IB Economics SL Grade Boundaries: 69-81% for a 7

Overall boundaries, every session on record

Minimum scaled mark, out of 100, for each grade in IB Economics 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	69	54	43	31	16	12
November 2025 TZ1	79	67	54	42	29	15	12
May 2025 TZ3	76	64	51	39	25	12	12
May 2025 TZ2	76	64	52	40	29	15	12
May 2025 TZ1	75	64	54	43	30	15	11
November 2024 TZ2	80	68	55	44	32	16	12
November 2024 TZ1	80	67	55	43	30	15	13
May 2024 TZ2	75	64	52	41	30	15	11
May 2024 TZ1	80	67	53	40	24	12	13
November 2023 TZ2	79	66	54	42	29	15	13
November 2023 TZ1	80	67	54	42	29	15	13
May 2023 TZ2	73	62	51	40	26	13	11
May 2023 TZ1	74	62	51	39	24	11	12
November 2022 (exam route)	75	62	50	37	26	14	13
May 2022 (exam route)	73	60	48	35	22	10	13
November 2021 (exam route)	69	52	39	25	17	8	17
May 2021 TZ2 (exam route)	72	59	44	31	20	10	13
May 2021 TZ1 (exam route)	71	57	43	29	19	9	14
November 2020	75	64	52	41	31	16	11
November 2019	76	64	51	39	26	12	12
May 2019 TZ2	75	65	54	43	30	15	10
May 2019 TZ1	75	63	52	40	25	13	12
November 2018	78	65	53	39	27	13	13
May 2018 TZ2	74	63	51	40	25	12	11
May 2018 TZ1	73	60	48	36	21	10	13
May 2017 TZ2	74	64	53	42	28	14	10
May 2017 TZ1	74	63	52	40	25	12	11

What do I need

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

Session

Grade

In May 2025 TZ3 a 7 overall started at 76 out of 100 scaled marks. On each component:

Component	Out of	Minimum for a 7	As %
Internal assessment	45	37	82%
Paper 1	25	17	68%
Paper 2	40	33	83%

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 SL (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	26	12	12
May 2025 TZ2	P11	77	64	51	38	27	13	13
May 2025 TZ2	P22	76	63	50	37	26	13	13
May 2025 TZ1	P11	77	65	53	41	28	13	12
May 2025 TZ1	P22	76	64	52	40	27	13	12
November 2024	P11	80	68	55	44	32	16	12
November 2024	P22	80	68	55	44	32	16	12
May 2024	pilot P11	75	64	52	41	30	15	11
May 2024	pilot P22	75	64	52	41	30	15	11

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)	75	62	50	37	26	14	13
May 2022 (non-exam route)	78	67	56	45	31	16	11
November 2021 (non-exam route)	79	67	48	35	24	13	12
May 2021 TZ2 (non-exam route)	75	65	54	43	30	15	10
May 2021 TZ1 (non-exam route)	75	63	52	40	25	13	12

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 79% in TZ1 and at 81% 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 SL has averaged 74.4% 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 Economics SL the 6 sits on average 12.2 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 81% or more on full mocks under exam conditions has a 7 in every session on record. A student at 69% 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 SL?

81% of the scaled marks in November 2025 TZ3. Over 16 sessions since May 2017 TZ1 the 7 has started between 69% and 81%, 75.6% 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 SL?

Between 10 and 17 on the 100-mark scale, 12.2 on average. In November 2025 TZ3 it was 12 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 SL grade boundaries going up or down?

The May 7 moved from 75% in May 2024 TZ2 to 76% 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 SL?

Not in the boundaries: the 7 has averaged 74.4% 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 Economics SL grade boundaries: what you need for a 7