IB Diploma Scores Explained: What 45, 24 and a 'Good' Score Mean for Your Child

Your child's school says the IB Diploma is 'out of 45'. Is 32 good? Is 24 a fail? Does a 5 in one subject matter more than a 6 in another? Here is how the scoring works, using the IB's own published rules, so you can read a result or a prediction without guessing.

How the 45 points are built

A Diploma student takes six subjects. Each is graded from 1 (lowest) to 7 (highest). That gives a maximum of 42. The core adds up to 3 more points, for a total of 45. Higher Level (HL) and Standard Level (SL) subjects count equally in the total; HL just covers more content.

The core: where bonus points come from

The core has three parts: theory of knowledge (TOK), the extended essay (EE) and CAS (creativity, activity, service). TOK and the EE are each graded A to E, and the two grades together give 0 to 3 points. CAS gets no grade, but the school must confirm it was completed, or there is no diploma.

What counts as passing

The minimum to earn the Diploma is 24 points, but 24 alone is not enough. The IB also requires that CAS is completed, that every subject, TOK and the EE has a grade, that no subject is below a 2, that there are no more than two grade 2s, and that there are no more than three grades of 3 or below. The IB lists further conditions on its passing criteria page, linked below.

There is no pass mark for a single subject. A child simply gets a 1 to 7. The IB notes that many universities use a 4 or a 5 as the minimum for admission or advanced placement, so check the requirement of the courses your child may apply to rather than relying on '24 is a pass'.

Higher Level or Standard Level

Each student takes three or four subjects at HL and the rest at SL. The IB says SL takes about 150 teaching hours and HL about 240. Because HL and SL points count the same, choosing HL in a subject your child finds hard, only because it looks impressive, can lower the total. Choose HL where your child is strong, or where a target course asks for it.

Predicted grades, re-marks and retakes

• Predicted grades are the teacher's estimate of what your child will get, based on their work so far. The IB says they should be as accurate as possible, with no over- or under-predicting, and it works with schools that are consistently off. Universities often use them, so ask how your school sets them.
• A re-mark (enquiry upon results) can be requested by the school or student for externally assessed work. The grade can go up or down. It is not available for multiple-choice papers or internal assessments.
• Retakes: a student can retake exams at most twice, and has a maximum of three exam sessions to earn the diploma.

What to ask your child's school

1. 1How many points did last year's Diploma batch score, as a spread (not just the top scorer)? Ask for the school's own results.
2. 2How are HL and SL subjects advised, and can a student change after the first term?
3. 3When are the extended essay and CAS checkpoints, and who supports students who fall behind?
4. 4How are predicted grades set, and when are they shared with families?
5. 5What happens if a student is short of the diploma: course certificates, retake, or both?

Sources: IB, DP passing criteria (ibo.org/about-the-ib/what-it-means-to-be-an-ib-student/recognizing-student-achievement/about-assessment/dp-passing-criteria/, last updated 19 February 2026); IB, IB student assessment (ibo.org/university-admission/discover-why-ib-students-succeed/ib-student-assessment/, last updated 19 February 2026); IB, DP curriculum (ibo.org/programmes/diploma-programme/curriculum/). Rules can change, so confirm with your school and ibo.org.