May 2027 IB exam schedule: PDF and exam dates
The May 2027 IB exam timetable in the linked final-version PDF copy lists papers from 23 April to 18 May 2027. Check your subject’s exam dates, HL/SL papers and durations below, then add your chosen exams to Google or Apple Calendar at the bottom. The PDF copy is school-hosted; confirm the latest version with your coordinator.
If you choose IBretake for the school search, see the actual screens, payment stages and checks before official registration in our IB retake booking walkthrough.
Exam schedule PDF
May 2027 final-version examination schedule PDF copyOpen the exam schedule PDFThe linked final-version PDF copy is hosted by MHS IB. We also link the official IB exam-schedule hub for version checking. If the copy, the IB site and your coordinator’s instructions differ, follow the current IB/coordinator instructions.
- First listed exams
- 23 April 2027
- Last listed exams
- 18 May 2027
- PDF source
- MHS IB · final-version copy
How to read your IB exam timetable
Build your personal schedule from your registered subjects and levels—not from the session name alone. A November or May session can begin in the preceding month.
- Match the subject and level Find the exact course, HL or SL, and every paper listed for it. Mathematics AA and AI are different courses; language papers also have language-specific dates and exceptions.
- Read the date and session together Morning and afternoon are separate examination sessions, not universal clock times. Use your school’s allocated exam zone to identify the local start time; your required arrival time may be earlier.
- Plan for every paper One subject can require several papers on different days. Add each paper to your revision plan and leave space for travel and breaks. A paper’s duration is not the total time you will spend at the school.
Worked timetable example
Physics SL has paper 1 on Wednesday 28 April 2027 in the afternoon (1 h 30 min) and paper 2 on Thursday 29 April in the morning (1 h 30 min). That is 3 hours of written exams across two dates. If you travel for these exams, plan around both sessions, not just the first paper, and confirm the local start and arrival times with your host school.
Complete examination calendar
Morning session
No exams
Afternoon session
-
School-based syllabus SL paper 1
-
Language & culture SL paper 1
Week 1
Except English, French and Spanish
Morning session
-
School-based syllabus SL paper 2
-
Language & culture SL paper 2
Afternoon session
-
Language A Literature HL paper 1
-
Language A Literature SL paper 1
-
Language A Language & Literature HL paper 1
-
Language A Language & Literature SL paper 1
Except English, French and Spanish
Morning session
-
Language A Literature HL/SL paper 2
-
Language A Language & Literature HL/SL paper 2
Afternoon session
-
Business management HL/SL paper 1
-
Business management HL paper 3
Morning session
-
Business management HL paper 2
-
Business management SL paper 2
Afternoon session
-
Physics HL paper 1 (1a and 1b)
-
Physics SL paper 1 (1a and 1b)
-
Sports, exercise & health science HL paper 1 (1a and 1b)
-
Sports, exercise & health science SL paper 1 (1a and 1b)
Morning session
-
Physics HL paper 2
-
Physics SL paper 2
-
Sports, exercise & health science HL paper 2
-
Sports, exercise & health science SL paper 2
Afternoon session
-
Psychology HL/SL paper 1
-
Psychology HL/SL paper 2
Morning session
-
Psychology HL paper 3
Afternoon session
-
Computer science HL paper 1
-
Computer science SL paper 1
-
Environmental systems & societies HL paper 1
-
Environmental systems & societies SL paper 1
Week 2
Morning session
-
Computer science HL paper 2
-
Computer science SL paper 2
-
Environmental systems & societies HL paper 2
-
Environmental systems & societies SL paper 2
Afternoon session
-
History HL/SL paper 1
-
History HL/SL paper 2
Except English, French and Spanish
Morning session
-
History HL paper 3
Afternoon session
-
Language B HL paper 1
-
Language B HL paper 2 - Reading comprehension
-
Language B SL paper 1
-
Language B SL paper 2 - Reading comprehension
-
Language ab initio SL paper 1
-
Language ab initio SL paper 2 - Reading comprehension
-
Latin HL paper 1
-
Latin SL paper 1
Except English, French and Spanish
Morning session
-
Language B HL paper 2 - Listening comprehension
-
Language B SL paper 2 - Listening comprehension
-
Language ab initio SL paper 2 - Listening comprehension
-
Latin HL paper 2
-
Latin SL paper 2
Afternoon session
-
Chemistry HL paper 1 (1a and 1b)
-
Chemistry SL paper 1 (1a and 1b)
-
Design technology HL paper 1
-
Design technology SL paper 1
Morning session
-
Chemistry HL paper 2
-
Chemistry SL paper 2
-
Design technology HL paper 2
-
Design technology SL paper 2
Afternoon session
-
English A Literature HL paper 1
-
English A Literature SL paper 1
-
English A Language & Literature HL paper 1
-
English A Language & Literature SL paper 1
-
English B HL paper 1
-
English B HL paper 2 - Reading comprehension
-
English B SL paper 1
-
English B SL paper 2 - Reading comprehension
-
English ab initio SL paper 1
-
English ab initio SL paper 2 - Reading comprehension
Morning session
-
English A Literature HL/SL paper 2
-
English A Language & Literature HL/SL paper 2
-
English B HL paper 2 - Listening comprehension
-
English B SL paper 2 - Listening comprehension
-
English ab initio SL paper 2 - Listening comprehension
-
Literature & performance SL paper 1
Afternoon session
-
Geography HL paper 1
-
Geography SL paper 1
-
Philosophy HL paper 1
-
Philosophy SL paper 1
-
Social & cultural anthropology HL paper 1
-
Social & cultural anthropology SL paper 1
Week 3
Morning session
-
Geography HL/SL paper 2
-
Geography HL paper 3
-
Philosophy HL/SL paper 2
-
Philosophy HL paper 3
-
Social & cultural anthropology HL paper 2
-
Social & cultural anthropology SL paper 2
Afternoon session
-
Biology HL paper 1 (1a and 1b)
-
Biology SL paper 1 (1a and 1b)
Morning session
-
Biology HL paper 2
-
Biology SL paper 2
Afternoon session
-
Economics HL/SL paper 2
-
World religions SL paper 1
Morning session
-
Economics HL paper 1
-
Economics HL paper 3
-
Economics SL paper 1
-
World religions SL paper 2
Afternoon session
-
Classical Greek HL paper 1
-
Classical Greek SL paper 1
-
Spanish A Literature HL paper 1
-
Spanish A Literature SL paper 1
-
Spanish A Language & Literature HL paper 1
-
Spanish A Language & Literature SL paper 1
-
Spanish B HL paper 1
-
Spanish B HL paper 2 - Reading comprehension
-
Spanish B SL paper 1
-
Spanish B SL paper 2 - Reading comprehension
-
Spanish ab initio SL paper 1
-
Spanish ab initio SL paper 2 - Reading comprehension
Morning session
-
Classical Greek HL paper 2
-
Classical Greek SL paper 2
-
Spanish A Literature HL/SL paper 2
-
Spanish A Language & Literature HL/SL paper 2
-
Spanish B HL paper 2 - Listening comprehension
-
Spanish B SL paper 2 - Listening comprehension
-
Spanish ab initio SL paper 2 - Listening comprehension
Afternoon session
-
Mathematics: analysis and approaches HL paper 1
-
Mathematics: analysis and approaches SL paper 1
-
Mathematics: applications and interpretation HL paper 1
-
Mathematics: applications and interpretation SL paper 1
Morning session
-
Mathematics: analysis and approaches HL paper 2
-
Mathematics: analysis and approaches SL paper 2
-
Mathematics: applications and interpretation HL paper 2
-
Mathematics: applications and interpretation SL paper 2
Afternoon session
-
Digital Society HL paper 1
-
Digital Society SL paper 1
-
Global politics HL/SL paper 1
-
Global politics HL/SL paper 2
Week 4
Morning session
-
Digital Society HL/SL paper 2
-
Digital Society HL paper 3
-
Global politics HL paper 3
Afternoon session
-
French A Literature HL paper 1
-
French A Literature SL paper 1
-
French A Language & Literature HL paper 1
-
French A Language & Literature SL paper 1
-
French B HL paper 1
-
French B HL paper 2 - Reading comprehension
-
French B SL paper 1
-
French B SL paper 2 - Reading comprehension
-
French ab initio SL paper 1
-
French ab initio SL paper 2 - Reading comprehension
Morning session
-
French A Literature HL/SL paper 2
-
French A Language & Literature HL/SL paper 2
-
French B HL paper 2 - Listening comprehension
-
French B SL paper 2 - Listening comprehension
-
French ab initio SL paper 2 - Listening comprehension
Afternoon session
-
Mathematics: analysis and approaches HL paper 3
-
Mathematics: applications and interpretation HL paper 3
Local start times by exam zone
| Exam zone | Zone offset | Morning start | Afternoon start |
|---|---|---|---|
| A | 12 | 10.00 | 14.00 |
| A | 11 | 10.00 | 14.00 |
| A | 10 | 10.00 | 14.00 |
| A | 9 | 10.00 | 14.00 |
| A | 8 | 09.30 | 13.30 |
| A | 7 | 09.00 | 13.00 |
| A | 6 | 09.00 | 13.00 |
| A | 5 | 09.00 | 13.00 |
| A | 4 | 09.00 | 13.00 |
| A | 3 | 09.00 | 13.00 |
| B | 3 | 10.00 | 14.00 |
| B | 2 | 09.30 | 13.30 |
| B | 1 | 09.00 | 13.00 |
| B | 0 | 09.00 | 13.00 |
| C | -3 | 10.00 | 14.00 |
| C | -4 | 09.30 | 13.30 |
| C | -5 | 08.30 | 12.30 |
| C | -6 | 08.30 | 12.30 |
| C | -7 | 08.30 | 12.30 |
| C | -8 | 08.30 | 12.30 |
| C | -9 | 08.30 | 12.30 |
| C | -10 | 08.30 | 12.30 |
Turn the timetable into a personal exam plan
Start with each subject’s exact level and examination language. Two papers in one morning or afternoon do not necessarily start together: the export creates a session-start reminder, not an individual start time for each paper.
- Select the examination location’s time zone, even if you are preparing for the retake in another country.
- Use the IB zone confirmed by your school; do not infer it from the city alone.
- Compare exported subjects with confirmed entries. For languages, check exclusions in the full timetable.
A conversion example. A zone B+1 morning session starts at 09:00 local time. In Paris in May 2027, that is 07:00 UTC because daylight-saving time applies. This calculation neither assigns your school an IB zone nor determines your reporting time.
Before booking travel, compare this plan with the registration checklist and school deadlines. An examination date is not a registration deadline.
How to use this timetable safely
- Your school must know its allocated exam zone. The local start time already accounts for local time and does not need a daylight-saving adjustment.
- IB authorization is required to reschedule an examination. A difficult day or travel plan does not by itself change the published session.
- Confirm your registered subject, level, language, zone, reporting time and venue directly with your coordinator before making travel arrangements.
Source and verification
The linked final-version PDF copy is hosted by MHS IB. We also link the official IB exam-schedule hub for version checking. If the copy, the IB site and your coordinator’s instructions differ, follow the current IB/coordinator instructions.
Your exam calendar
The calendar tool below creates planning entries from your chosen subjects and levels. Check them against your school’s confirmed timetable before arranging travel.
