IB Spanish A: Literature SL Grade Boundaries: 79-85% for a 7

Overall boundaries, every session on record

Minimum scaled mark, out of 100, for each grade in IB Spanish A: Literature 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	83	72	57	45	30	15	11
May 2025 TZ3	80	67	52	39	25	11	13
May 2025 TZ2	82	69	54	41	27	12	13
November 2024	83	71	58	46	30	15	12
May 2024 TZ2	82	69	54	41	27	12	13
May 2024 TZ1	81	67	54	41	26	13	14
November 2023	82	70	57	45	30	15	12
May 2023 TZ2	81	68	56	43	29	14	13
May 2023 TZ1	80	67	54	41	26	13	13
November 2022 (exam route)	82	71	57	46	31	16	11
May 2022 (exam route)	79	65	52	38	25	13	14
November 2021 (exam route)	85	71	60	46	31	16	14
May 2021 (exam route)	79	65	49	35	20	10	14
November 2020	84	73	59	46	34	19	11
November 2019	84	73	61	49	35	19	11
May 2019	81	70	61	49	35	19	11
November 2018	80	69	58	46	33	18	11
May 2018	81	70	59	47	34	19	11
May 2017	81	70	59	47	34	19	11

What do I need

IB Spanish A: Literature SL: the mark you need, paper by paper

Session

Grade

In May 2025 TZ3 a 7 overall started at 80 out of 100 scaled marks. On each component:

Component	Out of	Minimum for a 7	As %
Internal assessment (oral)	40	34	85%
Paper 1	20	16	80%
Paper 2	30	25	83%

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.

Options and variants

Overall boundaries of the options the IB lists separately for Spanish A: Literature SL (self-taught, pilot syllabus, regional or performance options).
Session	Option	7	6	5	4	3	2	Gap 6 to 7
May 2025 TZ2	self-taught	82	69	54	41	27	12	13
May 2024 TZ2	self-taught	82	69	54	41	27	12	13
May 2023 TZ2	self-taught	81	68	56	43	29	14	13
May 2022 (exam route)	self-taught	79	65	52	38	25	13	14
May 2021 (exam route)	self-taught	79	65	49	35	20	10	14
May 2019	self-taught	81	70	61	49	35	19	11
May 2018	self-taught	81	70	59	47	34	19	11
May 2017	self-taught	81	70	59	47	34	19	11

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	Option	7	6	5	4	3	2	Gap 6 to 7
November 2022 (non-exam route)	standard	82	71	57	46	31	16	11
May 2022 (non-exam route)	standard	87	71	61	46	31	16	16
May 2022 (non-exam route)	self-taught	87	71	61	46	31	16	16
November 2021 (non-exam route)	standard	91	77	64	50	31	16	14
May 2021 (non-exam route)	standard	84	73	61	53	33	19	11
May 2021 (non-exam route)	self-taught	84	73	61	53	33	19	11

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 80% in TZ3 and at 82% 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 Spanish A: Literature SL has averaged 80.6% in May and 82.9% 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 Spanish A: Literature SL the 6 sits on average 12.3 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 85% or more on full mocks under exam conditions has a 7 in every session on record. A student at 79% has a 7 only on the hardest paper, and should plan for the 6 to 7 gap rather than assume it.

Sources

All 16 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 Spanish A: Literature SL?

83% of the scaled marks in November 2025. Over 16 sessions since May 2017 the 7 has started between 79% and 85%, 81.6% 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 Spanish A: Literature SL?

Between 11 and 14 on the 100-mark scale, 12.3 on average. In November 2025 it was 11 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 Spanish A: Literature SL grade boundaries going up or down?

The May 7 moved from 82% in May 2024 TZ2 to 80% 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 Spanish A: Literature SL?

Not in the boundaries: the 7 has averaged 80.6% in May sessions and 82.9% 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 16 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 Spanish A: Literature SL grade boundaries: what you need for a 7