IB Theatre HL Grade Boundaries: 76-84% for a 7

Overall boundaries, every session on record

Minimum scaled mark, out of 100, for each grade in IB Theatre HL. 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	68	52	37	21	10	15
May 2025	84	69	52	37	21	10	15
November 2024	84	67	53	36	21	10	17
May 2024	83	68	51	36	21	10	15
November 2023	82	65	49	33	21	10	17
May 2023	82	65	49	33	21	10	17
November 2022 (exam route)	81	66	49	33	18	8	15
May 2022 (exam route)	79	63	46	30	18	8	16
November 2021 (exam route)	76	60	43	27	18	8	16
May 2021 (exam route)	79	62	43	26	14	7	17
November 2020	82	64	50	33	21	10	18
November 2019	82	65	49	33	21	10	17
May 2019	82	65	49	33	21	10	17
November 2018	82	65	49	33	21	10	17
May 2018	82	65	49	33	21	10	17
May 2017	82	65	49	33	21	10	17

What do I need

IB Theatre HL: the mark you need, paper by paper

Session

Grade

In May 2025 a 7 overall started at 84 out of 100 scaled marks. On each component:

Component	Out of	Minimum for a 7	As %
Collaborative project	24	21	88%
Production proposal	20	19	95%
Research presentation	24	21	88%
Solo theatre piece	24	20	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 Theatre HL (self-taught, pilot syllabus, regional or performance options).
Session	Option	7	6	5	4	3	2	Gap 6 to 7
May 2023	pilot	82	67	52	37	21	10	15
May 2022 (exam route)	pilot	81	65	48	25	10	5	16
May 2021 (exam route)	pilot	78	60	41	23	16	7	18

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	81	66	49	33	18	8	15
May 2022 (non-exam route)	standard	79	63	46	30	18	8	16
May 2022 (non-exam route)	pilot	81	65	48	25	10	5	16
November 2021 (non-exam route)	standard	76	60	43	27	18	8	16
May 2021 (non-exam route)	standard	79	62	43	26	14	7	17
May 2021 (non-exam route)	pilot	78	60	41	23	16	7	18

May against November

On record the 7 in Theatre HL has averaged 81.6% in May and 81.5% 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 Theatre HL the 6 sits on average 16.4 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 76% 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 Theatre HL?

83% of the scaled marks in November 2025. Over 16 sessions since May 2017 the 7 has started between 76% and 84%, 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 Theatre HL?

Between 15 and 18 on the 100-mark scale, 16.4 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 Theatre HL grade boundaries going up or down?

The May 7 moved from 83% in May 2024 to 84% in May 2025. 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 Theatre HL?

Not in the boundaries: the 7 has averaged 81.6% in May sessions and 81.5% 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 Theatre HL grade boundaries: what you need for a 7