IB Music HL Grade Boundaries: 77-88% for a 7

Overall boundaries, every session on record

Minimum scaled mark, out of 100, for each grade in IB Music HL. 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	81	67	53	39	22	11	14
November 2022 (exam route)	79	65	51	37	23	11	14
May 2022 (exam route)	79	65	51	37	23	11	14
November 2021 (exam route)	85	73	61	48	31	14	12
May 2021 (exam route)	88	75	63	51	34	16	13
November 2020	81	71	60	50	35	17	10
November 2019	82	72	61	51	35	17	10
May 2019	78	68	57	47	31	15	10
November 2018	78	68	58	48	32	16	10
May 2018	77	68	56	47	31	15	9
May 2017	77	68	56	47	31	15	9

What do I need

IB Music HL: the mark you need, paper by paper

Session

Grade

In November 2020 a 7 overall started at 81 out of 100 scaled marks. On each component:

Component	Out of	Minimum for a 7	As %
Creating	30	27	90%
Musical links investigation	20	18	90%
Paper 1	100	65	65%
Solo performing	20	19	95%

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)	79	65	51	37	23	11	14
May 2022 (non-exam route)	79	65	51	37	23	11	14
November 2021 (non-exam route)	85	73	61	48	31	14	12
May 2021 (non-exam route)	88	75	63	51	34	16	13

May against November

On record the 7 in Music HL has averaged 79.8% in May and 81% 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 Music HL the 6 sits on average 11.4 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 77% has a 7 only on the hardest paper, and should plan for the 6 to 7 gap rather than assume it.

Sources

All 11 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 Music HL?

81% of the scaled marks in November 2025. Over 11 sessions since May 2017 the 7 has started between 77% and 88%, 80.5% 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 Music HL?

Between 9 and 14 on the 100-mark scale, 11.4 on average. In November 2025 it was 14 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 Music HL grade boundaries going up or down?

The May 7 moved from 88% in May 2021 to 79% in May 2022. 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 Music HL?

Not in the boundaries: the 7 has averaged 79.8% in May sessions and 81% 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 11 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 Music HL grade boundaries: what you need for a 7