IB DP Physics · Exam special · SL & HL · Paper 1A, 1B, 2 and IA · ~5 min read
IB Physics Grade Boundaries (May 2025, new syllabus)
Every grade boundary for IB Physics from the IB subject reports: May 2025 time zones 1–3 (first new-syllabus session) and November 2024, SL and HL, overall and paper by paper.
Overall boundariesPaper 1APaper 1BPaper 2IA% for a 7Time zones
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No tag = SL and HLHL ONLY HL students onlyDATA BOOKLET given in the examM1A1 how marks are awardedhighlight = comes up again and againHANDY worth memorisingTest yourself at the end
In 30 seconds
- A 7 in IB Physics in May 2025 needed 67–71 out of 100 at HL and 61–67 at SL, depending on the time zone. This was the first session of the new syllabus (topics A.1 to E.5).
- A 4 needed only 30–35 at SL and 34–36 at HL.
- Paper 1 is now two parts in one sitting: Paper 1A (multiple choice) and Paper 1B (data-based questions, the same paper at SL and HL).
- Every number on this page comes from the IB's own subject reports for November 2024 and May 2025.
1How IB Physics grades work (new syllabus)
| Component | Weighting (SL and HL) | Marks |
|---|---|---|
| Paper 1A (multiple choice) | 36% together with Paper 1B | HL 40, SL 25 |
| Paper 1B (data-based) | (part of Paper 1) | 20 (SL and HL) |
| Paper 2 (structured questions) | 44% | HL 90, SL 50 |
| Internal assessment (scientific investigation) | 20% | 24 |
- Paper 1A and 1B share one time limit, so time management between them matters. The subject reports noted more blank multiple-choice answers near the end of Paper 1A.
- Grade boundaries are set after marking, using the scripts and statistics. The three time zones sat different variants, so their boundaries differ.
2Overall boundaries
- The lowest overall mark (out of 100) for each grade. November 2024 was the last session of the old (2016) syllabus, with Papers 1, 2 and 3; it is included for comparison.
Higher level (HL)
| Session | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| May 2025 TZ1 | 13–23 | 24–34 | 35–44 | 45–55 | 56–66 | 67–100 |
| May 2025 TZ2 | 14–24 | 25–35 | 36–45 | 46–57 | 58–67 | 68–100 |
| May 2025 TZ3 | 14–22 | 23–33 | 34–45 | 46–58 | 59–70 | 71–100 |
| Nov 2024 (old syllabus) | 14–24 | 25–37 | 38–47 | 48–57 | 58–68 | 69–100 |
Standard level (SL)
| Session | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| May 2025 TZ1 | 12–19 | 20–31 | 32–41 | 42–52 | 53–62 | 63–100 |
| May 2025 TZ2 | 11–18 | 19–29 | 30–39 | 40–50 | 51–60 | 61–100 |
| May 2025 TZ3 | 13–21 | 22–34 | 35–45 | 46–55 | 56–66 | 67–100 |
| Nov 2024 (old syllabus) | 14–25 | 26–39 | 40–48 | 49–57 | 58–68 | 69–100 |
3Paper-by-paper boundaries, May 2025
- Each cell gives the lowest mark for a 7 (and that as a percentage), then the lowest mark for a 4.
HL papers
| Component (7 · 4) | May 2025 TZ1 | May 2025 TZ2 | May 2025 TZ3 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Paper 1A | 30/40 (75%) · 19 | 28/40 (70%) · 18 | 27/39 (69%) · 15 |
| Paper 1B | 14/20 (70%) · 7 | 14/20 (70%) · 7 | 15/20 (75%) · 8 |
| Paper 2 | 52/90 (58%) · 24 | 57/90 (63%) · 27 | 61/90 (68%) · 25 |
| IA (out of 24) | 20/24 (83%) · 11 | 20/24 (83%) · 11 | 20/24 (83%) · 11 |
SL papers
| Component (7 · 4) | May 2025 TZ1 | May 2025 TZ2 | May 2025 TZ3 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Paper 1A | 16/25 (64%) · 11 | 15/25 (60%) · 9 | 14/25 (56%) · 9 |
| Paper 1B | 14/20 (70%) · 7 | 14/20 (70%) · 7 | 15/20 (75%) · 8 |
| Paper 2 | 28/50 (56%) · 12 | 27/50 (54%) · 12 | 34/50 (68%) · 16 |
| IA (out of 24) | 20/24 (83%) · 11 | 20/24 (83%) · 11 | 20/24 (83%) · 11 |
4What these numbers mean for you
- HL Paper 2 is where the 7 is won. A 7 needed 52–61 out of 90 (58–68%), and the new 20-mark multi-concept questions at the end carry many of those marks. The reports noted many blank answers there, often from students running out of time.
- Paper 1B is short but generous. A 7 needed 14–15 out of 20, and the skills (uncertainties, gradients, error bars) are the same as in your IA. See Paper 1B data skills.
- SL Paper 2 boundaries are low. A 4 needed only 12–16 out of 50 in May 2025: most SL students lose marks on "explain" questions, not on calculations.
- The IA needed 20/24 for a 7 in every time zone.
Memory trickMultiple choice tip: there is no penalty for a wrong answer in Paper 1A. A blank is a guaranteed zero; an eliminated-and-guessed answer is not. See Paper 1A strategies.
Linking questionFor the skills behind these marks, see Paper 1A strategies, Paper 1B data skills, Paper 2 answers and the Physics IA guide.
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