IB Maths AI HL Grade Boundaries: 62% to 77% 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	74	62	49	37	26	12	reported
May 2026 TZ2	69	57	45	32	22	12	reported
May 2026 TZ1	70	59	46	34	24	11	reported
November 2025	76	64	52	40	29	12	IB document
May 2025 TZ3	77	65	52	38	26	12	IB document
May 2025 TZ2	66	56	45	33	24	10	IB document
May 2025 TZ1	66	55	44	32	23	11	IB document
November 2024	77	65	52	39	28	12	IB document
May 2024 TZ2	74	62	48	35	25	12	IB document
May 2024 TZ1	74	63	51	37	26	11	IB document
November 2023	77	62	50	35	24	15	reported
May 2023 TZ2	68	57	44	32	23	11	reported
May 2023 TZ1	69	57	46	34	24	12	reported
November 2022	64	52	39	24	16	12	reported
May 2022 TZ2	62	49	37	26	18	13	reported
May 2022 TZ1	63	50	37	26	16	13	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	77	64	50	37	70%
Paper 2	110	83	68	53	38	75%
Paper 3	55	47	40	34	27	85%

What the components say about where to work

In May 2025 TZ3 a 7 needed 85% on the internal assessment and 70% 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 AI HL the 6 sits on average 11.9 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 77% or more on full mocks under exam conditions has a 7 in every session on record. A student at 62% 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

7 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 AI HL?

74% of the scaled marks in May 2026 TZ3. Over 16 sessions the 7 has started between 62% and 77%. There is no fixed figure: the IB sets it after each session.

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

Between 10 and 15 on the 100-mark scale, 11.9 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 AI HL?

In May 2025 TZ3 the internal assessment needed 17 out of 20 (85%) for a 7, the highest of the components, while Paper 1 needed 77 out of 110 (70%). The overall grade is what counts: a strong component carries a weaker one.

Are Maths AI HL grade boundaries going up or down?

The May 7 moved from 77% in May 2025 TZ3 to 74% 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 7 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: Applications and Interpretation HL grade boundaries: what you need for a 7