IB scores explained
How hard is a 7 in the IB? Share of 7s by subject, May 2026
By Michael Thompson - Head of Teaching Excellence; 15 years as an IB Coordinator
Short answer: Among subjects with 1,000+ students in May 2026, the fewest 7s went to Design Technology SL (0.3%) and the most to Chinese B SL (34.0%).
A 7 is the top grade in an IB subject, but how often it is awarded varies enormously from one subject to the next. This page uses the IB's official provisional statistical bulletin for the May 2026 session to show the share of candidates who earned a 7 in each subject and level.
Only subjects with large entries are included (the smallest group listed here has 1,002 candidates), so a handful of strong students cannot distort a percentage. All subject groups are covered, including Language A.
Key figures
Fewest 7s (subjects with 1,000+ students)
- Design Technology SL0.3%
- Visual Arts SL1.2%
- Sports, Exercise and Health Science SL1.9%
- Film SL2.0%
- Spanish A: Literature HL2.2%
- World Religions SL2.3%
- Digital Society HL2.3%
- English A: Literature HL2.3%
- Social and Cultural Anthropology SL2.6%
- History HL2.6%
- Spanish A: Language and Literature HL2.6%
- Visual Arts HL2.9%
Most 7s (subjects with 1,000+ students)
- Chinese B SL34.0%
- Chinese B HL33.6%
- Mandarin ab initio SL24.2%
- Physics HL20.5%
- German B HL18.3%
- Mathematics: Analysis and Approaches HL16.8%
- French B HL16.5%
- Spanish B HL16.5%
- Chemistry HL15.1%
- Economics HL14.7%
- Economics SL14.3%
- English B SL13.0%
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Where 7s are rarest
Design Technology SL has the lowest share of 7s in May 2026: 0.3% of its 1,966 candidates. Visual Arts SL follows at 1.2% (6,076 candidates), then Sports, Exercise and Health Science SL at 1.9% (6,313) and Film SL at 2% (1,843).
Several literature and humanities courses also sit in the low single digits. Spanish A: Literature HL has 2.2% of 3,765 candidates, and English A: Literature HL has 2.3% of 28,516. History HL is at 2.6% with 38,195 candidates, the largest entry in this group. Visual Arts HL (2.9%) and Spanish A: Language and Literature HL (2.6%) complete the picture, along with World Religions SL and Digital Society HL (both 2.3%) and Social and Cultural Anthropology SL (2.6%).
Where 7s are most common
Chinese B leads by a wide margin: 34% of the 3,214 SL candidates and 33.6% of the 1,002 HL candidates earned a 7. Mandarin ab initio SL is next at 24.2% (1,450 candidates).
The sciences and mathematics also appear. Physics HL has 20.5% of 19,035 candidates at grade 7, and Mathematics: Analysis and Approaches HL has 16.8% of 26,591. Chemistry HL is at 15.1% (20,748). Language B courses feature too: German B HL at 18.3%, French B HL and Spanish B HL both at 16.5%, and English B SL at 13%. Economics rounds out the list, at 14.7% for HL (20,472) and 14.3% for SL (11,305).
What this does and does not say about difficulty
The share of 7s tells you how often the top grade is reached in a subject. It does not tell you how much work or talent a 7 takes for you personally. Grade boundaries are set per subject, and the people who choose each subject differ. A language that many candidates already speak at home, for example, may produce more 7s because of who sits the exam, not because the course is easier to master.
The same caution applies at the low end. A very low share in Design Technology SL or Visual Arts SL may reflect how coursework and creative work are assessed, and it does not on its own show that the students are weaker. Treat these figures as a description of outcomes, not a ranking of intellectual difficulty.
How to use the figures when choosing subjects
Pick subjects where you can realistically reach a high grade and where you have genuine interest, then use this table as context. If you plan to study a subject at university, its fit with your degree matters far more than the share of 7s. A lower share of 7s is a reason to plan your preparation carefully, not a reason to avoid a subject you enjoy and do well in.
Key takeaways
- In May 2026 the share of 7s ranges from 0.3% (Design Technology SL) to 34% (Chinese B SL) among subjects with large entries.
- Visual Arts, Film SL, History HL and the HL Literature courses in English A and Spanish A sit in the low single digits.
- Chinese B, Mandarin ab initio, Physics HL and Mathematics: Analysis and Approaches HL have some of the highest shares of 7s.
- A high or low share of 7s reflects both the subject and the group of candidates who sit it, so it is not a pure measure of difficulty.
Frequently asked questions
- Which IB subject awards the fewest 7s in May 2026?
- Among subjects with large entries, Design Technology SL awards the fewest: 0.3% of its 1,966 candidates earned a 7. Visual Arts SL is next at 1.2% of 6,076 candidates.
- Does a low share of 7s mean a subject is harder?
- Not necessarily. The share depends on who chooses the subject, how it is assessed and how grade boundaries are set. It describes outcomes, so use it as context and not as a measure of how hard the course will feel to you.
- Which subjects have the highest share of 7s?
- Among subjects with large entries, Chinese B SL is highest at 34% of 3,214 candidates, followed by Chinese B HL at 33.6% and Mandarin ab initio SL at 24.2%. Physics HL follows at 20.5% of 19,035 candidates.
More IB statistics
- IB results May 2026: points, pass rate and score distribution
- What is a good IB score? Percentiles from May 2026
- How rare are 40+ IB points? May 2026 share and trend
- IB diploma pass rate explained: May 2026 results and trends
- How IB grade boundaries work: who sets them and why they move
- Average IB score over time: May and November sessions
- IB results May 2025: average score, pass rate and statistics