IB English A: Lang & Lit SL Grade Boundaries: 71-85% for a 7

Overall boundaries, every session on record

Minimum scaled mark, out of 100, for each grade in IB English A: Language and Literature 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	80	68	54	42	27	14	12
November 2025 TZ1	82	70	55	43	30	14	12
May 2025 TZ3	78	63	51	36	23	11	15
May 2025 TZ2	78	65	53	38	25	11	13
May 2025 TZ1	78	63	49	34	22	11	15
November 2024 TZ2	83	70	58	45	30	14	13
November 2024 TZ1	78	65	53	39	26	12	13
May 2024 TZ2	81	66	51	36	23	11	15
May 2024 TZ1	79	65	51	36	23	11	14
November 2023 TZ2	85	70	60	47	32	16	15
November 2023 TZ1	85	70	56	41	27	12	15
May 2023 TZ2	79	65	53	38	25	11	14
May 2023 TZ1	79	65	51	36	23	11	14
November 2022 (exam route)	82	68	57	43	25	13	14
May 2022 TZ2 (exam route)	77	60	49	35	23	10	17
May 2022 TZ1 (exam route)	77	60	46	35	23	10	17
November 2021 (exam route)	77	60	46	35	23	10	17
May 2021 TZ2 (exam route)	77	60	46	35	23	10	17
May 2021 TZ1 (exam route)	71	57	46	35	23	10	14
November 2020	84	70	59	45	30	13	14
November 2019	83	69	59	45	29	13	14
May 2019	83	68	55	41	26	12	15
November 2018	84	70	59	45	29	13	14
May 2018	82	67	54	39	26	12	15
May 2017	82	68	54	40	26	12	14

What do I need

IB English A: Language and Literature SL: the mark you need, paper by paper

Session

Grade

In May 2025 TZ3 a 7 overall started at 78 out of 100 scaled marks. On each component:

Component	Out of	Minimum for a 7	As %
Internal assessment (oral)	40	34	85%
Paper 1	20	16	80%
Paper 2	30	23	77%

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)	82	68	57	43	25	13	14
May 2022 TZ2 (non-exam route)	79	65	54	40	25	13	14
May 2022 TZ1 (non-exam route)	85	68	58	45	31	16	17
November 2021 (non-exam route)	84	67	49	33	26	12	17
May 2021 TZ2 (non-exam route)	84	67	49	33	26	12	17
May 2021 TZ1 (non-exam route)	84	67	50	36	25	13	17

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 80% 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 English A: Language and Literature SL has averaged 78.6% in May and 82.1% 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 English A: Language and Literature SL the 6 sits on average 14.5 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 85% or more on full mocks under exam conditions has a 7 in every session on record. A student at 71% 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 English A: Language and Literature SL?

80% of the scaled marks in November 2025 TZ3. Over 16 sessions since May 2017 the 7 has started between 71% and 85%, 80.2% 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 English A: Language and Literature SL?

Between 12 and 17 on the 100-mark scale, 14.5 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 English A: Language and Literature SL grade boundaries going up or down?

The May 7 moved from 81% in May 2024 TZ2 to 78% 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 English A: Language and Literature SL?

Not in the boundaries: the 7 has averaged 78.6% in May sessions and 82.1% 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 English A: Language and Literature SL grade boundaries: what you need for a 7