IB Japanese B SL Grade Boundaries: 75-88% for a 7

Overall boundaries, every session on record

Minimum scaled mark, out of 100, for each grade in IB Japanese 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	82	67	52	36	21	10	15
May 2025 TZ2	83	67	49	33	21	10	16
May 2025 TZ1	83	67	52	37	23	11	16
November 2024	83	68	52	37	22	11	15
May 2024 TZ2	85	68	50	34	22	10	17
May 2024 TZ1	86	69	50	33	22	10	17
November 2023	86	70	53	38	22	11	16
May 2023 TZ2	86	68	51	34	24	11	18
May 2023 TZ1	86	68	51	34	22	10	18
November 2022 (exam route)	85	68	51	34	20	9	17
May 2022 (exam route)	83	66	48	30	19	9	17
November 2021 (exam route)	84	67	48	31	19	9	17
May 2021 (exam route)	75	57	39	21	12	5	18
November 2020	85	67	49	31	19	9	18
November 2019	87	72	56	40	24	12	15
May 2019	87	70	55	38	24	12	17
November 2018	88	72	57	41	24	12	16
May 2018	86	69	54	38	24	12	17
May 2017	88	71	55	39	24	12	17

What do I need

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

Session

Grade

In May 2025 TZ2 a 7 overall started at 83 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	19	76%
Paper 2 (reading)	40	34	85%

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)	85	68	51	34	20	9	17
May 2022 (non-exam route)	84	66	48	30	19	9	18
November 2021 (non-exam route)	84	67	48	31	19	9	17
May 2021 (non-exam route)	84	70	56	42	27	14	14

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 83% in TZ2 and at 83% 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 Japanese B SL has averaged 84.4% in May and 85% 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 Japanese B SL the 6 sits on average 16.7 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 88% or more on full mocks under exam conditions has a 7 in every session on record. A student at 75% 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 Japanese B SL?

82% of the scaled marks in November 2025. Over 16 sessions since May 2017 the 7 has started between 75% and 88%, 84.6% 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 Japanese B SL?

Between 15 and 18 on the 100-mark scale, 16.7 on average. In November 2025 it was 15 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 Japanese B SL grade boundaries going up or down?

The May 7 moved from 85% in May 2024 TZ2 to 83% in May 2025 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 Japanese B SL?

Not in the boundaries: the 7 has averaged 84.4% in May sessions and 85% 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 Japanese B SL grade boundaries: what you need for a 7