IB EUR categories explained: Category 1, 2 and 3

Category 1: the individual subject re-mark

Category 1 is the service most students mean by an IB remark. The IB re-marks every externally assessed component in the requested subject. The school coordinator submits it after receiving the candidate's consent; a student cannot order it from the candidate website.

The subject grade may rise, remain unchanged or fall. That risk matters when the result is also close to the lower boundary. Ask for the scaled total mark, both grade boundaries, eligible components and the school's cutoff before consenting.

• Best fit: a result close to the next grade where external papers are the concern.
• Not included: a fresh exam attempt or an individual re-mark of any IA you choose.
• Outcome: the final subject result can move up, stay the same or move down.

Category 1 report: an explanation after the re-mark

A Category 1 report is not a second re-mark. It is a report about the marking decision produced through Category 1. Schools normally consider it when they need a formal explanation of how the reviewed work was judged.

If your immediate goal is one more grade for an offer, ask the coordinator about Category 1 first. A report can clarify a decision, but it does not create another independent round of marking.

Category 2: copies of externally assessed work

Category 2 is a return-of-materials service. It gives the school a copy of the candidate's externally assessed components so the work can be reviewed under the applicable rules.

It does not change the grade. Examiner annotations or comments are not guaranteed, so do not order Category 2 expecting a fully commented script or an automatic explanation of every lost mark.

• Use it to inspect the submitted external work.
• Do not use it as a substitute for Category 1 when a grade review is the goal.
• The coordinator should explain access, handling and any school fee before submission.

Category 3: remoderation of the school's IA sample

Category 3 is fundamentally different. The school asks the IB to remoderate the original internal-assessment sample for a subject when the published conditions are met. It is not a request from one student to have one IA marked again.

The decision can affect the subject cohort because moderation is applied at school level. Under the current assessment principles, Category 3 can increase affected grades or leave them unchanged; it does not reduce them. The coordinator first checks eligibility and whether remoderation could change final grades.

• May 2026 Category 3 request window: 5 July to 15 September.
• November 2026 Category 3 request window: 3 January to 15 March.
• School deadlines can be earlier, and dates must be rechecked for later sessions.

A practical decision order

Start with the problem, not the category number. If you think an external paper was under-marked, discuss Category 1. If you need to see external work, ask about Category 2. If several candidates appear affected by IA moderation, the coordinator investigates Category 3.

Put the university deadline in the same message. A valid EUR that finishes after an admissions cutoff may still update the IB result but arrive too late for the original offer. Keep a retake option open when timing is tight.

• Ask how many marks are needed for the next grade and how far you sit above the lower boundary.
• Identify the component: external paper, externally assessed coursework or moderated IA.
• Get the exact fee, consent form, school cutoff and communication route in writing.