The latest final statistical bulletin currently published by the IB covers May 2025. It reports an 81.9% DP pass rate and a mean total score of 30.6 points.
The matching not-awarded share is 18.1%, but calling every candidate in that group a simple fail hides the real picture. Some missed 24 points; others reached 24 or more but did not satisfy another diploma condition.
The May 2025 final bulletin reports 102,233 second-year Diploma candidates, an 81.9% pass rate, a mean subject grade of 4.9 and a mean total of 30.6.
The same bulletin is the right comparison point until a later final bulletin is published. Early press releases and provisional data can change after Enquiries Upon Results and late information are closed.
The grouped May 2025 distribution shows 14.5% at 0-23 points, 27.7% at 24-29, 27.6% at 30-34, 20.4% at 35-39 and 9.8% at 40-45.
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.
The IB also requires completed CAS, grades in all subjects plus TOK and 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.
The IB reported 23,392 DP and CP students receiving November 2025 results and a global average DP score of 29.3. That is useful context, but it should not be treated as proof that November is easier or harder.
The sessions differ in size, geography, school participation and candidate mix. Compare your subject requirements, host-school access and university timeline rather than choosing a session from one global average.
A global pass rate cannot predict an individual result. The useful diagnostic is the exact failing condition: total below 24, HL or SL threshold, a low-grade limit, core issue, CAS, or a university subject requirement.
Once the cause is clear, decide whether a remark has a realistic boundary case or whether one or more retakes are the better route.
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