A 45 means a 7 in all six subjects plus all 3 core points from TOK and the Extended Essay. It's rare, but every point on the way to it is earned the same way: knowing exactly how each component is marked and practising against the mark scheme.
How the 45 points add up
- 42 points from six subjects, each graded 1–7 (three or four at HL, the rest at SL).
- 3 core points from Theory of Knowledge and the Extended Essay, combined in a matrix: you need at least A + B (or B + A) to get all 3.
- CAS carries no points but must be completed for the diploma.
The global average in the May 2025 session was 30.58 points. The IB no longer publishes how many students score 45, but it is a small fraction of candidates. Try our IB points calculator to see where you stand.
1. Treat internal assessments as free marks
IAs count for 20–30 % of most subjects and you control the timing. Read the criteria for each IA before choosing a topic, plan against every criterion, and use your teacher's draft feedback fully. A strong IA can lift a subject grade by a whole point.
2. Learn the mark schemes, not just the content
Examiners award marks for specific things: command terms (“explain”, “evaluate”, “to what extent”), method marks in maths and sciences, evaluation and judgement in humanities. After each practice question, mark it yourself with the official-style mark scheme and note which marking point you missed.
3. Use active recall and spaced repetition
Re-reading notes feels productive but barely helps. Close the notes and test yourself: flashcards of key terms, quick quizzes, blank-page summaries, past-paper questions. Revisit each topic after a day, a week and a month.
4. Practise timed papers from DP2 onwards
Most lost marks in strong students come from timing and exam technique, not knowledge. From the start of DP2, do at least one timed paper per subject every few weeks, then full mocks in the final months.
5. Secure the core points early
An A in the Extended Essay or TOK is worth as much as a grade in a subject. Start the EE early, choose a narrow research question, and plan your TOK essay around the prescribed title's key terms.
6. Protect your weakest subject
Going from a 5 to a 6 in your weakest subject is usually easier than going from a 6 to a 7 in your strongest. Spend extra time where marginal gains are biggest.
A simple two-year plan
- DP1: understand each topic as it's taught, build flashcards, start IA ideas, choose your EE subject.
- Summer between DP1 and DP2: draft the EE, revise DP1 topics with active recall.
- DP2 autumn: finish IAs and the EE, start timed questions.
- DP2 spring: full timed papers, mocks, targeted revision of weak topics.