IB English ab initio SL Grade Boundaries: 77-89% for a 7

Overall boundaries, every session on record

Minimum scaled mark, out of 100, for each grade in IB English ab initio 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	84	71	58	46	32	15	13
May 2025	77	64	53	41	26	12	13
May 2024	83	70	57	44	29	14	13
May 2023	81	68	56	42	27	13	13
May 2022 (exam route)	86	70	56	41	28	14	16
May 2021 (exam route)	86	73	61	47	31	14	13
November 2020	85	72	60	46	29	14	13
November 2019	87	76	66	54	33	16	11
May 2019	84	74	63	52	35	17	10
November 2018	89	77	67	55	33	16	12
May 2018	82	71	60	49	32	16	11
May 2017	86	74	63	51	34	17	12

What do I need

IB English ab initio SL: the mark you need, paper by paper

Session

Grade

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

Component	Out of	Minimum for a 7	As %
Internal assessment (oral)	30	27	90%
Paper 1	30	27	90%
Paper 2 (listening)	25	16	64%
Paper 2 (reading)	40	29	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.

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
May 2022 (non-exam route)	86	70	56	41	28	14	16
May 2021 (non-exam route)	86	71	57	42	27	14	15

May against November

On record the 7 in English ab initio SL has averaged 83.1% in May and 86.3% 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 English ab initio SL 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 89% or more on full mocks under exam conditions has a 7 in every session on record. A student at 77% has a 7 only on the hardest paper, and should plan for the 6 to 7 gap rather than assume it.

Sources

All 12 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 ab initio SL?

84% of the scaled marks in November 2025. Over 12 sessions since May 2017 the 7 has started between 77% and 89%, 84.2% 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 ab initio SL?

Between 10 and 16 on the 100-mark scale, 12.5 on average. In November 2025 it was 13 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 ab initio SL grade boundaries going up or down?

The May 7 moved from 83% in May 2024 to 77% in May 2025. 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 ab initio SL?

Not in the boundaries: the 7 has averaged 83.1% in May sessions and 86.3% 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 12 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 ab initio SL grade boundaries: what you need for a 7