Before you decide to retake, it helps to understand what your result actually represents. This FAQ explains grading, grade boundaries, reviews, special circumstances, and the point where a new exam session may be more useful than waiting on the old result.
IB exams use a criterion referenced grading system, meaning your grade reflects how well you met the assessment criteria, not how you performed relative to other students. Grades range from 1 (lowest) to 7 (highest) for each subject.
Internal Assessment (IA) typically accounts for 20 to 30% of your final grade, depending on the subject. It is marked by your teacher and then moderated by the IB to ensure consistency across schools worldwide.
IBretake does not arrange new IA, coursework, tutoring, oral preparation, or coursework supervision. If an existing IA mark or coursework component matters for your retake, confirm that separately with your previous school or the accepting IB coordinator.
Yes. The IB offers an Enquiry Upon Results service. You can request a marking review of individual papers or a moderation review of your IA. There is a fee for this service, and the grade can go up, down, or stay the same. If the grade changes, the fee is refunded.
If you miss an exam due to illness or other valid circumstances, the IB can apply special consideration. This must be reported by the school with supporting documentation (e.g., a medical certificate). The IB may calculate your grade based on available evidence.
Grade boundaries are set after all papers have been marked, by experienced examiners who review the difficulty of the exam and the quality of student responses. This means boundaries vary from session to session. A "harder" exam will typically have lower boundaries.
May session results are available on the candidate website from 6 July. For November sessions, results are issued to schools on 16 December and candidate access is released in staggered time intervals by time zone. Exact timing is shown in the candidate PIN report or confirmed by the coordinator.
Yes, but only the school (not the student directly) can file an appeal. Appeals are considered only after an Enquiry Upon Results has been conducted and the school believes the process was flawed.
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