How to send an IB transcript to a university

Before results: use the school coordinator

Give the coordinator the exact institution and campus, applicant or university ID, programme and admissions centre where relevant. The IB allows up to six institutions before results, of which no more than three may be in Canada and one in the United States.

The public deadlines are 5 July for May-session candidates and 16 December for November-session candidates. Your school will need the choices earlier, so use its internal form and cutoff rather than waiting for results day.

• Check the receiving institution in the IB system instead of guessing from a similar name.
• Include an applicant ID so admissions can match the result to the correct file.
• Confirm whether UCAS or another centre should receive the transcript instead of each university.

After results: use the IB request service

Graduates and candidates who missed the school deadline can submit a request through rrs.ibo.org. The IB currently lists a fee of USD 19 for each transcript request after results. Payment, destination details and identity information are handled in that request flow.

A transcript is sent electronically when the institution participates in the IB system; otherwise it may be sent on paper. You cannot choose electronic delivery for a university that only receives paper copies.

What the university receives

The transcript includes the candidate's name, date of birth, school, subjects and grades. For Diploma, bilingual Diploma and retake candidates, it also includes the total points and overall result.

The official transcript is sent to the institution, not released as a candidate download. Never give a university your candidate website PIN. If an institution cannot locate the result, use your applicant ID and admissions contact instead of sharing login credentials.

Timing and common reasons for delay

The IB advises allowing up to 14 working days during peak periods. Paper delivery and university matching can add time after the IB has processed the request. Submit early when enrolment, visa or scholarship deadlines depend on it.

Delays commonly come from the wrong campus, missing applicant ID, a name or birth-date mismatch, or a destination that expects the record through a central admissions service. Save the request confirmation and contact the receiving institution first if the IB shows it was sent.

Retakes, remarks and updated results

A later retake or successful EUR can change the official result. Do not assume the first transcript request satisfies every institution's update process. Ask admissions whether it expects a new official transcript, when it must arrive and how a pending result should be noted.

A transcript is also different from a replacement Diploma or certificate. Replacement award documents follow a separate process and can take longer; order the document the institution actually requests.

Transcript request checklist

Accuracy matters more than speed at the form stage. One correct request is faster than correcting a transcript routed to the wrong destination.

• Official institution name, campus and country.
• Applicant, UCAS or university ID.
• May or November session and graduation year.
• Name and date of birth exactly as held by the IB.
• Admissions deadline and accepted delivery method.
• Confirmation number saved after submission.