IB Physics HL Grade Boundaries: 61% to 74% 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	72	60	47	35	23	12	reported
May 2026 TZ2	74	63	52	40	28	11	reported
May 2026 TZ1	73	62	50	39	26	11	reported
November 2025 TZ3	71	59	46	34	23	12	IB document
November 2025 TZ1	70	57	46	34	22	13	IB document
May 2025 TZ3	71	59	46	34	23	12	IB document
May 2025 TZ2	68	58	46	36	25	10	IB document
May 2025 TZ1	67	56	45	35	24	11	IB document
November 2024	69	58	48	38	25	11	IB document
May 2024 TZ2	68	59	48	38	24	9	IB document
May 2024 TZ1	73	61	50	38	24	12	IB document
November 2023	69	59	49	39	26	10	reported
November 2022	65	52	40	30	21	13	reported
November 2021	61	48	37	27	18	13	reported
November 2020	73	64	53	44	30	9	reported
November 2019	69	59	49	39	26	10	reported
November 2018	69	58	48	38	26	11	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	24	20	17	14	11	83%
Paper 1A (multiple choice)	39	27	23	19	15	69%
Paper 1B (data analysis)	20	15	13	10	8	75%
Paper 2	90	61	49	37	25	68%

What the components say about where to work

In May 2025 TZ3 a 7 needed 83% on the internal assessment and 68% 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 every session with a full IB document, 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 exam 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 Physics HL the 6 sits on average 11.2 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.

The 2025 syllabus change

May 2025 was the first session of the current Physics syllabus. Paper 3 disappeared and Paper 1 became Paper 1A (multiple choice) and Paper 1B (data analysis). Boundaries before and after that session are not on the same paper structure, which is why the component table above shows a single session.

November 2024 was the last session of the old syllabus. Overall boundaries are still comparable across the change, because the 100-mark scale and the meaning of a 7 did not change.

How to use this

Use the range, not the last session. A student who is scoring 74% or more on full mocks under exam conditions has a 7 in every session on record. A student at 61% 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

8 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 Physics HL?

72% of the scaled marks in May 2026 TZ3. Over 17 sessions the 7 has started between 61% and 74%. There is no fixed figure: the IB sets it after each session.

How many marks separate a 6 from a 7 in Physics HL?

Between 9 and 13 on the 100-mark scale, 11.2 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 Physics HL?

In May 2025 TZ3 the internal assessment needed 20 out of 24 (83%) for a 7, the highest of the components, while Paper 2 needed 61 out of 90 (68%). The overall grade is what counts: a strong component carries a weaker one.

Are Physics HL grade boundaries going up or down?

The May 7 moved from 71% in May 2025 TZ3 to 72% 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 8 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 Physics HL grade boundaries: what you need for a 7