IB Results: What are remarks and when should you request one?

When IB results are released, you receive a grade for each subject. But those grades aren’t final — you can still try to improve them by requesting a remark. This process doesn’t exist in the Italian Maturità and is one of the many ways the IB strives for standardised and objective assessment.

If you make the right choices, you might gain crucial extra points — possibly just enough to earn your diploma or secure a university spot. But be careful: the wrong choice could also cost you points.

In this guide, we’ll explain what remarks are, when it makes sense to request one, and how we can help you — for free — figure out the best strategy for your case.

What you need to know at a glance

Before reading the full guide, here are 7 key things you need to know:

1. When your IB grades are released, you can request a remark through your IB Coordinator for most final written exams, the TOK Essay, and the Extended Essay — but not for oral exams or Internal Assessments (IAs).

2. The grade can go up, stay the same, or go down — the new grade is final and irreversible.

3. Check how close you are to the next grade (and how close you are to the lower one). Remarks are most useful when you’re within 1–3 points of a higher band. With 1, it's possible. With 2, it's hard. With 3, it's very hard! If you’re closer to the lower band… you’re more likely to drop a grade.

4. Even in Mathematics, remarks can work. Some students have gained extra points for correct methods, even if the final answer was wrong.

5. It costs around €80 per subject, but if the grade improves, you get a full refund.

6. Only your school’s IB Coordinator can submit the request, and must do so by September 15 for the May session. Your school might set an earlier deadline. If you work with us, we’ll help you evaluate and communicate with the school.

7. Move fast. The IB deadline is mid-September, but many schools ask for everything by the end of July or early August.

The Full Guide: what you need to know

In the IB Diploma Programme, unlike many other school systems, you can request for your exam to be remarked.

This means another IB examiner will re-evaluate your work from scratch — without seeing your original mark — and decide whether to assign a different score.

But be warned: the new mark might go up, stay the same, or go down.

So when is it truly worth requesting a remark? And how do you start?

1. How Close Are You to the Next Grade Band?

Each IB subject has clear boundaries for each grade band. For example, you might receive a 5 in Biology and be either just one point away from a 6 — or several points away.

You’ll find out your distance from the next band when you receive your results. For each subject, the IB shows you how many points you're away from the next grade band. Based on this distance, the odds of a positive remark outcome change.

• 1–3 points away → A remark might improve your score.

• 4–6 points away → It’s less likely.

• 7–9 points away → There’s a real risk of dropping a grade.

Example: Biology HL: Grade boundary for a 5 = 24 points

Your Score	Points to Next Grade	Risk Level
23	1	Worth considering
21	3	Possible, proceed with caution
18	6	Unlikely
16	8	Real risk of dropping to a 4

How Valdo Academics Helps: We’ll help you calculate your distance to the next grade and assess your risk margin. Our opinion is free and without obligation.

What you can and cannot request a remark for

You can request a remark for:

• Written exams (Paper 1, Paper 2, etc.)

• TOK Essay

• Extended Essay (EE)

You cannot request a remark for:

• Internal Assessments (labs, essays, orals)

• Language B Orals

• Group 4 Projects

However, if the entire class has seen a significant drop in IA scores during moderation — when an IB examiner checks if your school’s grading is aligned — the school can request a re-moderation. This is only possible if the IA grades for the whole cohort were reduced by at least 15% on average. In that case, the IB rechecks how the IAs were marked for the entire class. This is rare and only allowed in well-documented cases.

How Valdo Academics Helps:We explain exactly which components can be remarked and which cannot, subject by subject. Our initial check is free.

What about Maths? Yes, it can be worth it!

Many believe math can't be remarked because there's “only one correct answer.” But that’s not entirely true.

In IB, you can earn points for correct methods — the so-called method marks.

Example: You write the correct equation but make a calculation error. One examiner might ignore your setup, another might award partial credit.

We’ve helped several students go from a 4 to a 5 or a 5 to a 6 in math thanks to these method marks.

How Valdo Academics Helps:We’ll analyze your responses with you and tell you whether a remark might realistically help. The first consultation is always free.

What are remarks called officially?

Formally, remarks are called Enquiries Upon Results (EUR) and are divided into several categories. The most common is Category 1 EUR.

• Category 1 – Full remark of external assessments for one subject and one candidateAll external components (written exams, TOK essay, EE) are remarked by a senior examiner. The grade may go up, down, or stay the same.

• Category 1a – Full remark + brief written explanationSame as above, with a comment explaining the result. Useful if you want transparency.

• Category 2 and 2a – Access to marked scriptsYour Coordinator can request to view your marked paper (2) or see the examiner’s comments (2a). These do not affect your grade. They're mostly for learning or future reference.

• Category 3 – Re-moderation of IAs for the entire classIf the whole class was significantly downgraded in IAs, the school can request a re-moderation. This is only possible with large drops (15%+) affecting the whole group.

How Valdo Academics Helps:We’ll help you choose the right EUR category for your case. And if you’re considering a Category 1a, we’ll tell you when it's worth the extra effort.

How to view your results and decide if you should requests a remark

(1) Access your IB results

By July 6 (official release), you’ll get login credentials from your school.

Go to https://candidates.ibo.org and log in. You’ll see:

• Final grade per subject (1 to 7)

• Total Diploma points (out of 45)

• TOK and Extended Essay results

• How many points you are from each next grade band (e.g. you got a 6, you're 2 points from a 7)

(2) Talk to us for free

Call us and discuss your results. We’ll analyse them together and tell you if a EUR is worth it.

Our clients pay for tutoring — not for strategy advice. Contact us to find out whether a remark is worth the risk at no cost.

(3) Decide before your school’s deadline (no later than September 15)

To decide wisely:

• Check how close you are to the next grade. Within 1–2 points? It may be worth it.

• Look at your score breakdown. If one paper is much lower and it's subjective (like an essay), there may be room to improve.

• Consider the subject type. Written subjects (English, History, TOK, EE) are better candidates for a remark. Objective ones (like science with multiple choice) are less so, though it’s still possible to gain points.

• Ask yourself: does one point matter? Is it for university? For the diploma? If yes, then go for it.

• Assess the risk. What happens if the grade drops? Be careful not to jeopardize a conditional offer just to boost your total score.

How Valdo Academics Helps:We help you interpret your results, request the full breakdown from your school, and evaluate each subject. If there’s a real chance to improve, we’ll tell you. If the risk is too high, we’ll explain why. All of this — with no cost for the first consultation.