IB Dance SL Grade Boundaries: 81-87% for a 7

Overall boundaries, every session on record

Minimum scaled mark, out of 100, for each grade in IB Dance 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	81	71	60	51	37	17	10
May 2025	83	71	64	53	37	17	12
May 2024	81	71	61	52	37	17	10
May 2023	83	73	63	54	37	17	10
May 2022 (exam route)	87	79	72	60	37	18	8
May 2021 (exam route)	86	76	68	57	34	18	10
May 2019	83	73	65	56	37	17	10
May 2018	83	73	65	56	37	17	10
May 2017	83	73	65	56	37	17	10

What do I need

IB Dance SL: the mark you need, paper by paper

Session

Grade

In May 2025 a 7 overall started at 83 out of 100 scaled marks. On each component:

Component	Out of	Minimum for a 7	As %
Composition and analysis	20	18	90%
Dance investigation	20	18	90%
Dance performance	22	18	82%

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
May 2022 (non-exam route)	87	79	72	60	37	18	8
May 2021 (non-exam route)	86	76	68	57	34	18	10

May against November

On record the 7 in Dance SL has averaged 83.6% in May and 81% 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 Dance SL the 6 sits on average 10 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 87% or more on full mocks under exam conditions has a 7 in every session on record. A student at 81% has a 7 only on the hardest paper, and should plan for the 6 to 7 gap rather than assume it.

Sources

All 9 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 Dance SL?

81% of the scaled marks in November 2025. Over 9 sessions since May 2017 the 7 has started between 81% and 87%, 83.3% 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 Dance SL?

Between 8 and 12 on the 100-mark scale, 10 on average. In November 2025 it was 10 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 Dance SL grade boundaries going up or down?

The May 7 moved from 81% in May 2024 to 83% in May 2025. 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 Dance SL?

Not in the boundaries: the 7 has averaged 83.6% in May sessions and 81% 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 9 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 Dance SL grade boundaries: what you need for a 7