IB Economics HL Grade Boundaries: 65-79% for a 7

Overall boundaries, every session on record

Minimum scaled mark, out of 100, for each grade in IB Economics 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	79	65	52	38	26	13	14
November 2025 TZ1	77	65	51	38	26	13	12
May 2025 TZ3	77	65	52	40	28	14	12
May 2025 TZ2	76	63	50	38	27	14	13
May 2025 TZ1	77	65	54	42	29	14	12
November 2024 TZ2	78	64	51	37	26	13	14
November 2024 TZ1	78	64	51	37	25	13	14
May 2024 TZ2	75	62	49	36	24	12	13
May 2024 TZ1	76	62	50	37	24	12	14
November 2023 TZ2	75	63	49	37	26	13	12
November 2023 TZ1	75	62	49	36	24	12	13
May 2023 TZ2	74	62	48	36	25	12	12
May 2023 TZ1	73	61	47	35	26	13	12
November 2022 (exam route)	72	58	45	31	20	10	14
May 2022 (exam route)	71	58	43	30	21	11	13
November 2021 (exam route)	69	54	38	23	13	7	15
May 2021 TZ2 (exam route)	67	54	40	27	18	9	13
May 2021 TZ1 (exam route)	65	53	39	27	20	10	12
November 2020	73	61	50	38	27	14	12
November 2019	75	63	50	38	27	14	12
May 2019 TZ2	74	63	51	40	28	14	11
May 2019 TZ1	71	60	48	37	27	14	11
November 2018	77	64	53	40	27	14	13
May 2018 TZ2	76	66	54	43	31	15	10
May 2018 TZ1	73	62	51	40	30	15	11
May 2017 TZ2	75	63	52	41	28	14	12
May 2017 TZ1	71	60	49	38	27	13	11

What do I need

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

Session

Grade

In May 2025 TZ3 a 7 overall started at 77 out of 100 scaled marks. On each component:

Component	Out of	Minimum for a 7	As %
Internal assessment	45	37	82%
Paper 1	25	19	76%
Paper 2	40	33	83%
Paper 3	60	44	73%

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.

Options and variants

Overall boundaries of the options the IB lists separately for Economics HL (self-taught, pilot syllabus, regional or performance options).
Session	Option	7	6	5	4	3	2	Gap 6 to 7
May 2025 TZ3	P11	77	65	52	40	28	14	12
May 2025 TZ3	P22	77	65	52	40	28	14	12
May 2025 TZ2	P11	77	64	51	39	29	15	13
May 2025 TZ2	P22	77	64	51	39	29	15	13
May 2025 TZ1	P11	77	65	53	41	29	15	12
May 2025 TZ1	P22	77	65	53	41	29	15	12
November 2024	P11	78	64	51	37	26	13	14
November 2024	P22	78	64	51	37	26	13	14
May 2024	pilot P11	75	62	49	36	24	12	13
May 2024	pilot P22	75	62	49	36	24	12	13

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)	72	58	45	31	20	10	14
May 2022 (non-exam route)	76	65	53	42	29	15	11
November 2021 (non-exam route)	78	64	51	36	34	18	14
May 2021 TZ2 (non-exam route)	74	63	51	40	28	14	11
May 2021 TZ1 (non-exam route)	71	60	48	37	26	13	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 77% in TZ1 and at 79% 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 Economics HL has averaged 73.2% in May and 75.3% 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 Economics HL the 6 sits on average 12.5 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 79% 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 Economics HL?

79% of the scaled marks in November 2025 TZ3. Over 16 sessions since May 2017 TZ1 the 7 has started between 65% and 79%, 74% 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 Economics HL?

Between 10 and 15 on the 100-mark scale, 12.5 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 Economics HL grade boundaries going up or down?

The May 7 moved from 75% in May 2024 TZ2 to 77% 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 Economics HL?

Not in the boundaries: the 7 has averaged 73.2% in May sessions and 75.3% 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 Economics HL grade boundaries: what you need for a 7