	5	4	3	2	Gap 6 to 7
November 2025 TZ3	77	63	48	34	21	13	14
November 2025 TZ1	78	65	51	38	24	14	13
May 2025 TZ3	76	63	49	36	23	13	13
May 2025 TZ2	74	62	49	36	25	14	12
May 2025 TZ1	76	62	49	36	25	13	14
November 2024	79	64	50	35	23	13	15
May 2024 TZ2	76	62	50	35	25	15	14
May 2024 TZ1	76	62	50	36	25	14	14
November 2023 TZ2	77	63	50	36	25	15	14
November 2023 TZ1	77	63	50	36	25	15	14
May 2023 TZ2	77	64	50	36	25	15	13
May 2023 TZ1	77	64	51	38	26	15	13
November 2022 (exam route)	80	64	50	32	23	15	16
May 2022 TZ2 (exam route)	74	60	47	33	23	15	14
May 2022 TZ1 (exam route)	71	57	43	29	21	14	14
November 2021 (exam route)	78	58	48	32	20	14	20
May 2021 TZ2 (exam route)	76	59	47	34	24	16	17
May 2021 TZ1 (exam route)	75	59	41	29	19	13	16
November 2020	81	67	54	40	28	16	14
November 2019	81	68	55	42	28	16	13
May 2019 TZ2	77	64	52	38	27	16	13
May 2019 TZ1	79	67	54	41	29	17	12
November 2018	81	67	54	40	27	16	14
May 2018 TZ2	79	65	52	38	27	16	14
May 2018 TZ1	77	64	50	37	25	15	13
May 2017 TZ2	81	67	53	40	27	16	14
May 2017 TZ1	78	64	52	37	25	15	14

What do I need

IB Biology HL: the mark you need, paper by paper

Session

Grade

In May 2025 TZ3 a 7 overall started at 76 out of 100 scaled marks. On each component:

Component	Out of	Minimum for a 7	As %
Internal assessment (practical work)	24	20	83%
Paper 1A (multiple choice)	39	27	69%
Paper 1B	32	23	72%
Paper 2	80	64	80%

Component grades come straight from the IB document for that session. The overall grade is on a 100-mark scale built from the components with the weightings in the subject guide, so it is not computed here: a strong component carries a weaker one, and the table shows how much room each one leaves.

Non-examination route, 2021 and 2022

Sessions in which schools that could not sit written examinations were graded on coursework and predicted evidence. The IB issued a separate boundaries document for that route.
Session	7	6	5	4	3	2	Gap 6 to 7
November 2022 (non-exam route)	80	67	53	38	26	15	13
May 2022 TZ2 (non-exam route)	80	66	56	43	33	17	14
May 2022 TZ1 (non-exam route)	79	67	54	41	29	17	12
November 2021 (non-exam route)	84	72	60	47	33	20	12
May 2021 TZ2 (non-exam route)	77	64	52	38	27	16	13
May 2021 TZ1 (non-exam route)	79	67	54	41	29	17	12

Timezones: the same session, different papers

In May the IB sets different papers for different parts of the world, and each gets its own boundaries. In November 2025 the 7 started at 77% in TZ3 and at 78% in TZ1.

A gap between timezones is not an advantage for one of them: the boundary follows the paper. The useful reading is the range across all timezones and sessions, which is what the first table shows.

May against November

On record the 7 in Biology HL has averaged 76.4% in May and 78.9% in November. The two sessions are set to the same standard; the difference is the papers, not the season.

The gap between a 6 and a 7

In Biology HL the 6 sits on average 14.1 marks below the 7 on the 100-mark scale. That is roughly one question answered fully instead of half-answered, or the marks lost to misread instructions across a whole paper.

Use the range, not the last session. A student scoring 81% or more on full mocks under exam conditions has a 7 in every session on record. A student at 71% has a 7 only on the hardest paper, and should plan for the 6 to 7 gap rather than assume it.

Sources

All 16 sessions were read from the grade boundaries document the IB issues to Diploma Programme coordinators after each session (one document per session; 2021 and 2022 have an examination-route and a non-examination-route document). The full dataset for every IB subject is on the grade boundaries overview, as CSV and JSON.

Independent work, not endorsed by the International Baccalaureate. Last checked 4 November 2026. Corrections: pietro@pietromeloni.com.

Frequently asked questions

What percentage do you need for a 7 in IB Biology HL?

77% of the scaled marks in November 2025 TZ3. Over 16 sessions since May 2017 TZ1 the 7 has started between 71% and 81%, 77.3% on average. There is no fixed figure: the IB sets the boundaries after each session, once the papers have been marked.

How many marks separate a 6 from a 7 in Biology HL?

Between 12 and 20 on the 100-mark scale, 14.1 on average. In November 2025 TZ3 it was 14 marks. That is the size of one question answered fully instead of half-answered, which is why exam technique moves this grade more than new content.

Are Biology HL grade boundaries going up or down?

The May 7 moved from 76% in May 2024 TZ2 to 76% in May 2025 TZ3. A move of a few points between years is normal and reflects how hard that paper was, not a change in the standard.

Is November easier than May in Biology HL?

Not in the boundaries: the 7 has averaged 76.4% in May sessions and 78.9% in November sessions on record. The IB sets both to the same standard, so a difference of a point or two reflects the papers of those sessions, not a softer session.

Where do these numbers come from?

Every row on this page was read from the grade boundaries document the IB issues to Diploma Programme coordinators after each session, for all 16 sessions shown. The document lists, for every subject and level, the minimum raw mark for each grade on each component and the minimum scaled mark out of 100 for the overall grade.

IB Biology HL grade boundaries: what you need for a 7