IB Global Politics SL Grade Boundaries: 53-72% for a 7

Overall boundaries, every session on record

Minimum scaled mark, out of 100, for each grade in IB Global Politics 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	67	56	43	32	21	9	11
May 2025 TZ3	65	57	46	37	26	12	8
May 2025 TZ2	64	54	43	33	21	10	10
May 2025 TZ1	65	55	44	35	24	11	10
November 2024	67	56	43	32	21	9	11
May 2024 TZ2	63	53	43	33	22	10	10
May 2024 TZ1	63	53	43	33	22	10	10
November 2023	64	55	43	33	22	10	9
May 2023	64	54	43	33	22	10	10
November 2022 (exam route)	57	49	39	31	21	10	8
May 2022 (exam route)	57	47	35	27	17	7	10
November 2021 (exam route)	53	45	34	27	16	7	8
May 2021 (exam route)	59	49	38	29	19	7	10
November 2020	64	52	40	28	18	8	12
November 2019	69	60	46	37	23	11	9
May 2019	68	58	44	33	21	9	10
May 2018	72	59	46	33	23	11	13
May 2017	70	58	45	32	22	10	12

What do I need

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

Session

Grade

In May 2025 TZ3 a 7 overall started at 65 out of 100 scaled marks. On each component:

Component	Out of	Minimum for a 7	As %
Internal assessment	20	16	80%
Paper 1	25	18	72%
Paper 2	50	29	58%

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)	57	49	39	31	21	10	8
May 2022 (non-exam route)	62	50	37	27	16	7	12
November 2021 (non-exam route)	66	58	44	25	16	11	8
May 2021 (non-exam route)	68	58	44	33	21	9	10

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 64% in TZ2 and at 65% 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 SL has averaged 64.5% in May and 63% 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 SL the 6 sits on average 10.1 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 72% or more on full mocks under exam conditions has a 7 in every session on record. A student at 53% 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 SL?

67% of the scaled marks in November 2025. Over 15 sessions since May 2017 the 7 has started between 53% and 72%, 63.9% 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 SL?

Between 8 and 13 on the 100-mark scale, 10.1 on average. In November 2025 it was 11 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 SL grade boundaries going up or down?

The May 7 moved from 63% in May 2024 TZ2 to 65% 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 SL?

Not in the boundaries: the 7 has averaged 64.5% in May sessions and 63% 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 SL grade boundaries: what you need for a 7