IB Business Management HL Grade Boundaries: 65-77% for a 7

Overall boundaries, every session on record

Minimum scaled mark, out of 100, for each grade in IB Business Management 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	73	62	51	40	27	13	11
November 2025 TZ1	72	62	51	40	27	13	10
May 2025 TZ3	70	58	47	35	23	12	12
May 2025 TZ2	75	63	52	41	28	14	12
May 2025 TZ1	73	61	48	36	24	12	12
November 2024 TZ2	77	66	55	44	30	15	11
November 2024 TZ1	71	60	50	38	26	14	11
May 2024 TZ2	73	62	51	39	27	14	11
May 2024 TZ1	73	61	49	36	23	12	12
November 2023 TZ2	69	59	50	39	29	15	10
November 2023 TZ1	70	59	49	38	28	14	11
May 2023 TZ2	69	59	50	41	31	16	10
May 2023 TZ1	69	58	48	37	27	14	11
November 2022 (exam route)	70	57	47	35	25	12	13
May 2022 (exam route)	68	57	50	38	27	15	11
November 2021 (exam route)	69	56	47	35	25	12	13
May 2021 (exam route)	65	55	46	34	25	11	10
November 2020	67	55	45	33	24	13	12
November 2019	69	58	49	38	28	14	11
May 2019	68	58	49	38	28	14	10
November 2018	69	59	49	38	28	14	10
May 2018	66	55	46	35	26	13	11
May 2017	69	59	49	38	27	13	10

What do I need

IB Business Management HL: the mark you need, paper by paper

Session

Grade

In May 2025 TZ3 a 7 overall started at 70 out of 100 scaled marks. On each component:

Component	Out of	Minimum for a 7	As %
Internal assessment	25	20	80%
Paper 1	30	21	70%
Paper 2	50	36	72%
Paper 3	25	17	68%

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)	70	56	47	35	25	12	14
May 2022 (non-exam route)	68	58	49	38	28	14	10
November 2021 (non-exam route)	72	61	50	37	27	14	11
May 2021 (non-exam route)	68	58	49	38	28	14	10

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 72% in TZ1 and at 73% in TZ3.

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 Business Management HL has averaged 69.8% in May and 70.5% 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 Business Management HL the 6 sits on average 11.1 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 77% or more on full mocks under exam conditions has a 7 in every session on record. A student at 65% 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 Business Management HL?

73% of the scaled marks in November 2025 TZ3. Over 16 sessions since May 2017 the 7 has started between 65% and 77%, 70.2% 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 Business Management HL?

Between 10 and 13 on the 100-mark scale, 11.1 on average. In November 2025 TZ3 it was 11 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 Business Management HL grade boundaries going up or down?

The May 7 moved from 73% in May 2024 TZ2 to 70% 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 Business Management HL?

Not in the boundaries: the 7 has averaged 69.8% in May sessions and 70.5% 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 Business Management HL grade boundaries: what you need for a 7