IB Spanish ab initio SL Grade Boundaries: 73-87% for a 7

Overall boundaries, every session on record

Minimum scaled mark, out of 100, for each grade in IB Spanish 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
November 2025	82	67	54	39	25	12	15
May 2025 TZ3	81	66	50	35	20	10	15
May 2025 TZ2	78	64	48	34	20	9	14
May 2025 TZ1	80	66	50	36	20	10	14
November 2024	79	65	52	38	24	12	14
May 2024 TZ2	80	66	51	36	22	11	14
May 2024 TZ1	78	64	49	35	21	10	14
November 2023	82	67	54	39	25	12	15
May 2023 TZ2	80	67	54	40	26	12	13
May 2023 TZ1	80	67	53	40	24	11	13
November 2022 (exam route)	76	60	47	33	21	10	16
May 2022 (exam route)	82	68	53	39	25	13	14
November 2021 (exam route)	73	57	43	29	18	7	16
May 2021 (exam route)	78	63	50	35	23	12	15
November 2020	85	69	55	39	22	10	16
November 2019	85	71	57	42	26	12	14
May 2019	87	73	61	46	31	15	14
November 2018	87	72	58	42	27	13	15
May 2018	85	71	57	42	28	13	14
May 2017	85	71	58	44	29	14	14

What do I need

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

Session

Grade

In May 2025 TZ3 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)	30	27	90%
Paper 1	30	27	90%
Paper 2 (listening)	25	20	80%
Paper 2 (reading)	40	29	73%

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)	76	60	47	33	21	10	16
May 2022 (non-exam route)	82	68	53	39	25	13	14
November 2021 (non-exam route)	85	71	57	42	26	12	14
May 2021 (non-exam route)	86	71	57	42	27	14	15

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 78% in TZ2 and at 81% in TZ3.

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 ab initio SL has averaged 81.2% in May and 81.1% 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 ab initio SL the 6 sits on average 14.5 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 87% or more on full mocks under exam conditions has a 7 in every session on record. A student at 73% 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 ab initio SL?

82% of the scaled marks in November 2025. Over 16 sessions since May 2017 the 7 has started between 73% and 87%, 81.2% 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 ab initio SL?

Between 13 and 16 on the 100-mark scale, 14.5 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 Spanish ab initio SL grade boundaries going up or down?

The May 7 moved from 80% in May 2024 TZ2 to 81% 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 ab initio SL?

Not in the boundaries: the 7 has averaged 81.2% in May sessions and 81.1% 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 ab initio SL grade boundaries: what you need for a 7