IB Maths AI SL Grade Boundaries: 66% to 83% 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	76	63	50	37	24	13	reported
May 2026 TZ2	71	58	43	30	21	13	reported
May 2026 TZ1	79	63	48	32	21	16	reported
November 2025 TZ3	83	70	58	45	28	13	IB document
November 2025 TZ1	80	67	53	39	26	13	IB document
May 2025 TZ3	77	63	49	35	22	14	IB document
May 2025 TZ2	66	53	40	27	18	13	IB document
May 2025 TZ1	70	55	42	29	20	15	IB document
November 2024 TZ2	82	70	57	42	27	12	IB document
November 2024 TZ1	82	70	57	42	27	12	IB document
May 2024 TZ2	76	61	47	34	24	15	IB document
May 2024 TZ1	77	65	51	38	25	12	IB document
May 2023 TZ2	77	63	48	33	22	14	reported
May 2023 TZ1	71	58	43	30	19	13	reported
May 2022 TZ2	67	53	37	23	14	14	reported
May 2022 TZ1	67	50	35	23	13	17	reported
November 2021	68	52	38	25	13	16	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	63	52	41	30	79%
Paper 2	80	58	47	35	24	73%

What the components say about where to work

In May 2025 TZ3 a 7 needed 90% on the internal assessment and 73% on Paper 2. 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 SL the 6 sits on average 13.8 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 83% or more on full mocks under exam conditions has a 7 in every session on record. A student at 66% 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 17 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 SL?

76% of the scaled marks in May 2026 TZ3. Over 17 sessions the 7 has started between 66% and 83%. There is no fixed figure: the IB sets it after each session.

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

Between 12 and 17 on the 100-mark scale, 13.8 on average. In May 2026 TZ3 it was 13 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 SL?

In May 2025 TZ3 the internal assessment needed 18 out of 20 (90%) for a 7, the highest of the components, while Paper 2 needed 58 out of 80 (73%). The overall grade is what counts: a strong component carries a weaker one.

Are Maths AI SL grade boundaries going up or down?

The May 7 moved from 77% in May 2025 TZ3 to 76% 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 17 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 SL grade boundaries: what you need for a 7