The International Baccalaureate (IB) runs two exam sessions each year. May is the larger one, but the November session matters to more than 23,000 students, mainly in South America, Australia, New Zealand and parts of Asia. The IB's final statistical bulletin for November 2025 gives the full picture: pass rates, grade distributions for every subject, core results and data by country.
We've read every page and compared it with the November bulletins back to 2021. Here are the findings that matter most for students and parents.
Key Takeaways
- The November 2025 Diploma pass rate was 74.3%, up for the second year in a row from the post-Covid low of 72.4% in 2023.
- The average Diploma score was 29.4 points. That's about 1.2 points lower than in the May 2025 session.
- 10.9% of candidates scored 40 points or more, slightly up from 10.6% in 2024.
- Chemistry HL awarded the most 7s of any large course (31.9%). Visual Arts SL awarded the fewest (0.8%).
- The session keeps growing: 23,006 students at 1,501 schools, up 37% since 2021.
- Peru, Australia and Singapore have the most November students. Colombia has more than doubled since 2022.
A note on the data: all figures come from the IB's final statistical bulletins for the November sessions. These include changes from re-marks (enquiries upon results). "Diploma candidates" means students in the Diploma and Retake categories, as the IB defines them.
The November 2025 Results at a Glance
| Measure | November 2025 |
|---|---|
| Total students (all categories) | 23,006 (+5.5% on 2024) |
| Schools | 1,501 in 134 countries |
| Subject entries | 103,399 across 77 subjects |
| Diploma candidates | 18,551 |
| Diplomas awarded | 13,780 |
| Diploma pass rate | 74.3% |
| Average total points | 29.4 out of 45 |
| Average total points, students awarded the Diploma | 32.2 |
| Average subject grade | 4.6 (4.7 for Diploma candidates) |
| Bilingual diplomas | 27.0% of candidates |
Students came from 170 nationalities and spoke 111 first languages. Just over three-quarters of November schools (76.3%) are private.
Pass Rates and Average Scores Since 2021
November results follow the same pattern as the May session. Scores rose during Covid, when the IB adjusted grading, and fell sharply in 2023 when it returned to pre-pandemic standards. Since then they have edged up:
| Year | Pass rate | Average points | Diploma candidates |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 87.2% | 32.3 | 13,003 |
| 2022 | 82.0% | 31.0 | 13,824 |
| 2023 | 72.4% | 29.1 | 16,187 |
| 2024 | 73.1% | 29.3 | 17,514 |
| 2025 | 74.3% | 29.4 | 18,551 |
How November Compares With May
November results are consistently lower than May results. In May 2025, the pass rate was 81.9% and the average score was 30.6 points (see our May 2025 final statistics). In November 2025, they were 74.3% and 29.4.
One likely reason is the mix of students. Retake candidates made up 15.7% of all November 2025 students: 3,604 people, almost three times the 1,306 in 2021. Many are May students trying to improve a subject or pass the Diploma at a second attempt, and their results are included in the pass rate. The November session is also concentrated in a few countries, so it reflects those school systems more than May does.
What Your Score Means
| Points | Share of Nov 2025 candidates |
|---|---|
| 0–23 | 20.7% |
| 24–29 | 34.0% |
| 30–34 | 20.2% |
| 35–39 | 14.3% |
| 40–45 | 10.9% |
So in November 2025:
- 40 points or more put you in roughly the top 11%.
- 35 or more put you in the top 25%.
- 30 or more put you in the top 45%.
Compared with 2022, the share of candidates on 40+ has fallen from 15.5% to 10.9%, while the 0–23 band has grown. The total points distribution has settled at its post-2023 shape for three years now.
Failing With 24 Points or More
You need 24 points to pass, but points aren't the only condition. In November 2025, about 930 students scored 24 points or more and still didn't receive the Diploma. That's around one in five of all students who failed. Of these, 907 had 24–29 points, 17 had 30–34 points, and fewer than 10 had 35 or more.
The usual reasons are the IB's failing conditions, such as an E in TOK or the Extended Essay, too many low grades, or missing CAS. Read our guide to how your IB score is calculated to understand them.
The Core: TOK and the Extended Essay
The core is moving in the right direction. In November 2025:
- Average core points rose to 1.6 (out of 3), the joint highest of the last five years.
- Only 14.4% of candidates earned zero core points, down from 19.5% in 2023.
- 12.5% earned the full 3 points, up from 10.6% in 2023.
| Grade | Extended Essay | Theory of Knowledge |
|---|---|---|
| A | 13.3% | 8.1% |
| B | 33.5% | 38.4% |
| C | 40.9% | 45.1% |
| D | 11.6% | 7.8% |
| E | 0.2% | 0.1% |
Extended Essay patterns: essays in the arts had the highest share of A grades (22.2%), followed by studies in language and literature (15.7%) and the sciences (15.1%). Language acquisition essays had the lowest share of As (7.5%). The most popular EE subjects included History, Spanish A, English A, English B, Business Management and Biology.
TOK in two main languages: 7,790 students completed TOK in English and 6,958 in Spanish, a reminder of how important Latin America is to the November session.
If you're writing your TOK essay for May 2027, see our guide to all six May 2027 TOK titles. For the new EE criteria, read our Extended Essay guide.
The Biggest November Subjects
The November session has a different subject mix from May, because so many students are in Spanish-speaking countries:
| Course | Students, Nov 2025 | Change since Nov 2022 |
|---|---|---|
| English B HL | 8,820 | +30% |
| Maths: Analysis & Approaches SL | 7,900 | +21% |
| Spanish A: Language & Literature HL | 5,535 | — |
| Maths: Applications & Interpretation SL | 5,400 | +29% |
| Biology SL | 5,123 | +18% |
| History HL | 4,997 | +8% |
| Business Management HL | 3,609 | +48% |
| Maths: Analysis & Approaches HL | 3,389 | +49% |
| English A: Language & Literature HL | 3,366 | — |
| Biology HL | 3,355 | +23% |
English B HL is the single largest November course. Business Management HL, Maths: Analysis and Approaches HL and Physics HL (up 45% to 2,354 students) have grown fastest among the large courses.
Which Subjects Award the Most 7s?
Across all subjects, 9.6% of grades were 7s. But the share varies hugely by course:
- HL sciences and Maths AA HL award the most 7s. In Chemistry HL, almost one student in three got a 7.
- Economics is generous at both levels: 18.3% at HL and 17.2% at SL.
- History, Visual Arts and Spanish A award very few 7s. Fewer than 1 in 100 Spanish A: Language and Literature HL students got one.
Some smaller language courses are outliers. In Chinese B SL (1,457 students), 61.3% of students got a 7, and in Mandarin ab initio the figure was 40.4%. Many of these students have some background in the language already.
Is a 7 Getting Harder?
Compared with November 2022, the last year of Covid-era grading, 7s have become rarer in almost every major course. Since 2023, the picture is mixed:
| Course | % of 7s, 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | 2025 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chemistry HL | 39.4% | 29.5% | 30.0% | 31.9% |
| Physics HL | 34.7% | 27.6% | 27.1% | 24.8% |
| Maths: Analysis & Approaches HL | 33.3% | 22.0% | 23.3% | 24.3% |
| Economics HL | 30.6% | 19.3% | 21.4% | 18.3% |
| Biology HL | 16.5% | 11.7% | 12.6% | 13.7% |
| Psychology HL | 16.8% | 13.8% | 14.5% | 13.0% |
| Business Management HL | 15.3% | 11.8% | 10.1% | 10.1% |
| Maths: Analysis & Approaches SL | 11.0% | 6.5% | 7.4% | 7.6% |
| Maths: Applications & Interpretation SL | 5.5% | 3.2% | 2.2% | 3.0% |
| History HL | 3.0% | 3.0% | 2.5% | 2.6% |
Chemistry HL, Biology HL and Maths AA HL have recovered a little since 2023. Physics HL has fallen every year, and Economics HL dropped back below its 2023 level after a rise in 2024.
What this means for you: a high share of 7s doesn't make a subject "easy". Students who choose Chemistry HL or Maths AA HL tend to be strong in those subjects already. But the data does show how hard top grades are in essay-based subjects such as History. If you're aiming for 40+, plan for how you'll earn 6s and 7s in your essay subjects, not just your sciences.
HL vs SL
In the sciences and maths, HL students averaged much higher grades than SL students. In essay-based subjects the gap was small, or reversed:
| Subject | HL mean | SL mean |
|---|---|---|
| Chemistry | 5.4 | 4.1 |
| Maths: Analysis & Approaches | 5.1 | 3.9 |
| Physics | 5.0 | 4.0 |
| Biology | 4.7 | 3.8 |
| Maths: Applications & Interpretation | 4.1 | 3.6 |
| Psychology | 5.3 | 5.0 |
| Business Management | 4.8 | 4.5 |
| Economics | 5.3 | 5.1 |
| English A: Language & Literature | 5.0 | 5.2 |
| History | 4.2 | 4.4 |
This matches what we found in the May 2026 bulletin. One explanation is that students choose their strongest subjects at HL, while SL science and maths are often a requirement rather than a choice.
Subject Groups
| Subject group | Mean grade | % of 7s |
|---|---|---|
| Language acquisition | 5.2 | 13.9% |
| Studies in language and literature | 4.9 | 4.2% |
| Individuals and societies | 4.7 | 8.0% |
| The arts | 4.6 | 6.8% |
| Sciences | 4.4 | 13.8% |
| Mathematics | 4.1 | 9.5% |
| Interdisciplinary (ESS and Literature & Performance) | 4.0 | 3.4% |
Language acquisition has the highest mean grade. Sciences have one of the lowest means but almost as many 7s, because science grades are spread widely across the scale.
Where Are November IB Students?
The November session is dominated by a handful of countries. Peru alone has 4,232 students, more than any other country. Most of the rest come from Australia, Singapore and Latin America. The United States, by far the largest country in the May session, had only 190 November students.
- Asia-Pacific awarded the most diplomas (6,012), up 21% since 2021.
- The Americas awarded 5,507 diplomas and have the most students (48.5% of the session).
- Africa, Europe and the Middle East is the smallest November region, but its diplomas have more than doubled since 2021, from 1,106 to 2,261. Türkiye (725 students) is its largest country.
Among the larger countries, Colombia (+116%), Türkiye (+60%), Japan (+49%), New Zealand and India (both +47%) have grown fastest since 2022.
If you're studying for November exams, we have IB tutors in cities including Lima, Buenos Aires, Singapore and Auckland.
Other Numbers Worth Knowing
- Most November schools are small. About 69% of schools (1,042 of 1,501) had 10 or fewer students in the session.
- Gender: 52.7% of students were female and 47.2% male.
- Course students: 14.3% of students took individual IB courses without aiming for the full Diploma.
- Bilingual diplomas: 27.0% of Diploma candidates earned a bilingual diploma, a share that has stayed between 26% and 30% since 2021.
What This Means for You
If you're sitting November 2026 exams: results come out on 16 December. The data shows a pass rate around 74%, so take the IB's failing conditions seriously, especially the core. Our November 2026 exam schedule has every exam date.
If you're thinking about a November retake: you're not alone. More than 3,600 students retook in November 2025. Your highest grade in each subject counts towards the Diploma. Read our guide on whether you should get your scores re-marked first, as a re-mark can sometimes be quicker.
If you're choosing subjects: the grade data is useful context, but choose subjects you enjoy and need for university. A strong student in History will usually do better there than in a subject chosen because it "gives more 7s".
Frequently Asked Questions
What was the IB pass rate in November 2025?
The Diploma pass rate in November 2025 was 74.3%, according to the IB's final statistical bulletin. That's up from 73.1% in 2024 and 72.4% in 2023.
What was the average IB score in November 2025?
The average total score for Diploma candidates was 29.4 points out of 45. Students who were awarded the Diploma averaged 32.2 points.
Why are November IB results lower than May results?
The November session has a different mix of students and countries, and a large share of retake candidates (15.7% of all students in 2025). Retakes are included in the Diploma results, which can pull the averages down.
How many students scored 40+ in November 2025?
10.9% of Diploma candidates scored 40 points or more, up slightly from 10.6% in 2024. The IB no longer publishes the number of students scoring 45.
Which countries take the November IB exams?
Mostly countries where the school year runs from about February to December. Peru, Australia, Singapore, Argentina, Ecuador and Colombia had the most students in November 2025.
Get Support for Your November or May Exams
Whichever session you're in, the right support can lift your grades. Our IB exam tutoring gives you one-to-one online lessons with experienced IB tutors, wherever you are in the world. You might also like our analysis of the top IB schools in the world in 2026.
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Source: IB Diploma Programme final statistical bulletins, November 2021–2025 sessions. May 2025 comparison from the IB's final May 2025 bulletin.
