IB Design Technology HL Grade Boundaries: 58-76% for a 7

Overall boundaries, every session on record

Minimum scaled mark, out of 100, for each grade in IB Design Technology 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	68	58	47	38	28	14	10
May 2025 TZ2	69	57	47	36	26	14	12
May 2025 TZ1	69	57	47	37	27	14	12
November 2024	68	58	48	39	29	15	10
May 2024 TZ2	67	55	44	34	25	14	12
May 2024 TZ1	67	55	44	34	25	14	12
November 2023	69	58	48	40	30	16	11
May 2023 TZ2	69	58	47	36	27	13	11
May 2023 TZ1	67	57	45	35	26	13	10
November 2022 (exam route)	67	54	43	30	21	9	13
May 2022 (exam route)	61	50	38	27	19	8	11
November 2021 (exam route)	64	53	42	33	22	11	11
May 2021 (exam route)	58	49	38	28	17	7	9
November 2020	69	58	48	37	26	14	11
November 2019	75	64	53	42	30	15	11
May 2019	74	62	51	39	28	15	12
November 2018	76	65	53	42	30	16	11
May 2018	74	63	52	41	30	16	11
May 2017	71	60	50	39	28	15	11

What do I need

IB Design Technology HL: the mark you need, paper by paper

Session

Grade

In May 2025 TZ2 a 7 overall started at 69 out of 100 scaled marks. On each component:

Component	Out of	Minimum for a 7	As %
Internal assessment (practical work)	54	36	67%
Paper 1A (multiple choice)	40	29	73%
Paper 2	50	33	66%
Paper 3	40	31	78%

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)	67	54	43	30	21	9	13
May 2022 (non-exam route)	73	64	49	37	32	18	9
November 2021 (non-exam route)	68	58	49	41	30	12	10
May 2021 (non-exam route)	68	59	46	35	26	13	9

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 May 2025 the 7 started at 69% in TZ2 and at 69% 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 Design Technology HL has averaged 67.8% in May and 69.5% 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 Design Technology 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 76% or more on full mocks under exam conditions has a 7 in every session on record. A student at 58% 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 Design Technology HL?

68% of the scaled marks in November 2025. Over 16 sessions since May 2017 the 7 has started between 58% and 76%, 68.5% 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 Design Technology HL?

Between 9 and 13 on the 100-mark scale, 11.1 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 Design Technology HL grade boundaries going up or down?

The May 7 moved from 67% in May 2024 TZ2 to 69% in May 2025 TZ2. 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 Design Technology HL?

Not in the boundaries: the 7 has averaged 67.8% in May sessions and 69.5% 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 Design Technology HL grade boundaries: what you need for a 7