IB Information Technology in a Global Society SL grade boundaries: what you need for a 7

In November 2023 a 7 in IB Information Technology in a Global Society SL started at 69 out of 100 scaled marks, a 6 at 57 and a 4 at 35. Across the 12 sessions on record, from May 2017 to November 2023, the 7 has ranged from 61% (May 2021 (exam route)) to 71% (May 2018), 68.3% on average, and the gap between a 6 and a 7 has averaged 11.8 marks.

By Pietro Meloni, PhD · Read from the IB grade boundaries documents, last checked on

Overall boundaries, every session on record

Minimum scaled mark, out of 100, for each grade in IB Information Technology in a Global Society SL. One row per session and timezone; May 2021 and 2022 and November 2021 and 2022 show the examination route.
Session765432Gap 6 to 7
November 202369574735231112
May 2023 TZ270584735251212
May 2023 TZ170584735251212
November 2022 (exam route)67564635211011
May 2022 (exam route)6352402616811
November 2021 (exam route)65544233211011
May 2021 (exam route)6149372214712
November 202070584735241212
November 201970584735231112
May 201971594836251212
November 201871594735231112
May 201871594735241212
May 201770584735241212

Paper by paper: November 2023

November 2023: minimum raw mark for each grade on each component, and the 7 as a percentage of that component. Read from the IB grade boundaries document.
ComponentOut of765437 as %
Paper 14025211814863%
Paper 22620171310777%
Project3023191612977%

What do I need

IB Information Technology in a Global Society SL: the mark you need, paper by paper

Grade

In November 2023 a 7 overall started at 69 out of 100 scaled marks. On each component:

ComponentOut ofMinimum for a 7As %Your raw markYour grade
Paper 1402563%
Paper 2262077%
Project302377%

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.
Session765432Gap 6 to 7
November 2022 (non-exam route)67564635211011
May 2022 (non-exam route)71594939251212
November 2021 (non-exam route)7160473112611
May 2021 (non-exam route)71594836251212

What the components say about where to work

In November 2023 a 7 needed 77% on Paper 2 and 63% on Paper 1. The component with the lower threshold is the one candidates found hard, and it is usually the one where a few marks are cheapest to gain.

Marked work (internal assessment, orals, written tasks) is assessed against criteria known in advance, so it is the part of the grade under the student’s control before the exam. Which written paper has the lowest threshold changes from session to session, so a past paper should be marked against the boundaries of its own session, not against the latest one.

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 2023 the 7 started at 70% in TZ2 and at 70% 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 Information Technology in a Global Society SL has averaged 68% in May and 68.7% 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 Information Technology in a Global Society SL the 6 sits on average 11.8 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 71% or more on full mocks under exam conditions has a 7 in every session on record. A student at 61% 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 . Corrections: pietro@pietromeloni.com.

Frequently asked questions

What percentage do you need for a 7 in IB Information Technology in a Global Society SL?

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69% of the scaled marks in November 2023. Over 12 sessions since May 2017 the 7 has started between 61% and 71%, 68.3% 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 Information Technology in a Global Society SL?

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Between 11 and 12 on the 100-mark scale, 11.8 on average. In November 2023 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.

Which component needs the highest mark for a 7 in Information Technology in a Global Society SL?

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In November 2023 Paper 2 needed 20 out of 26 (77%) for a 7, the highest of the components, while Paper 1 needed 25 out of 40 (63%). The overall grade is what counts: a strong component carries a weaker one.

Are Information Technology in a Global Society SL grade boundaries going up or down?

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The May 7 moved from 63% in May 2022 to 70% in May 2023 TZ2. 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 Information Technology in a Global Society SL?

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Not in the boundaries: the 7 has averaged 68% in May sessions and 68.7% 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?

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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.

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