IB Mathematics: Analysis and Approaches HL 2025 Grade Boundaries

You spend two years working on IB Math AA HL, then everything comes down to a few numbers. How many marks do you actually need for a 6 or a 7 in May 2025? How much can one weak paper hurt you? How much can a strong IA save you?

This guide explains the IB Mathematics: Analysis and Approaches HL May 2025 grade boundaries in clear, simple language. It uses the official 2025 numbers already published and shows what they mean for your exams, your Exploration (IA), and your final grade out of 7.

By the end, you will know your score targets, how each component counts, and how to use boundaries to plan calmly for exams and university, not panic about them.

What Are IB Grade Boundaries and Why They Matter for AA HL 2025

In IB subjects, a grade boundary is the minimum total mark you need to reach a given grade from 1 to 7. For example, if the boundary for a 7 is 79, then 79 is the lowest score that receives a 7.

For IB Mathematics: Analysis and Approaches HL, the final total is scaled to 100 points. The IB sets boundaries that link this total to the 1 to 7 grades. The May 2025 boundaries in this guide are official figures from the IB, not rough guesses or predictions.

Grade boundaries change from session to session. They depend on:

How hard the exams are in that session
How students perform worldwide
Comparisons with earlier years to keep standards stable over time

Because of this, a 7 is not always the same raw percentage each year. In one year, 79 out of 100 might be a 7. In another, 82 out of 100 might be needed.

The IB explains these ideas for all subjects, not just math, in its general information about the Diploma Programme assessment. However, the exact numbers here are for AA HL May 2025.

These boundaries matter for you because they affect:

Your final grade in Math AA HL
Your predicted grade that teachers send to universities
Whether you meet conditional offers that ask for a certain math grade
Chances for scholarships that use IB scores as a filter

For a student who wants engineering, math, physics, or economics, a single grade step in Math AA HL can change admission chances at some universities. Sites such as UCAS explain how IB points map to offers in the UK, and other regions have similar guidance.

Knowing the May 2025 boundaries lets you turn a vague goal, like “I want at least a 6”, into a clear target number of marks.

How the IB Uses Raw Marks to Decide Final Grades

Your journey from exam scripts to final grade has three clear steps.

You earn raw marks.
Every question on Paper 1, Paper 2, and Paper 3 has a mark value. Your Exploration (IA) is marked out of 20. Markers add the marks you get on each question to give raw scores for each component.
The IB scales and combines these marks.
The raw marks from all components are combined and scaled to give a total out of 100 for Math AA HL. The scaling reflects how much each component is worth in the official structure.
Your total is compared with the grade boundaries.
The IB uses a table of cutoffs to map your total mark to a final grade from 1 to 7.

For May 2025, if a student finishes with 80 points out of 100, they are safely in the 7 range. If another student reaches 65 points, they have just reached the bottom of the 6 range.

This process does not use a strict “curve” inside your school. The IB looks at students worldwide and sets boundaries so that a 6 in 2025 means a similar level of achievement as a 6 in earlier years.

Key IB Terms Students Must Know: Raw Marks, Scaled Marks, and Final Grade

Students often mix up different types of scores. Three terms matter most.

Raw marks
These are the actual points you earn on each paper or on the IA. For example, 38 out of 55 on Paper 3, or 16 out of 20 on the IA.
Scaled or weighted marks
These show how much each component counts in the final total out of 100. For example, your 16 out of 20 on the IA might become 16 points out of the 20 IA points in the final scale.
Final grade (1 to 7)
This is the number that appears on your IB transcript. It is based on where your scaled total out of 100 falls relative to the grade boundaries.

Students also see percentages on school reports or mocks. A percentage is just a way to talk about raw marks. For example, 33 out of 55 on Paper 3 is about 60 percent. However, the IB does not give final grades as pure percentages. It uses the scaled total and the boundaries.

Here is a simple example that links to the May 2025 boundaries:

A student gets a scaled total of 52 out of 100.
According to the 2025 table, 52 is in the grade 5 range.
Even if some single papers are under 50 percent, the combined total can still reach a 5.

Once you see how the numbers connect, the 2025 boundaries start to feel like clear targets, not mysterious cutoffs.

Official IB Mathematics: Analysis and Approaches HL May 2025 Grade Boundaries Explained

For May 2025, the official AA HL boundaries are set on a scale of 0 to 100 for the final grade. Inside that total, there are separate boundaries for:

The Exploration (IA) out of 20
Paper 3 out of 55

You cannot see these separate boundaries on your final report, but they play an important role during marking and moderation.

Think of the final 100 as a pie. Different pieces of the pie come from each component. The grade boundaries show how big your total slice must be to count as a 4, 5, 6, or 7.

Final Grade Boundaries for AA HL May 2025 (Out of 100 Points)

Here are the official May 2025 boundaries for the total AA HL score out of 100:

Final Grade	Total Mark Range (out of 100)
7	79–100
6	65–78
5	52–64
4	37–51
3	26–36
2	14–25
1	0–13

Some key ideas from this table:

A 7 needs at least 79 points
A 6 starts at 65 points
A 5 starts at 52 points
A 4, which is a basic pass, starts at 37 points

You can use these to set “safe” targets:

If your goal is a 6, aim for at least 68–72 points. This gives you a small safety buffer above the boundary of 65.
If your goal is a 7, aim for 82 or more, so you are not on the edge of the cutoff at 79.

A strong pass is usually a 5 or 6 with some space above the boundary. For example, 58 points is a solid 5, and 71 is a comfortable 6. A borderline pass is a score within one or two marks of the boundary, such as 52 for a 5 or 37 for a 4.

This table is the central map you will keep coming back to. Every IA mark, every past paper score, and every mock exam can be judged against these ranges.

Exploration (Math IA) 2025 Grade Boundaries and What They Mean

The Exploration (IA) in AA HL is marked out of 20 and then scaled into the final total. For May 2025, the official IA boundaries are:

IA Grade	Mark Range (out of 20)
7	17–20
6	15–16
5	12–14
4	9–11
3	6–8
2	3–5
1	0–2

The IA is:

Marked by your teacher
Checked and adjusted by external moderators

A very strong IA (for example 17, 18, 19, or 20) acts like a cushion on exam day. It gives you a buffer if one paper goes worse than expected.

For example:

If you score 18/20 on the IA, you are in the 7 range for the IA.
Even if one exam paper feels shaky, that high IA can help keep your total above the 6 or 7 boundaries.

A mid range IA (12–14) is a 5. This is still good enough to reach a 6 or even a 7 overall, but then your exam papers need to do more of the work.

Imagine a student with:

IA: 13/20 (grade 5)
Exams combined: scaled to about 54 points

Together, that could reach around 67 points, which is safely in the 6 range. Careful work on the IA can move a student from 13 to 16, which might be just enough to cross from a 5 to a 6 or even a 7 overall after scaling.

Because the IA is under your control over many weeks, it is one of the best places to build a safety margin against the final boundaries.

Paper 3 (HL Only) 2025 Grade Boundaries and Their Impact

Paper 3 is only for HL students and is out of 55 marks. It usually focuses on deeper problem solving and extended questions related to the AA HL syllabus.

For May 2025, the Paper 3 boundaries are:

Paper 3 Grade	Mark Range (out of 55)
7	45–55
6	38–44
5	31–37
4	24–30
3	16–23
2	9–15
1	0–8

Because Paper 3 is a high level paper and often feels hard, its marks can vary a lot between students. This variation means Paper 3 can move your final total up or down by a full grade.

Consider a student close to the 7 boundary overall.

Before Paper 3 scaling, their other components suggest they will land near 76 or 77 points.
If they score 45/55 on Paper 3, they are at the very bottom of the 7 range for that paper. After scaling, this might push their total to around 80, safely in the 7 band.
If they only get 31/55 on Paper 3, which is a 5, their scaled total might slip to about 73–74 points, solidly in the 6 range.

This shows how important Paper 3 is for students on the border between a 6 and a 7. Work on high level problem practice and careful time management on this paper can pay off in a big way.

For detailed content and structure of HL math papers, you can also look at the IB’s own overview of DP mathematics courses.

How Much Each Part of IB Math AA HL Counts Toward Your 2025 Grade

The final AA HL total out of 100 does not treat each component the same. Some parts count more than others.

In AA HL, the standard structure is:

External exams (Paper 1, Paper 2, Paper 3) combined: about 80% of the final grade
Exploration (IA): about 20% of the final grade

Within the exam part:

Paper 1: roughly 30%
Paper 2: roughly 30%
Paper 3: roughly 20%

These percentages are then converted into the scaled total out of 100 that is used with the 2025 boundaries.

This means:

You cannot ignore any paper, because together they form most of the grade.
You also cannot treat the IA as tiny. A 20 percent component can easily shift you across a boundary.

Weight of Exam Papers Versus the Exploration in AA HL

To see the relative weight in a simple way, imagine the 100 total points as:

80 points coming from all three exam papers
20 points coming from the IA

This is not the exact internal scaling the IB uses, but it is a good mental model for planning.

From a study point of view:

Exams deserve steady, long term practice. They decide most of your final grade.
The IA deserves focused, careful work. It can lock in up to 20 strong points that support your final total.

A student who treats the IA casually often loses easy marks. Those same marks are much harder to gain on a high pressure paper.

A balanced study plan might include:

Regular timed practice for Paper 1 and Paper 2
Weekly mixed question sets that feel like Paper 3
Clear checkpoints for IA progress, from topic choice to final draft

Together, these give you the best chance of moving from a 5 to a 6 or from a 6 to a 7.

Sample Score Breakdowns That Reach a 5, 6, or 7 in 2025

Here are a few simple profiles that show how different combinations of scores can still reach target grades, using the May 2025 boundaries.

Student A: Strong IA, strong exams, final 7

IA: 18/20
Exams combined (scaled): about 61/80
Total: 18 + 61 = 79 points

This student lands at the very bottom of the 7 range. Their strong IA and solid performance across all three papers push them just over the line.

Student B: Mid IA, stronger exams, solid 6

IA: 13/20
Exams combined (scaled): about 53/80
Total: 13 + 53 = 66 points

This student is in the 6 range, one point above the boundary of 65. Their IA is only mid range, but their exams carry them to the target grade.

Student C: Strong IA, weaker exams, safe 5

IA: 17/20
Exams combined (scaled): about 35/80
Total: 17 + 35 = 52 points

This total is right at the bottom of the 5 range. Weak exams would have given a lower final grade without the strong IA. In this case, the IA lifts the student from a 4 to a 5.

Student D: Mixed profile, climbing to a 6

IA: 15/20
Exams combined (scaled): about 51/80
Total: 15 + 51 = 66 points

Once again, this sits in the middle of the 6 range. No single part is perfect, but all parts are decent. The result is a strong overall grade.

These examples show a key point. One bad paper does not automatically destroy your final grade. What matters is the combined total against the 2025 boundaries.

Setting Smart Score Targets for IB Math AA HL 2025

Grade boundaries should be tools for planning, not sources of fear. When used well, they help you:

Set clear targets
Decide where to spend your study time
Track progress through mocks and past papers

A simple rule is to aim a few points above the minimum boundary for your target grade. This gives some space for nerves, hard questions, or a slightly tougher session.

Turning Grade Boundaries Into Personal Score Goals

Here is a step by step way to turn the May 2025 boundaries into personal targets.

Pick your target grade.
Suppose you want a 6 in Math AA HL.
Look up the boundary.
For May 2025, the 6 starts at 65 points.
Add a buffer.
Aim for about 68–72 points instead. This keeps you safe if one paper goes worse than planned.
Break this total into IA and exams.
As a rough plan:
- Target IA: 16/20
- Target exams combined (scaled): about 52–56/80
Translate this into paper goals.
If exams are 80 points together:
- Paper 1 aim: about 18–20/30 of that 80
- Paper 2 aim: similar
- Paper 3 aim: about 14–16/20 of that 80

The exact numbers do not need to be perfect. What matters is that you:

Write down a target total out of 100
Choose realistic goals for the IA and each paper
Check, during the year, whether your mock and practice scores are moving toward those numbers

Teachers can help students build these plans using school data, past paper results, and internal mock marks.

Using Past Papers and Mock Exams to Check Your Grade Level

Past papers are one of the best tools for checking where you stand relative to the May 2025 boundaries.

A simple method is:

Sit a full past paper under timed conditions.
Mark it with a markscheme and get a raw score.
Repeat for other papers and estimate your IA level.
Combine and scale them roughly to a total out of 100.
Compare this estimate with the 2025 boundaries.

Remember that future boundaries can change. The May 2025 numbers are a guide, not a promise, especially if you sit exams in a later session. Use them to set ranges, not exact predictions.

After each mock or past paper:

List the topics where you lost most marks.
Sort them into “concept not clear” and “careless mistake” piles.
Plan short review sessions to fix the top few issues before the next practice paper.

Common Misunderstandings About IB Math HL Grade Boundaries

Several myths cause stress for students. Here are some common ones, corrected using the 2025 numbers.

Myth 1: “A 70 percent always equals a 7.”
In May 2025, the 7 boundary is 79 out of 100. That is 79 percent, not 70 percent. The exact percentage for a 7 changes across sessions because boundaries adjust.

Myth 2: “One bad paper means automatic failure.”
Your final grade comes from all components combined. A strong IA and solid other papers can offset one weaker paper. For instance, a poor Paper 3 can still be balanced by a strong IA and good Papers 1 and 2.

Myth 3: “Grade boundaries are the same every year.”
The IB changes boundaries in response to exam difficulty and global performance. The May 2025 table is official for that session, but it will not be exactly the same in future sessions.

Myth 4: “All IB schools mark to the same curve internally.”
Teachers mark your IA and school tests according to criteria, not to force a certain percentage of students into each grade. The true curve effect only appears when the IB looks at results worldwide, then sets the final boundaries.

Understanding these points helps you treat grade boundaries as information, not as fixed labels that decide your fate early in the course.

Conclusion

Grade boundaries for IB Mathematics: Analysis and Approaches HL May 2025 turn a two year course into a clear set of numbers. A 7 starts at 79, a 6 at 65, and a 5 at 52, with matching ranges for the Exploration and Paper 3. Each component, from the IA to the final paper, feeds into a single total out of 100 that defines your final grade.

Use these boundaries as planning tools. Set score targets a few points above the minimums, break them into IA and paper goals, and track your progress through mocks and past papers. Work closely with your teacher, check current official IB information, and adjust your goals as your scores improve.

With steady, honest work and a clear view of the numbers, you can move toward the boundary for your target grade and, in many cases, go beyond it.

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