TOK Grade Boundaries and EE Grade Boundaries Explained

By Michael Thompson · Former IB Diploma Programme coordinator; 10 years at Bromsgrove School · Published 4 September 2026

TOK grade boundaries determine whether your Theory of Knowledge work earns an A, B, C, D, or E - and that letter feeds directly into the bonus-points matrix that can add up to 3 points to your IB Diploma total. The same applies to your Extended Essay, which is marked out of 34 and graded on the same A-E scale. Together, the two grades interact through a fixed matrix published by the IB: the combination you land on decides not just bonus points but whether you pass the diploma at all. This guide explains how the boundaries work, what the matrix looks like, and what to do if your current grades put you close to a failing condition.

Key Takeaways

In This Article

  1. What are TOK grade boundaries and how does the A-E scale work
  2. TOK essay and exhibition grade boundaries out of 10
  3. EE grade boundaries: marks out of 34 mapped to A-E
  4. The TOK and EE core points matrix: how 0-3 bonus points are awarded
  5. Failing conditions: when an E in TOK or the EE costs you the diploma
  6. Common questions: is a C in TOK bad, and how many points is an A in EE
  7. What to do next

1. What are TOK grade boundaries and how does the A-E scale work

TOK grade boundaries are the mark ranges the International Baccalaureate uses to sort a candidate's aggregated TOK score into one of five letter grades: A, B, C, D, or E. The same A-E scale applies to the Extended Essay. As the IB's passing criteria explains, those two grades are then combined in the core points matrix to produce 0-3 bonus points toward the 45-point diploma total.

The boundaries are not fixed numbers published once and left alone. Per the IB's assessment FAQ, they are set each session by reviewing actual candidate work against grade descriptors, which are generic descriptions of the standard expected at each grade level. That means the raw mark needed for a B in TOK can shift between the May and November sessions.

One detail that catches candidates off guard: when you log in to candidates.ibo.org, you can see your total diploma points and your combined EE/TOK bonus points, but not the individual component marks or the grade boundaries themselves. The full breakdown, including your scaled total mark and the boundary you landed against, is only available through your school's IB coordinator.

The practical consequence is that chasing a specific raw mark target in TOK is less reliable than understanding what grade you need and what the descriptors say about that grade's expected standard.

2. TOK essay and exhibition grade boundaries out of 10

TOK is assessed through two distinct components that carry different weights and follow different marking routes, so understanding each one separately matters before looking at the combined grade.

Per NUM8ERS, the TOK Essay accounts for 67% of the final TOK grade and is marked externally by IB examiners. It is scored out of 40 points across four criteria, each worth 10 points:

The TOK Exhibition accounts for the remaining 33%, is internally marked by your TOK teacher, and then externally moderated by the IB. It is marked out of 10 in total.

Indicative mark-to-grade mapping

The IB sets exact boundaries each examination session, so the figures below are indicative only. Treat them as a planning guide, not a guarantee.

GradeEssay (out of 40)Exhibition (out of 10)
A33-409-10
B27-327-8
C20-265-6
D14-193-4
E0-130-2

One non-obvious point: because the Essay is marked per criterion rather than holistically, a student who scores 8 on Scope but only 4 on Organisation does not average those out at the criterion level. The examiner awards each criterion independently, and the four scores simply sum to the total. A weak Organisation mark can drag an otherwise strong essay from a B to a C.

The two component grades are then combined to produce a single overall TOK A-E grade, which feeds directly into the TOK and EE core points matrix alongside your Extended Essay grade, as described in section 4.

3. EE grade boundaries: marks out of 34 mapped to A-E

The Extended Essay is marked out of 34, split across five criteria. Per the IB Extended Essay guide, the total breaks down as follows:

CriterionFocusMarks
AFocus and Method6
BKnowledge and Understanding6
CCritical Thinking12
DPresentation4
EEngagement6
Total34

**Criterion C carries more than a third of the available marks**, which surprises many students who spend most of their energy on topic selection and structure rather than on the quality of their argument.

The A-E grades map roughly to these raw mark ranges, though the IB sets exact boundaries each session and does not publish them in advance, so treat these as indicative only:

GradeIndicative raw mark rangeDescriptor
A28-34Excellent
B21-27Good
C14-20Satisfactory
D7-13Mediocre
E0-6Elementary

The RPPF and Criterion E

Criterion E (Engagement) is assessed using the Reflections on Planning and Progress Form (RPPF), worth 6 of the 34 marks and submitted alongside the essay. Per the IB Extended Essay guide, reflection is gathered across three mandatory supervisor sessions, with the third being the viva voce, a concluding interview held after the essay is submitted.

The non-obvious gotcha: because the RPPF has a 500-word limit and examiners read it against your final essay, a reflection that contradicts the direction your essay actually took can actively lower your Criterion E score. Writing the RPPF after the essay is submitted, rather than updating it throughout, is a common and costly mistake.

4. The TOK and EE core points matrix: how 0-3 bonus points are awarded

!TOK and EE core points matrix showing bonus points 0 to 3 for each grade combination A to E.webp9824

Your six IB subjects can earn a maximum of 42 points (6 subjects × 7 points each). The TOK and EE core can add up to 3 more, making 45 the maximum diploma score, per the IB's passing criteria.

The IB combines your TOK and EE grades through a fixed matrix. The table below reproduces it in full.

EE: AEE: BEE: CEE: DEE: E
TOK: A3322F
TOK: B3221F
TOK: C2210F
TOK: D2200F
TOK: EFFFFF

*F = diploma-failing condition. Source: IB DP passing criteria*

One non-obvious detail worth noting: a TOK D combined with an EE A or B still yields 2 points, the same as a TOK C with the same EE grades. That means a weak TOK essay does not automatically collapse your core score, provided your EE is strong. The reverse is also true. The matrix rewards at least one high grade rather than demanding both.

The distribution of bonus points across the global cohort gives a sense of where most students land. According to Philpot Education, which cites IB data:

Roughly two-thirds of diploma candidates earn either 0 or 1 core point, so scoring 2 or 3 is a genuine academic differentiator. These figures shift year to year; check the IB Statistical Bulletin for the most current breakdown.

An E grade in either component triggers an automatic fail regardless of total points, a rule covered in detail in section 5.

5. Failing conditions: when an E in TOK or the EE costs you the diploma

An E grade in either TOK or the EE is an automatic diploma-failing condition. It does not matter how many points you scored across your six subjects: per the IB's DP passing criteria, an E in either component blocks the diploma outright.

The same outcome applies if you do not submit at all. An NS (Not Submitted) result for TOK or the EE means the diploma is not awarded, regardless of everything else on your record. Missing a submission deadline is treated as a fail, not an incomplete.

The 24-point floor still applies independently. Candidates must earn at least 24 points across their six subjects to qualify for the diploma. Core bonus points count toward the total diploma score, but they cannot be used to satisfy that 24-point threshold on their own. A student who scores 23 subject points plus 3 core bonus points has 26 total points but still does not meet the requirement.

CAS is the third core condition that catches students off guard. It carries no letter grade and contributes zero points to the diploma score, yet failure to fulfil CAS requirements prevents the diploma being awarded. Your school assesses completion, so the deadline is set internally, not by the IB directly.

One non-obvious gotcha: if your TOK or EE grade is the problem, retaking a subject exam will not fix it. Core grade issues must be addressed separately through your DP coordinator, who can advise on resubmission or resit options for the specific component that failed.

6. Common questions: is a C in TOK bad, and how many points is an A in EE

Is a C in TOK bad? No. A C is a passing grade, and it still contributes to your bonus points depending on your EE result. According to the IB's passing criteria, the combinations work like this:

The non-obvious trade-off: a student with TOK C and EE A earns the same 2 bonus points as a student with TOK A and EE C. The matrix rewards balance, not excellence in one component alone.

**How many points is an A in EE?** It depends on your TOK grade. Per the IB core points matrix:

Will TOK grade boundaries change? The IB reviews boundaries each session, so the raw mark cut-offs can shift slightly. The A-E structure and the bonus-points matrix are fixed IB policy and do not change with sessions.

**What about the exhibition out of 10?** The TOK Exhibition is marked by your teacher out of 10 and then externally moderated by the IB, contributing 33% toward your overall TOK grade. That moderated mark feeds into the combined essay-plus-exhibition score, which is then mapped to the A-E scale.

7. What to do next

Your TOK and EE grades are already fixed by the time results arrive, but what you see on the candidate website is not the full picture. Per the IB, candidates see their subject grades, total points, and bonus points - not the underlying component marks or where their score sat within a grade boundary range.

That detailed view, covering your scaled total mark, the lower and upper boundary for your grade, and the number of marks needed for a grade increase, exists and is accessible to your school's DP coordinator.

Contact your DP coordinator this week and ask them to pull up the detailed results screen for your TOK and EE components. If you are considering an Enquiry Upon Results, note that the coordinator must submit it on your behalf, and a re-mark can move your grade down as well as up.

FAQ

What are grade boundaries in the IB?

Grade boundaries are the mark ranges that divide a student's aggregated component scores into the IB's letter grades (A-E for TOK and EE, or 1-7 for subjects); the IB sets them each session by reviewing candidate work against grade descriptors.

Will TOK grade boundaries change each year?

Yes - the IB reviews and resets boundaries after each examination session based on candidate performance, so the exact mark needed for each grade can shift slightly between May and November sittings.

How are TOK grade boundaries calculated?

The IB combines the Exhibition mark (33%) and Essay mark (67%) into an overall TOK score, then applies session-specific boundaries to assign the A-E grade; coordinators can see the lower and upper boundary for each grade on the detailed results view.

Should I be worried if my TOK grade boundary puts me on a C?

A C is a passing grade; depending on your EE grade, a TOK C can still contribute 1 or 2 bonus points to your diploma total, though pairing it with an EE D yields zero bonus points.

What is the TOK exhibition grade boundary out of 10?

The exhibition is internally marked out of 10 by the TOK teacher and then externally moderated by the IB; the resulting mark contributes 33% toward the overall TOK grade, which is then expressed as A-E.

How many IB diploma points is an A in the Extended Essay worth?

An EE grade of A does not carry a fixed standalone point value; its worth depends on the TOK grade - an A in EE paired with a TOK A or B yields 3 bonus points, while paired with a TOK C or D it yields 2 bonus points.

References