IB English A: Literature HL Grade Boundaries: 74-82% for a 7

Overall boundaries, every session on record

Minimum scaled mark, out of 100, for each grade in IB English A: Literature 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	76	64	52	40	25	13	12
November 2025 TZ1	79	67	54	41	28	14	12
May 2025 TZ3	78	64	53	39	28	14	14
May 2025 TZ2	80	66	54	40	29	15	14
May 2025 TZ1	76	62	50	37	27	14	14
November 2024 TZ2	81	67	55	41	28	14	14
November 2024 TZ1	76	63	52	40	25	13	13
May 2024 TZ2	80	66	54	40	29	15	14
May 2024 TZ1	80	66	53	39	28	14	14
November 2023 TZ2	82	68	56	42	28	14	14
November 2023 TZ1	82	68	56	42	28	14	14
May 2023 TZ2	78	65	53	40	29	14	13
May 2023 TZ1	81	66	54	39	28	14	15
November 2022 (exam route)	75	62	52	38	25	12	13
May 2022 TZ2 (exam route)	74	62	50	38	25	12	12
May 2022 TZ1 (exam route)	80	66	53	38	25	12	14
November 2021 (exam route)	74	62	50	38	25	12	12
May 2021 TZ2 (exam route)	74	62	50	38	25	12	12
May 2021 TZ1 (exam route)	80	66	53	38	25	12	14
November 2020	79	67	56	43	31	17	12
November 2019	81	69	57	44	32	18	12
May 2019 TZ2	82	70	58	45	33	18	12
May 2019 TZ1	79	68	56	44	33	18	11
November 2018	80	69	57	45	32	18	11
May 2018 TZ2	82	70	57	44	32	18	12
May 2018 TZ1	80	69	57	45	33	18	11
May 2017 TZ2	82	70	58	45	33	18	12
May 2017 TZ1	80	69	57	45	33	18	11

What do I need

IB English A: Literature HL: 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 %
Essay	20	18	90%
Internal assessment (oral)	40	34	85%
Paper 1	40	30	75%
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.

Options and variants

Overall boundaries of the options the IB lists separately for English A: Literature 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	78	64	53	39	28	14	14
May 2025 TZ3	P22	78	64	53	39	28	14	14
May 2024	pilot P11	80	66	52	38	27	14	14
May 2024	pilot P22	80	66	53	39	28	14	14

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	52	38	25	12	13
May 2022 TZ2 (non-exam route)	84	71	59	46	31	16	13
May 2022 TZ1 (non-exam route)	82	69	55	42	30	18	13
November 2021 (non-exam route)	80	66	53	38	25	12	14
May 2021 TZ2 (non-exam route)	85	72	60	46	37	18	13
May 2021 TZ1 (non-exam route)	82	69	55	42	30	18	13

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 76% in TZ3 and at 79% 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: Literature HL has averaged 79.2% in May and 78.6% 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: Literature HL the 6 sits on average 12.8 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 82% or more on full mocks under exam conditions has a 7 in every session on record. A student at 74% 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: Literature HL?

76% of the scaled marks in November 2025 TZ3. Over 16 sessions since May 2017 TZ1 the 7 has started between 74% and 82%, 79% 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: Literature HL?

Between 11 and 15 on the 100-mark scale, 12.8 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: Literature HL grade boundaries going up or down?

The May 7 moved from 80% 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: Literature HL?

Not in the boundaries: the 7 has averaged 79.2% in May sessions and 78.6% 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: Literature HL grade boundaries: what you need for a 7