Six subject grades contribute up to 42 points. TOK and the Extended Essay add between 0 and 3 core points, creating the 45-point maximum. CAS is required but does not add points.
The fastest lookup is simple: A/A, A/B and B/A give 3 points. An E in either TOK or EE is a failing condition. Everything else falls into the 0, 1 or 2-point combinations below.
Read each pair as TOK grade / Extended Essay grade. The matrix is symmetrical, so A/C and C/A have the same value.
In the final May 2025 DP bulletin, 43.8% of students received 2 core points, 25.2% received 1, 17.8% received 0 and 12.2% received all 3. The mean was 1.5 core points.
That distribution is useful context, not a target. A candidate with 0 core points can still reach 24 total points, but every other diploma condition must also be satisfied.
The diploma needs at least 24 total points, but the IB also applies subject and level conditions. There must be a grade in every subject, TOK and EE; no subject can be grade 1; there can be no more than two grade 2s and no more than three grades of 3 or below.
Candidates also need at least 12 points across HL subjects and at least 9 across SL subjects under the standard three-HL, three-SL structure. CAS must be completed.
First calculate the subject total, then add the matrix result. If the missing diploma comes from an E in TOK or EE, or from incomplete CAS, retaking a written subject alone may not repair the failing condition.
IBretake searches for schools that can host retake exams. It does not arrange a new TOK essay, TOK exhibition, Extended Essay supervision, CAS, IA or coursework. Core-component options must be confirmed with a DP coordinator.
A move from C/C to B/C changes the core award from 1 to 2. A move from B/B to A/B changes it from 2 to 3. But a subject retake and a core-component change are different registrations, with different supervision and school requirements.
Use the matrix to diagnose the problem, then ask the coordinator exactly which component can be registered in the next session before building a study plan.
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