IB Russian ab initio SL Grade Boundaries: 71-84% for a 7

Overall boundaries, every session on record

Minimum scaled mark, out of 100, for each grade in IB Russian ab initio 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
May 2021 (exam route)	71	58	49	38	24	10	13
May 2019	81	68	54	40	23	11	13
May 2018	84	70	58	43	25	13	14

What do I need

IB Russian ab initio SL: the mark you need, paper by paper

Session

Grade

In May 2019 a 7 overall started at 81 out of 100 scaled marks. On each component:

Component	Out of	Minimum for a 7	As %
Internal assessment (oral)	25	22	88%
Paper 1	40	31	78%
Paper 2	25	21	84%
Written assignment	20	18	90%

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 2021 (non-exam route)	86	71	57	42	27	14	15

The gap between a 6 and a 7

In Russian ab initio SL the 6 sits on average 13.3 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 84% or more on full mocks under exam conditions has a 7 in every session on record. A student at 71% has a 7 only on the hardest paper, and should plan for the 6 to 7 gap rather than assume it.

Sources

All 3 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 Russian ab initio SL?

71% of the scaled marks in May 2021 (exam route). Over 3 sessions since May 2018 the 7 has started between 71% and 84%, 78.7% 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 Russian ab initio SL?

Between 13 and 14 on the 100-mark scale, 13.3 on average. In May 2021 (exam route) it was 13 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.

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 3 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 Russian ab initio SL grade boundaries: what you need for a 7