IB Maths AA SL Grade Boundaries: 65% to 80% 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	73	59	44	30	19	14	reported
May 2026 TZ2	74	60	45	31	20	14	reported
May 2026 TZ1	75	59	43	28	17	16	reported
November 2025 TZ3	80	67	53	40	27	13	IB document
November 2025 TZ1	80	67	54	41	27	13	IB document
May 2025 TZ3	77	62	48	33	21	15	IB document
May 2025 TZ2	66	52	39	25	15	14	IB document
May 2025 TZ1	65	52	38	25	15	13	IB document
November 2024 TZ2	80	67	53	37	26	13	IB document
November 2024 TZ1	80	67	53	37	26	13	IB document
May 2024 TZ2	75	59	44	30	18	16	IB document
May 2024 TZ1	76	63	47	33	22	13	IB document
November 2023	80	66	49	32	21	14	reported
May 2023 TZ2	75	57	42	29	17	18	reported
May 2023 TZ1	79	64	48	34	23	15	reported
November 2022	75	58	39	24	15	17	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	18	15	12	9	90%
Paper 1	80	60	48	36	24	75%
Paper 2	79	60	48	37	25	76%

What the components say about where to work

In May 2025 TZ3 a 7 needed 90% on the internal assessment and 75% 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 SL the 6 sits on average 14.4 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.

How to use this

Use the range, not the last session. A student who is scoring 80% or more on full mocks under exam conditions has a 7 in every session on record. A student at 65% 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

9 of the 16 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 SL?

73% of the scaled marks in May 2026 TZ3. Over 16 sessions the 7 has started between 65% and 80%. There is no fixed figure: the IB sets it after each session.

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

Between 13 and 18 on the 100-mark scale, 14.4 on average. In May 2026 TZ3 it was 14 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 SL?

In May 2025 TZ3 the internal assessment needed 18 out of 20 (90%) for a 7, the highest of the components, while Paper 1 needed 60 out of 80 (75%). The overall grade is what counts: a strong component carries a weaker one.

Are Maths AA SL grade boundaries going up or down?

The May 7 moved from 77% in May 2025 TZ3 to 73% 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 9 of the 16 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 SL grade boundaries: what you need for a 7