IB Philosophy SL Grade Boundaries: 67-80% for a 7

Overall boundaries, every session on record

Minimum scaled mark, out of 100, for each grade in IB Philosophy SL. 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	80	65	49	34	22	10	15
May 2025 TZ3	79	67	54	42	30	15	12
May 2025 TZ2	79	67	56	44	28	14	12
November 2024	80	65	51	35	23	11	15
May 2024 TZ2	77	66	56	44	30	15	11
May 2024 TZ1	79	66	52	38	26	13	13
November 2023	77	63	51	36	24	11	14
May 2023 TZ2	77	66	56	44	30	15	11
May 2023 TZ1	79	66	52	38	26	13	13
May 2022 (exam route)	74	62	50	39	25	13	12
November 2021 (exam route)	67	55	46	35	23	12	12
May 2021 (exam route)	74	59	44	32	25	13	15
November 2020	76	64	52	38	26	12	12
November 2019	79	66	54	40	28	13	13
May 2019	75	63	50	37	24	11	12
November 2018	77	64	52	38	27	13	13
May 2018	78	66	53	40	27	13	12
May 2017	76	63	50	36	25	12	13

What do I need

IB Philosophy SL: the mark you need, paper by paper

Session

Grade

In May 2025 TZ3 a 7 overall started at 79 out of 100 scaled marks. On each component:

Component	Out of	Minimum for a 7	As %
Internal assessment	25	22	88%
Paper 1	50	39	78%
Paper 2	25	20	80%

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
May 2022 (non-exam route)	74	62	55	39	25	13	12
November 2021 (non-exam route)	79	66	54	40	28	13	13
May 2021 (non-exam route)	75	63	50	37	24	11	12

Timezones: the same session, different papers

In May the IB sets different papers for different parts of the world, and each gets its own boundaries. In May 2025 the 7 started at 79% in TZ3 and at 79% in TZ2.

A gap between timezones is not an advantage for one of them: the boundary follows the paper. The useful reading is the range across all timezones and sessions, which is what the first table shows.

May against November

On record the 7 in Philosophy SL has averaged 77% in May and 76.6% 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 Philosophy SL the 6 sits on average 12.8 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 80% or more on full mocks under exam conditions has a 7 in every session on record. A student at 67% has a 7 only on the hardest paper, and should plan for the 6 to 7 gap rather than assume it.

Sources

All 15 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 Philosophy SL?

80% of the scaled marks in November 2025. Over 15 sessions since May 2017 the 7 has started between 67% and 80%, 76.8% 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 Philosophy SL?

Between 11 and 15 on the 100-mark scale, 12.8 on average. In November 2025 it was 15 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 Philosophy SL grade boundaries going up or down?

The May 7 moved from 77% in May 2024 TZ2 to 79% in May 2025 TZ3. 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 Philosophy SL?

Not in the boundaries: the 7 has averaged 77% in May sessions and 76.6% 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 15 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 Philosophy SL grade boundaries: what you need for a 7