UK IB Diploma Results 2022

Over 5,000 students at state and independent schools in the UK received their International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme (IBDP) and Career-related Programme (IBCP) on July 6.

This year’s global average score is 31.98 and the UK’s average score is 36.35. 

Click here to go straight to the 2022 UK IB Results Table.

The discussion around the grade inflation of the past two years – and the small drop in average scores this year – should not detract from the incredible efforts of students to learn and teachers to teach in incredibly challenging times. Students have worked hard during an extremely difficult time – and today is a day to celebrate their achievements.

Which UK boarding schools offer the IB? Click here.

Which UK state schools offer the IB? Click here.

At a Glance: 2022 Results

• The UK's average IBDP score is is 36.35 which surpasses the global average; last year’s average was 37.74 points.
• The global average score is 31.98 (last year's figure was 32.98).
• In the UK, 1,252 students achieved 40-plus points.
• The UK's IBDP average grade is 5.75; students receive grades ranging from 7 to 1, with 7 being the highest for each subject. 
• The UK's pass rate is 97.5%; the global pass rate is 85.6% (98.7% in May 2021).
• The number of students taking the IBDP in the UK was 5,250; it was 5,189 last year.
• A total of 173,878 students took the IBDP and IBCP examinations worldwide, compared with 165,884 IBDP students in 2021.  

The minimum point requirement for the award of the Diploma is 23 points with the highest award being 45 points.

The two-year IBDP programme is currently offered at 118 state and independent schools in the UK; the IBCP is offered at 44 schools in the country.

What does the global average tell us?

As widely anticipated, average scores are starting to return to pre-pandemic levels in UK and worldwide; there has been a small drop from the unusually high grades of 2020 and 2021 when coursework and final exams were disrupted by Covid-19. We can expect a similar trend with the release of the GCSE and A Level results in August, and the head of Ofqual has already warned schools to prepare for lower grades than last year.

Exam regulators want to get grades back to 2019 levels; this will not be in one jump (as the IB results reveal) but it will take place over two years or more.

In 2020, the International Baccalaureate Organisation (IBO) cancelled all exams worldwide; in 2021, it offered the option of exam or a non-exam route using a combination of internal assessment coursework and teacher-predicted grades. Last year in the UK, all schools had to take the non-exam route on the basis that all local examinations (GCSEs and A Levels) were also cancelled. Both years saw a rise in pass rates, average scores, diploma scores and the number of students achieving the top score.

Because of the ongoing pandemic, the IBO extended the option of exam and non-exam routes for May 2022. All schools in the UK were able to sit the exams this year.

To ensure that this year’s grades are fair and continue to take into account the disruption caused by Covid-19, the IBO said that “appropriate grade boundaries will be set for each route, building in generosity that reflects the disruption experienced in teaching and learning around the world”. 

To be fair, the IBO has never been keen on comparisons being made between countries, or indeed with the global average. 

Commenting on the 2022 results, Olli-Pekka Heinonen, Director General of the International Baccalaureate, said:

"Our students have shown outstanding resilience and dedication to learning. The pandemic has thrown up challenges at almost every step of their educational journey and yet they have overcome them. I am proud of every single one of them. To recognise these challenges the IB provided adaptions to our programmes – but it is the IB World Schools and teachers who deliver our programmes that have also been incredibly resilient and dedicated to help their students get to this point.

"Today is an incredible day for the whole IB family and I salute everyone involved in making it this far. The character on display illustrates everything the IB stands for.”

UK Schools, Results & Reaction

North London Collegiate School (NLCS)

North London Collegiate School (NLCS) is celebrating a high average score of 40.4 (last year's score was just over 43), which is describes as "an outstanding achievement, especially in light of the disruption of the last two years".

Almost a third of the year group chose to study the IB diploma this year at NLCS, an all-girls' school which also offers the choice of studying A Levels. 6% of students achieved the top score of 45, and a further 12% scored 44 points.

NLCS students have received offers to study at a wide range of North American universities, including Yale, Duke, UCLA, University of Pennsylvania and Brown, whilst a further six students have had offers to study at Oxford or Cambridge, alongside offers from leading UK universities including Edinburgh, Bristol, Durham and UCL. Leavers are going on to study a very wide range of subjects: PPE (Politics, Philosophy & Economics), Mechanical Engineering, Aeronautical Engineering, Modern Languages, History, Social Sciences and Criminology, as well as Law, Medicine and Liberal Arts.

Brentwood School

IBDP students at Brentwood School, an independent day and boarding co-ed school in Essex, are celebrating an average score of 39.4 (only marginally lower than last year's score of 40). In the cohort of 18 students, 50% received 40 points or more, and five students achieved 42 points or more, putting them in the top 4% worldwide.

Pavle Glisic, a House Captain and HMC Scholar from Serbia scored 44 points; having studied Higher Level subjects German, Physics, Maths Analysis and Chemistry he is weighing up offers from Imperial College London, and top institutions in The Netherlands and Germany.

Other successes include Stephanie Cooper who achieved an outstanding 43 points for her Higher Level subjects English Literature, German and Geography, and is off to the University of Exeter to continue studying Geography. Alex Hak (one of the Deputy Heads of School), and Katy Lotherington achieved an impressive 42 points, and will both study English at UCL and Nottingham respectively.

The school has a very international student community, with boys and girls coming from countries including Nigeria, Italy, Denmark, the US, Hong Kong and Ukraine.

Impington International College

Students at the non-selective secondary school Impington International College have achieved an average point score of 36 (the same as in 2021). The school, which introduced the IB in 1991, is one of only 23 schools in the state sector offering the IBDP and IBCP.

In the IBDP, here was a 100% pass rate and 35% of students attained 40 points or more. 

Student, Caroline, achieved 44 points, and will be going to Wageningen, The Netherlands to study Natural Sciences. She said:

“I didn’t know what to expect, so I am excited that my work has paid off! This was the first year that we sat exams, as we didn’t sit our GCSEs, and the small class sizes and teacher contact time at the College has helped me to really understand my subjects and made a real difference.”

In the IBCP,  95% of students have also passed. Leanne Gibbons, Head of Sixth Form (CP), said:

“The CP is a truly unique programme that blends academic learning with career-related experience, and allows our students to develop their expertise across that range in Performing Arts, Sport and Health and Social Care. The last few years have been hard for our students, and I am ecstatic that their passions have been recognised by leading providers across the UK. We can’t wait to see what they go on to achieve: whether that be performing on the West End or playing professional sport!”

The IB cohort have received offers at Oxbridge, Russell Group and other leading international universities along with a number of top drama schools to study a variety of subjects including Biology, Law, Acting and Psychology. Four students secured places at the University of Cambridge and the University of Oxford.

The Abbey

The Abbey students have achieved another year of strong results with the average across the cohort of 40 points, which is well above the global average; it matches last year's average of 40 too. Three students at the independent school in Reading for girls achieved 44 points; Annie goes to Oxford to read French and Spanish, Anika heads off to Durham to study Economics, and Keyna is going onto a Drama Foundation year. Other notable successes include four other students who achieved 43 points.

King's College School, Wimbledon

King's College School, Wimbledon has a cohort of 67 IB students this year, and the average score was 41.8; 40% of the cohort were awarded at least 44 or 45 points.

Godolphin and Latymer School

At Godolphin and Latymer School, the 2022 IB students achieved superb results, with an average point score of 42.4. Six students obtained the maximum score of 45 points, with 14 of the cohort of 28 students scoring 43 or more points.

"These outstanding results are especially well-deserved given the disruption from the pandemic over the past two years.  We are extremely proud of this group of talented and dedicated students and delighted that they are progressing to an excellent range of Higher Education destinations in the UK and abroad."

Oakham School

In its 20th year of offering the IBDP, Oakham School shares news of its 100% pass rate and average point score of 35.5.
16% of students achieved 40 or more points, while 74% achieved 34 or more points; overall, 16.1% of students at Oakham achieved 40 or more points (out of the maximum of 45). There was one top top-scoring student with 45 points.

Dr Leo Dudin, Deputy Head Academic, said: “Our pupils should feel very proud of these results, especially given the challenges they have faced over the last two years. They have maintained their momentum throughout, and achieved in line with pre-pandemic levels, which is a great tribute to their positivity and determination.”  

Taunton School

The cohort of 22 students at independent school Taunton School in Somerset is celebrating a 100% pass rate with an average score of 34 points, exceeding the world average by almost two full points.

Success include top scorer and Head Girl Ruth Garang who achieved a score of 42; Ruth joined Taunton School from local comprehensive Taunton Academy after gaining an IB scholarship. Ruth said:

“I have absolutely loved every minute of my time at Taunton School. The opportunities here are endless. I am so happy with my results, I was incredibly nervous; I want to say a big thank you to all of my friends and teachers, whose support during my time at Taunton School has been incredible.”

Felsted School

Felsted has announced an average point score of 35 out of a possible 45, and a 100% pass rate for the cohort of 39 students. Nearly 20% of our students achieved a world class score of 40 points or above (the equivalent of 4 A* grades) while 58% achieved 35 points or above.

Felsted’s top scorer, with a score of 44 points, was Titus Zangemeister from Germany who first joined Felsted Prep School as a day student and ended his education there as a full boarder.  

Cheltenham Ladies’ College

Students at Cheltenham Ladies’ College are celebrating an average of 41.5 points. Four CLC students, Lizzie, Annika, Elena and Avery, achieved the highest grade of 45 points out of 45. A further five girls, Anastasia, Lok, Athena, Larissa and Kristen, achieved a grade of 44 points out of 45.

Worth School

Sixth Formers at the Catholic boarding and day school in Sussex, Worth, received a strong set of results for 2022. There was a 100% pass rate, the average score was 36.2 and one top scorer with 45. A third of students scored 40-plus points.

Sevenoaks School

The cohort of 228 at Sevenoaks School achieved an average diploma score of 40.1 (it was 41.3 points last year). Eleven students at this day and boarding school in Kent achieved the maximum 45 points, 25 secured 44 points and another 31 scored 43 points. 61% of the cohort achieved 40 points or more, with 180 students achieving 38 points or more. 

Headmaster Jesse Elzinga said:

"All our leavers should be proud of their results and of gaining the IB Diploma. Through lockdowns and cancelled GCSE exams, the resilience and fortitude of these students has been remarkable. Their conscientious and positive approach, along with grit and determination, is an inspiration to us all."

Bradfield College

This year’s IB cohort of 43 students at Bradfield College are celebrating the school's highest ever examined scores with an average score of 37.4. 40% achieved 40 points or above and three students achieved the maximum score of 45 points, with two of those achieving a ‘clean sweep’ – 45 points with AA in the core, a score normally reserved to under 1% of IB candidates worldwide.  

Colin Irvine, Director of IB at the College, said:

" Despite international pressure to bring grade distributions closer to pre-pandemic norms, we are thrilled to note the highest ever examined scores for the College, with a mean of 37.4 and a median of 39 points."

Royal High School, Bath

At Royal High School, Bath , IB students have achieved an impressive average score of 37 out of a possible total of 45. Three students achieved more than 40-plus points and the pass rate was 100%.

Congratulating this year's cohort, Luke Benedict, Head of Sixth Form, said:

"I am thrilled for this most remarkable group of girls who have shown such extraordinary levels of resilience, spirit, verve and energy while in the Sixth Form. The IB is one element of the Sixth Form of the Royal High School that makes it truly special and it constantly reminds me of what learning should be about.”

Windermere School

The Class of 2021 at  Windermere School achieved an average score of 33 and the school’s highest ever number of bilingual diplomas (47%).  In the small cohort of nine students, there was a 100% pass rate.

Headmaster, Tom Hill said:

“This cohort, above all others, have contended with so much in recent times and their efforts are writ large across the results we have seen today. They are ready for the future with both the currency of their grades and their strength of character. This is a testament not only to their dedication but to the selfless work of the staff at Windermere who have been with them every step of the way.”

King Edward's School, Birmingham

At King Edward’s School, Birmingham, the average score is 39.6 (it was slightly higher at 40 last year). 60% of the cohort t this independent all-boys day school scored 40 points or above; six boys gained the maximum 45 points – a score achieved by less than 0.5% of students worldwide – and 25 boys gained 44 or 43 points.

Stephen Perse Sixth Form

At Stephen Perse Sixth Form, IB students achieved an impressive average score of 37 out of a possible total of 45. Three students achieved more than 40-plus points and the pass rate was 100%. 67% of Stephen Perse students achieved 40 points or above with 85% of all grades awarded at Level 6 or 7, with 7 being the highest grade available. 

Jacqueline Paris, Head of Sixth Form, said:

“The students continue to impress me year on year with the breadth of their interests and the height of their talents. Yet again, despite all the challenges, both expected and unexpected during their formative sixth form years, they have demonstrated what remarkable and resilient young people they have become. I am incredibly proud of them.”

Dartford Grammar School

Students attained an average point score of 37.7, the school's highest so far. Six students achieved the maximum 45 points and 108 students (a third of the cohort) achieved more than 40 points.

Next: 2022 IB Results Table