IB Danish B grade distribution and average grade, May 2026

Mean grade: a solid result at both levels

On the IB's 1 to 7 scale, the HL mean grade in May 2026 was 5.4 and the SL mean grade was 4.9. Both sit comfortably in the upper half of the scale. HL had 273 candidates and SL had 77, so HL is by far the larger group. Percentages for SL are therefore based on a small cohort, and a handful of candidates can move them noticeably.

How the grades were distributed

At HL, 36.6% of candidates earned a 6 and 16.1% earned a 7. A further 23.8% earned a 5, 19.8% a 4 and 3.7% a 3. Nobody received a 1 or a 2. Together these shares cover the whole HL cohort, so every HL candidate received a grade. Adding the 6s and 7s shows that more than half of HL candidates reached one of those two grades.

At SL the spread is flatter. The largest share earned a 4 (29.9%), followed by a 6 (26%), a 5 (24.7%), a 3 (10.4%) and a 7 (9.1%). Again, no SL candidate received a 1 or a 2. The shares add up to marginally more than the full cohort, and the small difference is due to rounding in the bulletin. Grades 6 and 7 together do not make up a majority at SL.

HL vs SL

HL has the higher mean grade (5.4 against 4.9) and the larger share of top grades: 16.1% of HL candidates earned a 7, against 9.1% at SL. At the lower end, 3.7% of HL candidates earned a 3, against 10.4% at SL. These are comparisons of shares, not of head counts.

The bulletin does not say why the levels differ. Possible explanations are that HL attracts candidates with a stronger or more extensive background in Danish, or that the extra teaching time and depth at HL help. The data cannot confirm either explanation.

Change since May 2025

The HL mean grade moved from 5.6 in May 2025 to 5.4 in May 2026. The SL mean grade moved from 5 in May 2025 to 4.9 in May 2026. Both levels are therefore slightly lower, and the gap between HL and SL is similar in both sessions. At HL the dip came from the top grades: 7s fell from 21.5% to 16.1% and grade 6 from 40.8% to 36.6%, while grade 4 rose from 11.7% to 19.8%. At SL the shares swung far more than the mean suggests, with grade 5 falling from 50% to 24.7%. With cohorts of this size, such swings can simply reflect the make-up of the year group rather than a change in how the subject is marked.

What this means for choosing and preparing

Danish B has a healthy grade profile, and few candidates ended up at 3 or below. That suggests the subject rewards steady, well-structured preparation. HL looks attractive if you are confident in your Danish and want a chance at a 6 or 7, but SL also produced a mean of 4.9, so it is a sound choice if you need to balance your workload. Whichever level you take, practise the written and oral components regularly and work with past material rather than relying on last-minute revision. Remember that these figures describe one session and are provisional.