IB Diploma Programme Explained: Subjects, Assessments and Points

If you’re hoping to study abroad after high school, the IB Diploma Programme is one route worth knowing. Each year, more than 4,500 universities in over 110 countries and territories receive transcripts from IB students. But what exactly is it?

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To put it simply, the IB Diploma Programme is a two-year pre-university course for students aged 16 to 19. You take six subjects plus a core of Theory of Knowledge (TOK), the Extended Essay (EE), and Creativity, Activity, Service (CAS), all scored out of 45 points.

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In this guide, we’ll break down the six subject groups, how assessment works, and how the 45 points add up, including the conditions that decide whether you actually receive the diploma.

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First, here’s what you’re really signing up for.

Key takeaways

• The IB Diploma Programme is a two-year pre-university course for students aged 16 to 19. In the US, it usually covers grades 11 and 12.
• You study six subjects drawn from six subject groups, typically three at Higher Level (240 teaching hours) and three at Standard Level (150 hours).
• Alongside your subjects, you must complete the core: Theory of Knowledge, the Extended Essay, and CAS. TOK and the EE add up to three points, while CAS adds none.
• Each subject is graded from 1 to 7. External exams usually make up 70 to 80% of that grade, and teacher-marked coursework covers the rest.
• The diploma is scored out of 45, with a provisional global average of 30.88 in May 2026. However, 24 points isn’t automatically a pass, since a grade 1, an E in TOK or the EE, or under 12 HL points can each block it.
• Unlike AP’s standalone courses, the IB is a full diploma that US colleges read as a sign of rigor, and many grant credit for HL scores of 5 or above.

What is the IB Diploma Programme?

The Diploma Programme (DP) is the final stage of the IB program, a two-year pre-university course for ages 16 to 19, and meeting its requirements earns you an IB diploma.

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A student can go through up to three IB stages, taking either the DP or the CP at the end. Here’s what each covers:

• Primary Years Programme (PYP): Builds inquiry skills across subjects for children aged 3 to 12.
• Middle Years Programme (MYP): Covers ages 11 to 16, ending with an optional MYP certificate.
• Diploma Programme (DP): Taken from age 16 over two years, usually in grades 11 and 12 in the US.
• Career-related Programme (CP): A DP alternative for ages 16 to 19 that pairs two or more DP courses with career-related study.

IB diploma subjects: the six subject groups

IB classes are the courses within six subject groups, and you usually take one course from each group.

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Here are the six groups and examples of their courses:

• Group 1, Studies in language and literature: Your strongest language, usually your native one, is the focus here. In English A: Literature, for example, you analyze novels, plays, and poetry.
• Group 2, Language acquisition: Here, you study a second language, with Spanish ab initio for beginners and French B for students with prior experience.
• Group 3, Individuals and societies: Focused on human behavior, societies, and economies, this group includes History and Economics, both rich in essay writing.
• Group 4, Sciences: This is the experimental science group, where students in courses like Biology and Physics run their own lab investigations.
• Group 5, Mathematics: Math is compulsory, offered as two courses. Analysis and Approaches (AA) centers on algebra and calculus, while Applications and Interpretation (AI) favors statistics and modeling. 
• Group 6, The arts: Creative and practical, the arts group has you produce original work, such as a Visual Arts exhibition or music composition.

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It’s worth noting that not everyone takes an arts course. Instead, you can swap Group 6 for a second subject from Groups 1 to 4. Some courses even span two groups. Environmental Systems and Societies (ESS), for example, meets the Group 3 and 4 requirements while counting as one subject. Either way, check what your school offers.

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Your language choices can also earn you a bilingual diploma. You’ll need a 3 or higher out of 7 in two Group 1 languages. Alternatively, score 3 or higher in your Group 1 language and a Group 3 or 4 subject in another language. Whichever subjects you choose, our IB Preparation blogs break down study tips and exam strategies to help you excel.

Higher Level vs Standard Level

In a nutshell, Higher Level (HL) is a deeper version of a course, while Standard Level (SL) covers the essentials.

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Here’s a more detailed look at how the two levels compare:

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Choose HL if a subject connects to your intended college major. For example, a pre-med student might take HL Biology, Chemistry, and Psychology. They could then take Math AA, English A, and Spanish B at SL.

The DP core: TOK, the Extended Essay, and CAS

Alongside your six subjects, you must also complete the DP core to earn your diploma, a set of three requirements that build critical thinking, independent research, and personal development beyond the classroom.

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In the next sections, we’ll explain each part, including how many of your 45 points TOK and the EE contribute.

Theory of Knowledge (TOK)

Theory of Knowledge (TOK) asks how we know what we claim to know. Across at least 100 hours, you explore how knowledge is built in history, science, the arts, and more.

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Assessment comes in two parts. The exhibition replaced the oral presentation from the May 2022 exam session. In it, you link three objects to one of 35 IB prompts, such as “Are some types of knowledge more useful than others?” Worth one-third of your grade, it’s marked by your teacher and moderated by the IB.

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The other two-thirds comes from a 1,600-word essay on one of six prescribed titles, which the IB releases each session. A May 2026 title, for example, asked whether observation is an essential but flawed tool for gaining knowledge.

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If you want to know more about both tasks, our Theory of Knowledge guide explains how to structure the essay and choose strong exhibition objects.

Extended Essay (EE)

While TOK asks how knowledge is built, the Extended Essay (EE) has you build some yourself. It’s an independent research project of up to 4,000 words, guided by a school supervisor. You can write it in one subject, ideally one you take at HL, or combine two subjects in a single research question.

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From May 2027, it’s marked out of 30 and converted into a grade from A to E. You also submit a 500-word reflection on your research process.

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Together, your EE and TOK grades earn up to three of your 45 diploma points. Two A grades earn all three, while an E in either means no diploma.

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If you want help getting started, our IB Extended Essay guide shares example research questions and a 40-hour plan.

Creativity, Activity, Service (CAS)

Unlike TOK and the EE, Creativity, Activity, Service (CAS) earns no points, yet you can’t get the diploma without it. Over about 18 months, you take part in creative pursuits, physical activity, and community service. That could mean joining a band, training for a 5K race, or tutoring younger students.

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You also complete a CAS project, a collaborative effort lasting at least one month, like organizing a school food drive. Along the way, you show evidence of seven learning outcomes, such as taking on new challenges.

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Contrary to what many guides still say, CAS has no 150-hour requirement. Instead, your school confirms completion after at least three interviews with your CAS coordinator.

How the IB Diploma Programme is assessed

Now that you know what the diploma requires, let’s look at how your six subjects are assessed, from external exams to teacher-marked coursework.

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In the next sections, we’ll explain how each part works and how much it counts toward your grade.

External exams

External exams are written papers marked by IB examiners outside your school, sat at the end of Year 2. In most subjects, they make up 70 to 80% of your final grade, though arts courses lean more on coursework.

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US schools, like most worldwide, sit them in May, while the November session mainly serves southern hemisphere schools.

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Examiners mark your papers against set criteria, not other students, and the IB sets grade boundaries after each session. As a result, the score needed for a 7 can shift slightly from year to year.

Internal assessment (IA)

While external exams test you under time pressure, internal assessment (IA) rewards work you develop over weeks. It’s coursework your teachers mark before the IB moderates a sample, usually worth 20 to 30% of each subject grade.

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Each subject sets its own task. In Biology, Chemistry, and Physics, you write up a scientific investigation of up to 3,000 words. Math students complete a 12- to 20-page exploration, while History calls for a 2,200-word investigation.

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Most IA deadlines land in Year 2, alongside your EE and TOK essay. Map them all on one calendar early, so no single month becomes overwhelming.

How IB points work

Once your exams and coursework are marked, your six subject grades and core results combine into a single diploma score out of 45 points.

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In the sections below, we’ll explain how those points add up and why 24 isn’t always enough.

How the 45 points add up

IB scores are calculated by adding your six subject grades to your core points. Each subject is worth up to 7 points, giving 42, while TOK and the EE add up to three more.

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Here’s how the 45 points break down:

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For context, according to Tes’s report on the provisional May 2026 IB results, the global average was 30.88 points. That’s well below what top universities expect, with Oxford usually asking for 38 to 40 points, including core points.

IB diploma requirements: why 24 points isn’t always a pass

As the previous section showed, points alone don’t decide your result. Even a perfect 42 from your subjects won’t earn the diploma if you miss a core requirement.

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Here are the cases that can stop you from earning the diploma:

• Leaving CAS incomplete, even with a perfect subject score.
• A total below 24 points.
• Any N, meaning no grade was awarded, in a subject, TOK, or the EE. This usually happens because of missing work or academic misconduct.
• An E in TOK or the Extended Essay.
• Scoring a grade 1 in any subject.
• More than two grade 2s across your six subjects.
• Three is the limit for grades of 3 or below, so a fourth is a failing condition.
• Scoring fewer than 12 points across your HL subjects, such as 5, 4, and 2. If you take four HLs, only your best three count.
• Earning under 9 points across your SL subjects, such as 3, 3, and 2, or under 5 if you take only two SL subjects.

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Take a student with HL grades of 7, 6, and 5, SL grades of 2, 2, and 3, and one core point. They score 26, yet their SL total of 7 falls short of 9, so they don’t receive the diploma.

IB vs AP: how the IB program compares

Both the IB and Advanced Placement (AP) let you take college-level courses in high school, but the IB is a full two-year program, while AP is a set of standalone courses.

Here’s a more detailed look at the differences between the two:

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Neither program is harder by default. The IB asks for more breadth and sustained work through its core. AP, meanwhile, packs college-level content into one year, with most of your score riding on a single exam.

What the IB diploma means for college admissions

The full IB diploma sends a strong signal to US colleges. Selective schools like Harvard want to see you take the most demanding courses available, and the diploma often qualifies.

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That signal matters most during applications, before your final results exist. May results arrive in early July, so colleges rely on the predicted grades your teachers submit in senior year.

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Once those results arrive, they can also earn you college credit. Many colleges grant credit for HL scores of 5 or 6 and above, but policies vary by school.

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If you apply outside the US, your scores carry even more weight. UK universities base offers on points and HL grades, like 38 points with three 6s for Oxford Law.

Explore IB preparation with Immerse Education

Understanding the IB is one thing, but juggling the EE, IAs, and TOK essay in the same year is another. For many students, the EE is also their first real research project.

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That’s where a Pre-University Summer School can help, giving you hands-on research practice before the pressure builds. With Immerse Education, you can build that practice in any of 20-plus subjects, from Biology to Economics. Its two-week courses run in Oxford, Cambridge, London, Singapore, Sydney, and Toronto.

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In classes averaging seven students, you’ll learn from Oxbridge academics and build an undergraduate-level research project. Regular one-to-one tutorials then give you written feedback on that work, sharpening the skills your EE and IAs will demand.

FAQs

What is the IB Diploma equivalent to?

The IB Diploma is a pre-university qualification comparable to A-levels in the UK. In the US, it doesn’t replace your high school diploma. Instead, you earn both, and colleges read the IB as advanced coursework.

How many subjects do you take in the IB Diploma?

You take six subjects, usually three at Higher Level and three at Standard Level. Alongside them, you complete the core: Theory of Knowledge, the Extended Essay, and Creativity, Activity, Service.

Is the IB Diploma Programme hard?

Yes, it’s demanding, but most students succeed. In May 2026, provisional figures showed 82.61% of candidates earned the diploma. The challenge comes from managing six subjects, coursework deadlines, and the core over two years.

Is the IB Diploma harder than AP?

Neither is harder by default; each is hard differently. The IB demands six subjects plus a compulsory core over two years, while AP packs college-level content into one year, judged by a single exam.

How are IB scores calculated?

Your six subjects are each graded from 1 to 7, for a maximum of 42 points. Theory of Knowledge and the Extended Essay then add up to three more, giving a top score of 45.

Do US colleges give credit for IB classes?

Many do, usually for Higher Level scores of 5 or above. Standard Level credit is less common, and policies vary widely, so check each college’s IB credit page before you apply.

Conclusion: is the IB Diploma Programme right for you?

Choosing the IB Diploma Programme means committing two years to depth, breadth, and independent work, so it pays to decide with clear eyes.

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Before you commit, ask yourself three questions. Are you ready for six subjects plus TOK, the EE, and CAS? Have you picked HL subjects that fit your intended major? And do you understand every diploma condition, not just the 24-point minimum?

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If you answered yes to all three and you’re organized, curious, and aiming for selective colleges, the DP is likely a strong fit. Once you’ve made that choice, our IB Preparation blogs can help you plan each subject in detail.

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Ready to get a head start before your first EE deadline? Explore our Pre-University Summer School and spend two weeks this summer building university-level research skills alongside Oxbridge academics.