How Hard is the IB? Separating Fact from Fiction

We’ve all heard the myths. Passing the IB is harder than climbing Mount Everest, that there is no way that you can do the IB and still average 8 hours of sleep per night, or that no one can continue pursuing their hobbies during their IB as all your time is dedicated to studies. Although, as IB graduates, we as Lanterna know that the IB is difficult as we’ve experienced it ourselves, we like to rely on facts rather than myths! As such, we had a look at the common question, ‘how hard is the IB?’ Should you be quaking in your boots, or can you take a chill pill?

How many people really pass the IB?

Last May there were just over 85,000 students taking the IB diploma. Do you want to have a guess at how many were able to pass the IB? Although you might believe that the number is 50% or less, there was around a 78% pass rate in the IB last year! That’s around 4 out of every 5 students who are able to pass. The good news? That means you’re quite likely to pass the IB as well! The bad news? The pass rate is actually decreasing every year, so by the time you take the exam the pass rate might be closer to 75%.

What’s the average score in the IB?

Perhaps you’re quite certain that you’ll pass the IB and are instead wondering about just how many points you can get? Well, the average score for all students taking the IB diploma in 2019 was around 29.5 points! Is this higher or lower than you expected? A score of 30 points in the IB gets you in to numerous prestigious universities all around the world, so an average IB student is pretty well-positioned to continue to achieve highly even after high school is finished!

How likely is it that I’ll get a perfect score?

Getting a 45 in the IB is an extremely difficult task. Not only does it require extreme effort but a lot of help along the way. That being said, there are a number of students who reach this unreachable goal every year. Last year that number was 275 students, or 0.41% of candidates. Although this number makes it seem like it’s impossible to get a 45, remember that this means that 1 in every 250 students or so get a 45. It’s a possible but lofty goal!

As we mentioned, you’ll definitely need help in order to reach scores of this magnitude though. Luckily for you, we have tutors who are expert in the IB here to help you. In fact, 45 is the most common score for our tutors at Lanterna! Click below to get free one-on-one tutoring!

What are the benefits of taking the IB?

It might be worth keeping all the benefits of the IB in mind as you struggle through it. At least you can take solace in the fact that your work is not going unrewarded! Here are a couple of really cool stats about IB graduates that I’m sure will motivate you along your path.

• More likely to enroll in one of the UK’s top 20 universities
• Nearly twice as likely to succeed in applications for medicine and dentistry
• Significantly higher salary than A-level equivalents
• Significantly less likely to drop out of courses at university
• 40% more likely to be employed in professional, scientific, or technical sectors rather than retail.

So as you’re chugging along, being overwhelmed by EE, CAS, TOK, IA’s, and all the other stuff, keep in mind that you’re going to reap the rewards of these few years of hard work long after you finish high school! If you’re an IB student struggling or looking to maximise your success and stand out in university applications, check out our free resources and IB Tutoring services for tailored academic support and guidance from experts who’ve been through the programme themselves!