IB Business Management SL Grade Boundaries: 67-82% for a 7

Overall boundaries, every session on record

Minimum scaled mark, out of 100, for each grade in IB Business Management SL. 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	81	70	57	47	34	17	11
November 2025 TZ1	82	70	57	45	33	17	12
May 2025 TZ3	74	62	50	38	27	14	12
May 2025 TZ2	80	68	55	43	31	16	12
May 2025 TZ1	75	63	48	36	26	13	12
November 2024 TZ2	80	69	57	45	32	16	11
November 2024 TZ1	77	65	54	42	29	15	12
May 2024 TZ2	76	65	53	42	32	16	11
May 2024 TZ1	72	61	48	37	25	13	11
November 2023 TZ2	77	66	54	43	29	14	11
November 2023 TZ1	77	66	54	44	31	16	11
May 2023 TZ2	73	62	49	37	26	13	11
May 2023 TZ1	73	62	50	38	27	14	11
November 2022 (exam route)	76	66	52	42	30	15	10
May 2022 (exam route)	72	61	50	39	22	12	11
November 2021 (exam route)	76	66	52	43	32	16	10
May 2021 (exam route)	67	54	40	27	18	10	13
November 2020	75	64	53	42	29	15	11
November 2019	77	67	54	45	33	16	10
May 2019	68	57	44	32	23	11	11
November 2018	75	64	52	41	29	15	11
May 2018	71	60	46	34	23	12	11
May 2017	69	58	44	32	23	11	11

What do I need

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

Session

Grade

In May 2025 TZ3 a 7 overall started at 74 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	40	32	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)	76	66	52	42	30	15	10
May 2022 (non-exam route)	72	61	50	38	22	12	11
November 2021 (non-exam route)	79	70	58	48	33	11	9
May 2021 (non-exam route)	68	57	44	32	23	11	11

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 81% in TZ3 and at 82% 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 Business Management SL has averaged 72.5% in May and 77.5% 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 SL the 6 sits on average 11.2 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 82% or more on full mocks under exam conditions has a 7 in every session on record. A student at 67% 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 SL?

81% of the scaled marks in November 2025 TZ3. Over 16 sessions since May 2017 the 7 has started between 67% and 82%, 74.9% 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 SL?

Between 10 and 13 on the 100-mark scale, 11.2 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 SL grade boundaries going up or down?

The May 7 moved from 76% in May 2024 TZ2 to 74% 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 SL?

Not in the boundaries: the 7 has averaged 72.5% in May sessions and 77.5% 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 SL grade boundaries: what you need for a 7