IB pass rate and fail rate: what the latest statistics mean

Turn a percentage into a count without mixing populations

Before comparing May and November, write down the session, publication version and candidate group. A bulletin's total DP/CP participation is not the denominator for the diploma pass rate. Course and anticipated candidates should not be treated as unsuccessful full-diploma candidates simply because they are not in the diploma-award count.

The round figures below are invented to demonstrate the calculation. If the group changes between years, a change in its rate is not proof that examinations became easier or harder. Subject choices, candidate composition and assessment arrangements can differ.

Compare sessions from 2022–2025 · Read the May 2026 provisional bulletin · Check individual diploma conditions

May 2026 provisional figures and the May 2025 final comparison

The May 2026 bulletin records 86,217 diplomas awarded from 104,369 DP Diploma results: 86,217 ÷ 104,369 × 100 ≈ 82.6%. This results group includes Diploma and Retake candidates, whether awarded or not. The 209,607 participants in the whole session are a different population.

The May 2025 final bulletin reports 102,233 Diploma results, an 81.9% pass rate, 4.9 mean subject grade and 30.6 mean total points. The reported pass-rate difference is 0.7 percentage points. Keep the final/provisional labels when comparing: final data incorporate changes after results enquiries and late information.

• Denominator: use Diploma results, not all DP/CP participation, course entries or anticipated candidates.
• Version: May 2026 is provisional; May 2025 is final.
• Interpretation: a higher cohort rate does not establish easier examinations or an individual retake success rate.

May 2025 final score distribution

The bands below are the final May 2025 distribution. The 40–45 band is not the percentage who scored a perfect 45. The IB stopped publishing the number of 45-point students from May 2023, so that exact count cannot be inferred from a grouped score band.

The 18.1% not-awarded rate is higher than the 14.5% below 24. That gap matters: total points alone do not prove that every diploma condition was met.

• 0-23 points: 14.5%.
• 24-29 points: 27.7%.
• 30-34 points: 27.6%.
• 35-39 points: 20.4%.
• 40-45 points: 9.8%.

Why a score above 24 can still miss the diploma

The IB also requires completed CAS, grades in all subjects plus TOK and EE, no E in TOK or EE, no grade 1, no more than two grade 2s and no more than three grades of 3 or below.

HL and SL thresholds apply too. That is why a candidate can show 24 or more total points but receive DP course results rather than the full diploma.

May and November are different cohorts

The November 2025 final bulletin reports 18,551 Diploma results, a 74.3% pass rate and 29.4 mean total points. These final DP figures should not be mixed with the earlier news release’s 23,392 DP/CP participants and 29.3 average.

The sessions differ in size, geography, school participation and candidate mix. Compare subject availability and admissions timing in the May versus November session guide, rather than treating a global rate as a measure of exam difficulty.

What the statistics mean for one student

Use your result statement to identify the unmet condition, then review the options when the IB diploma is not awarded. A university subject condition is separate from the IB’s diploma-award rules.

If you suspect a marking error, ask the coordinator to review your component marks and the relevant criteria before considering a remark. A re-marked grade can rise or fall. A retake instead involves assessment in a later session; choose it to address the specific missing condition.