TOK Grade Boundaries and EE Grade Boundaries Explained

By Michael Thompson · Education Specialist; 10 years teaching the IB at Bromsgrove School · Published 4 September 2026 · Updated 6 October 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 core bonus points that can add up to 3 to your IB Diploma total. The same applies to your Extended Essay, which from the May 2027 session is marked out of 30 and graded on the same A-E scale. Together, the two grades interact through a fixed TOK and EE points 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, how the two grades become bonus points, 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: the 30-mark model mapped to A-E
  4. How TOK and EE grades combine into 0-3 bonus points
  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 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 the candidate website, candidates.ibo.org, you can see your total diploma points and your combined EE/TOK bonus points, but not the individual component marks. A more detailed view, including your scaled total mark and the boundaries either side of it, is shown to candidates only if your school's IB coordinator gives access.

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.

The TOK essay is a response of no more than 1,600 words to one of six prescribed titles set by the IB for each session. It is marked externally by IB examiners and accounts for 67% of the TOK result. Per the IB's TOK page, it is marked out of 10. That mark is holistic: the examiner reads the essay as a whole and awards a single mark against the assessment instrument, rather than adding up separate criterion scores.

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

How the two marks become one grade

The IB weights the two marks, combines them into a single TOK score and converts that score into an A-E grade using boundaries set for each session. There is no fixed mark-to-grade table you can rely on in advance: the boundaries are reviewed every session, so treat any table of TOK cut-offs you find online as one past session at best.

One non-obvious point: because the essay is two-thirds of the result, each essay mark counts for roughly twice as much as an exhibition mark, so plan your effort accordingly.

The overall TOK grade is then paired with your Extended Essay grade to set your bonus points, as described in section 4.

3. EE grade boundaries: the 30-mark model mapped to A-E

From the May 2027 session, the Extended Essay is marked out of 30 across five criteria, under the IB's Extended essay guide (first assessment 2027). The total breaks down as follows:

CriterionFocusMarks
AFramework for the essay6
BKnowledge and understanding6
CAnalysis and line of argument6
DDiscussion and evaluation8
EReflection4
Total30

Criterion D is now the heaviest criterion, which surprises many students who spend most of their energy on topic selection rather than on discussing and evaluating what they found.

There are no grade boundaries for the 30-mark scale yet. Senior examiners will set the first ones after the May 2027 session, and May 2027 results are released from 12:00 GMT on 6 July 2027. Until then, any table that maps a score out of 30 to a grade is a guess. Do not take old 34-mark ranges and scale them down: the criteria and their weightings have changed, so old cut-offs say nothing reliable about new ones. What the IB keeps consistent is the grade descriptors - written descriptions of the standard at each grade - which is also what your supervisor uses to predict your EE grade.

The RPF and Criterion E

Criterion E (Reflection) is worth 4 of the 30 marks and is assessed only from your reflective statement: no more than 500 words, written at the end of the process and included on the Reflection and progress form (RPF). The statement draws on three mandatory supervisor sessions, the third being the viva voce, a short concluding interview held after the essay is completed.

The non-obvious gotcha: examiners stop reading at 500 words, and a missing or blank RPF scores zero on Criterion E. Keep notes after each reflection session so you have specific examples to draw on when you write the statement at the end.

November 2026 candidates only: your essay is marked under the previous guide, out of 34 (A Focus and method 6, B Knowledge and understanding 6, C Critical thinking 12, D Presentation 4, E Engagement 6), with Engagement judged from the three-entry Reflections on planning and progress form (RPPF).

4. How TOK and EE grades combine into 0-3 bonus points

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; the IB's Extended essay guide (first assessment 2027) prints the same table, so it also applies to the new 30-mark EE. For worked examples of every combination and the full diploma pass requirements, see our guide to the TOK and EE points matrix.

EE: AEE: BEE: CEE: DEE: E
TOK: A3322F
TOK: B3221F
TOK: C2210F
TOK: D2100F
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 still yields 2 points, the same as a TOK C with an EE A. That means a weak TOK grade does not automatically collapse your core score, provided your EE is strong. The reverse is also true: an EE D with a TOK A also earns 2. The matrix rewards at least one high grade rather than demanding both.

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 applies alongside the E rule. The IB's passing criteria require at least 24 total points as well as the other conditions listed there. Avoiding an E is necessary but not sufficient, and a high total never overrides an E.

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 table is symmetrical, so swapping your TOK and EE grades never changes the points.

How many points is an A in EE? It depends on your TOK grade. From the table in section 4:

Will TOK grade boundaries change? The IB reviews boundaries each session, so the raw mark cut-offs can shift slightly. The A-E scale and the way the two grades convert to bonus points 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.

A 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, also exists, but candidates see it only if the school's DP coordinator gives access.

When results are out, contact your DP coordinator and ask whether you can see the detailed results view. 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.

Related guides:

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.

Are there grade boundaries for the new 30-mark extended essay?

Not yet. The extended essay is marked out of 30 from the May 2027 session, and senior examiners will set the first boundaries after that session, with results released on 6 July 2027; old 34-mark ranges should not be scaled down.

References