The IB score is a total out of 45. Your child earns a grade from 1 to 7 in each of six subjects, which makes 42, and then Theory of Knowledge (TOK) and the Extended Essay (EE) can add up to 3 more points between them. To be awarded the Diploma, a student needs at least 24 points and has to meet a few other conditions as well. The adding up is simple enough. What trips families up is how the grades, the core and the pass rules fit together, and how Australian universities turn the final total into an ATAR equivalent.
At NextStepAcademy, we work with IB families across Australia, and the first question most parents ask is how the final number is actually put together. This guide explains how IB scores work, from the score calculation itself to the official rules and the university conversion. We’ve also included a short section on where IB tutoring can help if your child needs extra support through the Diploma Programme.
How the IB Score Out of 45 Adds Up
The IB Diploma Programme asks students to take six subjects, three at higher level (HL) and three at standard level (SL). Alongside those sits the core: TOK, the Extended Essay and Creativity, Activity, Service (CAS). Here’s how the points break down.
| Component | Points available |
| Six subjects, graded 1 to 7 each | Up to 42 |
| TOK and Extended Essay (combined) | Up to 3 |
| CAS | None, but it must be completed |
| Total | 45 |
One thing surprises many parents. HL and SL subjects are worth the same number of points, so a 6 at SL counts exactly as much as a 6 at HL. Students also have to choose at least one course from each of five subject groups: studies in language and literature, language acquisition, individuals and societies, sciences, and mathematics.
How IB Subject Grades Are Decided
The IB grading system doesn’t rest on a single exam. Most subjects combine externally assessed work, such as the written exams at the end of the second year, with internal assessment done in school. Teachers mark the internal tasks, and the IB then checks that marking by re-marking a sample. All of the component marks are combined into the final 1 to 7 grade.
Grade boundaries, the cut-off marks for each grade, are set for each subject and session, and coordinators only see them after results come out. That’s why a percentage on a practice paper can’t be translated neatly into a final grade, and why predicting IB subject grades at home is harder than it looks. It’s also one reason some families look at IB tutoring for exam technique rather than just content.
How TOK and the Extended Essay Add Core Points
TOK and the Extended Essay each receive a letter grade from A (highest) to E. The IB then combines the two letters using a core points matrix, which awards between zero and three points. You’ll often hear these called IB bonus points, although completing the core isn’t optional.
| Extended Essay | TOK: A | TOK: B | TOK: C | TOK: D | TOK: E |
| A | 3 | 3 | 2 | 2 | Fail |
| B | 3 | 2 | 2 | 1 | Fail |
| C | 2 | 2 | 1 | 0 | Fail |
| D | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | Fail |
| E | Fail | Fail | Fail | Fail | Fail |
The IB’s own example is a B in TOK and a C in the Extended Essay, which earns 2 points. The Extended Essay is a research paper of up to 4,000 words, and TOK includes an essay that’s marked externally. CAS isn’t graded and adds nothing to the total, but the school must confirm your child has met its requirements before the Diploma can be awarded.
What It Takes to Be Awarded the IB Diploma
The headline figure is 24 points, but that alone isn’t enough. The IB’s Diploma Programme passing criteria set out the full list, and a student needs to meet all of these:
- At least 24 total points
- CAS requirements completed
- A grade awarded in every subject, TOK and the Extended Essay
- No subject grade below 2
- No more than two grade 2s, and no more than three grades of 3 or below
- At least 12 points from HL subjects (the three highest count if four are taken)
- At least 9 points from SL subjects (at least 5 if only two SL subjects are taken)
So 24 is a minimum, not a promise. A student can reach it and still miss the Diploma if one of the other conditions isn’t met. For perspective, the IB’s own assessment guide puts the average IB Diploma score at around 30 points, and coverage of the May 2025 results reported a global average of 30.58. Roughly four in five candidates are awarded the Diploma in a typical session.
How the IB Score Converts to an ATAR in Australia
Universities Admissions Centre (UAC) explains that IB results, reported on a whole number scale from 24 to 45, are converted into an ATAR-like value called the Combined Rank. The conversion is national, so IB students can apply in any state or territory and be compared with students who completed a state curriculum.
Since 2022, students also receive an IB Admissions Score (IBAS), which adds decimal places based on how they performed within each subject band. A diploma score of 41 might become an IBAS of 41.68, for instance. It always starts with your whole number, so a 35 could become 35.25 but never 36.25.
The base conversion published by IB Schools Australasia for students applying in 2026 to start university in 2027 (updated 19 June 2026) looks like this at a few points on the scale:
| IB score | ATAR equivalent |
| 45 | 99.95 |
| 40 | 96.85 |
| 36 | 92.25 |
| 30 | 79.30 |
| 24 | 64.60 |
Notice that a single point matters more in the middle of the range than at the top. Going from 30 to 31 lifts the equivalent by 2.40, while going from 44 to 45 lifts it by only 0.20. The table is reviewed each year, so check the current version with UAC or your state’s admissions centre.
University Admission Requirements for IB Students
Australian universities accept students who’ve been awarded the full Diploma, while students who complete individual IB courses without the Diploma don’t receive an ATAR equivalent. Many universities add adjustment factors on top of the converted rank, and some use the IB score directly. It’s worth checking the university admission requirements for each course on the university’s own website, including any subject prerequisites.
Students who narrowly miss the Diploma aren’t always shut out. In NSW and the ACT, a student who isn’t awarded the Diploma but scores 20 or more, and meets some further conditions, can still receive an ATAR equivalent. In Victoria, a Derived IB Rank may be calculated instead, which isn’t the same as an ATAR. Results for this year’s November session are listed for 17 December 2026, with the IBAS available the day after.
Where IB Tutoring Can Help
Every subject grade goes straight into the total, so one slipping subject can cost points that are hard to win back elsewhere. Falling behind in one course also has a habit of draining motivation in the others, and that’s often when families start asking about IB tutoring.
A good IB tutor does more than reteach content. They help your child pinpoint where the gaps are, rebuild the study habits behind steady work, and offer support from someone who remembers sitting the Diploma themselves. No tutor can promise a particular grade, but the right match can make the next assessment feel far more manageable.
Many families prefer Online IB Tutoring because it opens up a wider pool of tutors and takes travel out of the week. Lessons run in a live video classroom with a shared whiteboard, and your child can join from a laptop, tablet or phone. Our one-on-one online tutoring is available across Australia, and in-home lessons are an option too.
Conclusion
The IB score is six subject grades from 1 to 7, plus up to 3 core points from TOK and the Extended Essay, giving a maximum of 45. The Diploma needs at least 24 points along with the other conditions above, and Australian universities convert the final total into a Combined Rank that sits on the same scale as an ATAR.
If your child could use some extra support through the Diploma, you can book your first lesson with us, and we’ll match them with a hand-picked tutor within 48 hours. Every first lesson is covered by our First Lesson Guarantee, so if you don’t love it, you don’t pay for it.