IB Global Politics HL Grade Boundaries: 58-74% for a 7

Overall boundaries, every session on record

Minimum scaled mark, out of 100, for each grade in IB Global Politics 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	72	60	47	35	22	10	12
May 2025 TZ3	70	59	48	37	24	12	11
May 2025 TZ2	71	58	47	34	22	11	13
May 2025 TZ1	71	59	48	36	24	11	12
November 2024	72	60	47	35	22	10	12
May 2024 TZ2	70	58	47	35	23	11	12
May 2024 TZ1	70	58	47	35	23	11	12
November 2023	71	59	47	35	22	10	12
May 2023	71	59	47	35	23	11	12
November 2022 (exam route)	62	51	41	31	20	10	11
May 2022 (exam route)	62	51	40	29	20	10	11
November 2021 (exam route)	58	46	38	27	16	7	12
May 2021 (exam route)	62	51	40	29	20	10	11
November 2020	66	55	44	33	20	10	11
November 2019	73	60	48	36	22	11	13
May 2019	72	60	47	35	23	11	12
May 2018	74	61	48	35	23	12	13
May 2017	74	61	48	35	23	11	13

What do I need

IB Global Politics HL: the mark you need, paper by paper

Session

Grade

In May 2025 TZ3 a 7 overall started at 70 out of 100 scaled marks. On each component:

Component	Out of	Minimum for a 7	As %
Extension oral	20	17	85%
Internal assessment	20	16	80%
Paper 1	25	18	72%
Paper 2	75	47	63%

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)	62	51	41	31	20	10	11
May 2022 (non-exam route)	72	60	47	35	23	11	12
November 2021 (non-exam route)	62	51	38	27	20	10	11
May 2021 (non-exam route)	72	60	47	35	23	11	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 May 2025 the 7 started at 70% in TZ3 and at 71% 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 Global Politics HL has averaged 69.7% in May and 67.7% 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 Global Politics HL the 6 sits on average 11.9 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 74% or more on full mocks under exam conditions has a 7 in every session on record. A student at 58% has a 7 only on the hardest paper, and should plan for the 6 to 7 gap rather than assume it.

Sources

All 15 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 Global Politics HL?

72% of the scaled marks in November 2025. Over 15 sessions since May 2017 the 7 has started between 58% and 74%, 68.9% 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 Global Politics HL?

Between 11 and 13 on the 100-mark scale, 11.9 on average. In November 2025 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 Global Politics HL grade boundaries going up or down?

The May 7 moved from 70% in May 2024 TZ2 to 70% 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 Global Politics HL?

Not in the boundaries: the 7 has averaged 69.7% in May sessions and 67.7% 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 15 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 Global Politics HL grade boundaries: what you need for a 7