IB English B SL Grade Boundaries: 82-90% for a 7

Overall boundaries, every session on record

Minimum scaled mark, out of 100, for each grade in IB English B 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	87	74	60	46	28	14	13
November 2025 TZ1	89	75	60	46	28	14	14
May 2025 TZ3	88	71	54	37	22	11	17
May 2025 TZ2	87	71	55	39	24	11	16
May 2025 TZ1	86	71	54	39	25	12	15
November 2024	88	74	59	45	29	14	14
May 2024 TZ2	88	72	55	40	25	11	16
May 2024 TZ1	88	72	56	40	24	11	16
November 2023 TZ2	90	75	57	42	28	14	15
November 2023 TZ1	90	75	57	42	28	14	15
May 2023 TZ2	87	72	56	41	24	11	15
May 2023 TZ1	88	72	55	39	24	11	16
November 2022 (exam route)	84	68	51	35	21	10	16
May 2022 (exam route)	88	71	55	39	23	11	17
November 2021 (exam route)	82	65	47	30	18	9	17
May 2021 (exam route)	85	69	51	35	21	10	16
November 2020	84	70	56	42	27	13	14
November 2019	88	74	61	47	30	14	14
May 2019	87	73	61	47	30	14	14
November 2018	88	74	61	47	30	14	14
May 2018	86	72	60	46	30	14	14
May 2017	87	73	62	48	30	14	14

What do I need

IB English B SL: the mark you need, paper by paper

Session

Grade

In May 2025 TZ3 a 7 overall started at 88 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	26	87%
Paper 2 (listening)	25	23	92%
Paper 2 (reading)	40	37	93%

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)	84	68	51	35	21	10	16
May 2022 (non-exam route)	90	71	55	39	23	11	19
November 2021 (non-exam route)	81	68	53	39	25	12	13
May 2021 (non-exam route)	85	70	56	42	27	14	15

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 87% in TZ3 and at 89% 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 B SL has averaged 87.1% in May and 87% 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 B SL the 6 sits on average 15.1 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 90% or more on full mocks under exam conditions has a 7 in every session on record. A student at 82% 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 B SL?

87% of the scaled marks in November 2025 TZ3. Over 16 sessions since May 2017 the 7 has started between 82% and 90%, 87% 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 B SL?

Between 13 and 17 on the 100-mark scale, 15.1 on average. In November 2025 TZ3 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 B SL grade boundaries going up or down?

The May 7 moved from 88% in May 2024 TZ2 to 88% 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 B SL?

Not in the boundaries: the 7 has averaged 87.1% in May sessions and 87% 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 B SL grade boundaries: what you need for a 7