IB retake guide 2026: exams, registration, host schools and private candidates

Five checkpoints for a November 2026 or May 2027 plan

Build the plan backwards from the outcome you need. The November 2026 examination window is 23 October–13 November; May 2027 is 23 April–18 May. The first and last dates of your own papers, school registration cutoff and university result deadline are separate entries in the plan.

For each checkpoint, record what is confirmed and what remains an assumption. A reply saying a school will review your request is not acceptance; acceptance is not necessarily completed IB entry. Ask what evidence confirms each stage, and avoid making travel commitments based only on an initial enquiry.

November calendar · May calendar · Document checklist

• Outcome: exact diploma condition or university offer requirement.
• Academic route: subject, level, syllabus and coursework position.
• School: willingness to host and the internal cutoff.
• Registration: complete documents, cleared payment and entry confirmation.
• Exam day: each paper's date, local time, venue and permitted equipment.

First: did you miss the Diploma or a target grade?

Retake planning starts by diagnosing the result. A student who missed the full Diploma must identify the exact failing condition: total score, HL total, SL total, too many low grades, a grade below the minimum, or a core problem.

A student who earned the Diploma but missed a university offer has a different job: identify the subject and grade that changes admissions, scholarship or visa timing. Do not retake six subjects when one HL prerequisite is the real issue.

Remark or retake?

A remark, formally an Enquiry Upon Results, checks existing work after results. A retake creates a new exam-session result. Remarks are faster but risky because externally assessed grades can rise or fall. Retakes take longer but let you produce a new performance.

If you are one or two marks from the next boundary in an essay-heavy subject, ask your coordinator about EUR. If you are far from the target, or the subject is Maths/Science and the gap is not a marking issue, build a retake plan.

How many subjects and core elements can you retake?

Retake planning can involve one subject, several subjects, or core work such as TOK and the Extended Essay when a school can supervise and register it. The practical limit is not just policy; it is whether a school can support that exact component, curriculum and session.

IA, TOK, EE and coursework are not plug-in extras. A new IA normally needs school supervision and authenticity checks. A host school may be happy to register exam papers but unwilling to take on new coursework or IA supervision.

November or May?

November can be a fast second chance after May results, with January results. That timing can be tight for UCAS and other admissions systems. May gives more preparation time and can be better for competitive courses or students who need a larger grade jump.

Also check curriculum changes. If a subject syllabus changes, you may have to sit the new syllabus in the later session. Ask the registering school which curriculum applies before assuming old notes are enough.

Registration and host schools

Retake candidates register through an IB World School. Your original school is often the simplest route, but it may not offer the session, subject or external-candidate route you need. Another school can host only if it is willing and able.

A strong request includes legal name, date of birth, previous school or candidate number, selected countries, subjects, levels, target session, university deadline and payment readiness. Schools can set internal cutoffs well before final IB deadlines.

Fees, documents and university applications

IBretake student pricing is fixed at EUR 150 registration plus EUR 800 for every exam, with no multi-exam discount, converted to the checkout currency where applicable. Build a separate plan for travel, documents, bank charges and deadline risk.

Universities can accept retakes, but policies vary. Be honest about achieved results and pending retakes, especially on UCAS/Common App-style systems. Tell admissions the subject, level, session and expected result date rather than vague promises.

Build your retake route

Use these pages to move from result shock to a concrete plan. Start with the FAQ, confirm school logistics, then choose deadlines and admissions strategy.