IB Maths AA HL Grade Boundaries: 70% to 79% for a 7

Overall boundaries, every session on record

Minimum scaled mark, out of 100, for each grade. Rows without “IB document” are reported values not yet checked against the document.
Session	7	6	5	4	3	Gap 6 to 7	Source
May 2026 TZ3	72	60	46	33	22	12	reported
May 2026 TZ2	73	61	48	35	23	12	reported
May 2026 TZ1	72	57	43	29	20	15	reported
November 2025 TZ3	75	63	49	35	24	12	IB document
November 2025 TZ1	78	64	49	34	26	14	IB document
May 2025 TZ3	76	64	51	38	26	12	IB document
May 2025 TZ2	71	59	45	32	23	12	IB document
May 2025 TZ1	73	60	48	34	24	13	IB document
November 2024	79	65	52	37	26	14	IB document
May 2024 TZ2	74	60	47	34	24	14	IB document
May 2024 TZ1	76	62	49	35	23	14	IB document
November 2023	78	61	47	34	23	17	reported
May 2023 TZ2	70	57	43	30	21	13	reported
May 2023 TZ1	70	56	44	31	21	14	reported

Paper by paper: May 2025 TZ3

May 2025 TZ3: 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.
Component	Out of	7	6	5	4	7 as %
Internal assessment	20	17	15	12	9	85%
Paper 1	110	70	57	44	31	64%
Paper 2	110	85	71	57	43	77%
Paper 3	55	48	41	34	27	87%

What the components say about where to work

In May 2025 TZ3 a 7 needed 87% on Paper 3 and 64% on Paper 1. The paper with the lower threshold is the paper that students found hard, and it is usually the one where a few marks are cheapest to gain.

In most sessions with a full IB document, the exploration (the internal assessment) has had the highest threshold of all the components. It is marked against criteria known in advance, so it is the one part of the grade that is under the student's control before the exam. Which paper has the lowest threshold changes from session to session, so a past paper should be marked against the boundaries of its own session.

The gap between a 6 and a 7

In Maths AA HL the 6 sits on average 13.4 marks below the 7 on the 100-mark scale. That is roughly one long question answered fully instead of half-answered, or the marks lost to arithmetic slips and unread instructions across a whole paper.

Students who miss a 7 rarely miss it on content. They miss it on the last part of long questions, on rounding and units, on reading what was asked. The page on the mistakes examiners flag most often in AA HL lists where those marks go.

How to use this

Use the range, not the last session. A student who is scoring 79% or more on full mocks under exam conditions has a 7 in every session on record. A student at 70% has a 7 only on the hardest paper, and should plan for the 6 to 7 gap rather than assume it.

Mock papers should be marked on the component boundaries of a documented session, not on the overall. Then the weakest component is visible and the revision plan writes itself.

Sources

8 of the 14 sessions were read from the grade boundaries document the IB issues to Diploma coordinators. Most of those documents list every component; the most recent one on record lists the overall only. The rows marked “reported” give the overall boundary only, from published compilations of the IB subject reports, and will be checked against the document when it is in hand.

Independent work, not endorsed by the International Baccalaureate. Last reviewed 23 September 2026. Corrections: pietro@pietromeloni.com.

Frequently asked questions

What percentage do you need for a 7 in Maths AA HL?

72% of the scaled marks in May 2026 TZ3. Over 14 sessions the 7 has started between 70% and 79%. There is no fixed figure: the IB sets it after each session.

How many marks separate a 6 from a 7 in Maths AA HL?

Between 12 and 17 on the 100-mark scale, 13.4 on average. In May 2026 TZ3 it was 12 marks. That is the size of one long question done properly, which is why exam technique moves this grade more than new content.

Which component needs the highest mark for a 7 in Maths AA HL?

In May 2025 TZ3 Paper 3 needed 48 out of 55 (87%) for a 7, the highest of the components, while Paper 1 needed 70 out of 110 (64%). The overall grade is what counts: a strong component carries a weaker one.

Are Maths AA HL grade boundaries going up or down?

The May 7 moved from 76% in May 2025 TZ3 to 72% in May 2026 TZ3. A move of a few points between years is normal and reflects how hard that paper was, not a change in the standard.

Where do these numbers come from?

From the grade boundaries document the IB issues to Diploma coordinators after each session, for 8 of the 14 sessions shown. The others are overall values reported in published compilations of IB subject reports and are checked when the document is in hand.

IB Mathematics: Analysis and Approaches HL grade boundaries: what you need for a 7