RENZO DIAZ — Reference library
IB Points and UCAS Tariff Calculator: Diploma Total, Pass Conditions and Tariff Points
2 min readBy Renzo DiazLast reviewed October 8, 2026
Enter the level and grade of your six subjects and your extended essay and Theory of Knowledge grades. The calculator adds the IB Diploma total out of 45, which is six subjects at up to 7 points each plus up to 3 core points from the IB's matrix. It then checks the IB's conditions for the award of the Diploma one by one, and converts the same grades into UCAS Tariff points. The rules come from the IB's published passing criteria and the points from UCAS, and every table the calculator uses is printed below it.
The same six grades answer two questions. The first is whether the IB awards the Diploma, which depends on the total and on conditions a total alone does not show. The second is how a UK university reading the UCAS Tariff will count them, on a scale where Higher Level counts double. The calculator answers both from one set of grades, and opens on a worked example you can change.
Many universities make IB offers in Diploma points and HL grades rather than Tariff points, so check the course page before relying on either number. How the Tariff treats the Diploma is explained in the UCAS Tariff and the IB Diploma.
A total of 24 or more is necessary for the Diploma, and not sufficient.
Key takeaways
- 45 points at most: six subjects at 7, plus 3 from the extended essay and Theory of Knowledge together.
- 24 points is not enough on its own: the Diploma also needs every condition, from CAS to the points floors at HL and SL.
- An E fails the Diploma: an E in Theory of Knowledge or the extended essay is a failing condition whatever the total.
- HL counts double only in the Tariff: a 7 is 7 IB points at either level, but 56 Tariff points at HL and 28 at SL.
- Predicted grades work too: enter them to see where a predicted Diploma stands before results day.
IB points and UCAS Tariff calculator
Set each subject's level and grade, then the extended essay and Theory of Knowledge grades. The results update as you change them; nothing you enter is stored or sent anywhere.
Your grades
The grades shown are an example: three HL and three SL subjects with a B in both core components. Change any of them; the results update as you go.
IB Diploma points
- Six subjects
- 33
- Core (extended essay and TOK)
- 2
- Total
- 35 of 45
On these grades, every condition for the award of the Diploma is met.
Conditions for the award of the Diploma
- CAS requirements met✓ met
- At least 24 points✓ met
- A grade in every subject, TOK and the extended essay✓ met
- At least a 2 in every subject✓ met
- No more than two grade 2s✓ met
- No more than three grades of 3 or below✓ met
- At least 12 points at HL (the three highest with four HL)✓ met
- At least 9 points at SL (5 with two SL)✓ met
- No E in TOK or the extended essay✓ met
| Part | Points |
|---|---|
| Higher Level subjects | 136 |
| Standard Level subjects | 64 |
| Extended essay | 10 |
| Theory of knowledge | 10 |
| Total | 220 |
Higher Level only, the figure UCAS suggests entering in its course search: 136
Rules from the IB's DP passing criteria (updated 19 February 2026); Tariff values from UCAS's Tariff calculator (read 7 October 2026). The calculator applies the published rules; only the IB awards the Diploma.
How the IB Diploma total is calculated
Each of the six subjects is graded from 1 to 7, and Higher Level and Standard Level subjects count the same. The extended essay and Theory of Knowledge are graded from A to E, and together give between 0 and 3 core points from the matrix below. The highest possible total is 45: six 7s and 3 core points. CAS earns no points, but the Diploma is not awarded without it.
| Extended essay | TOK A | TOK B | TOK C | TOK D | TOK E |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| A | 3 | 3 | 2 | 2 | Failing condition |
| B | 3 | 2 | 2 | 1 | Failing condition |
| C | 2 | 2 | 1 | 0 | Failing condition |
| D | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | Failing condition |
| E | Failing condition | Failing condition | Failing condition | Failing condition | Failing condition |
Source: the IB's DP passing criteria, updated 19 February 2026. The IB's own example: a B in Theory of Knowledge and a C in the extended essay give 2 points.
The conditions for the award of the Diploma
The IB awards the Diploma only when every condition below is met. A total of 24 is the second of eight conditions, and the core matrix adds a ninth: an E in either core component. Each student takes three or four subjects at Higher Level, and the rest at Standard Level.
| Condition | In practice |
|---|---|
| CAS requirements are met | CAS earns no points, but without it there is no Diploma |
| At least 24 points in total | Six subjects plus the core points |
| A grade in every subject, Theory of Knowledge and the extended essay | No component left without a grade |
| At least a 2 in every subject | A single grade 1 fails the Diploma |
| No more than two grade 2s | At HL or SL |
| No more than three grades of 3 or below | At HL or SL |
| At least 12 points at Higher Level | With four HL subjects, the three highest count |
| At least 9 points at Standard Level | With two SL subjects, at least 5 |
| No E in Theory of Knowledge or the extended essay | A failing condition in the core matrix |
Source: the IB's DP passing criteria (conditions and core matrix) and its DP curriculum page (three or four subjects at HL), read on 8 October 2026.
How the UCAS Tariff scores the same grades
The UCAS Tariff gives no score to the Diploma as a whole. It scores each subject by grade and level, and the extended essay and Theory of Knowledge on their own, and adds them up. At every grade, an HL subject earns twice the Tariff points of the same grade at SL, which the IB total does not do.
UCAS suggests that IB students enter the Tariff points of their Higher Level subjects only when they search for courses, so the calculator shows that figure as well. More on how universities use the Tariff, and why many do not, is in the UCAS Tariff and the IB Diploma.
| IB grade | Higher Level | Standard Level |
|---|---|---|
| 7 | 56 | 28 |
| 6 | 48 | 24 |
| 5 | 40 | 20 |
| 4 | 32 | 16 |
| 3 | 24 | 12 |
| 2 | 16 | 8 |
| 1 | 12 | 6 |
Source: UCAS's Tariff calculator, read on 7 October 2026.
| Grade | Tariff points |
|---|---|
| A | 12 |
| B | 10 |
| C | 8 |
| D | 6 |
| E | 4 |
Source: UCAS's Tariff calculator, read on 7 October 2026.
Worked examples
Five sets of grades, run through the same rules as the calculator. Two of them have a total of 24 or more and still do not earn the Diploma.
| Grades | IB total | Diploma | Tariff points |
|---|---|---|---|
| HL 6, 6, 5 · SL 6, 5, 5 · EE B · TOK B | 35 | Awarded | 220 |
| HL 7, 7, 6 · SL 7, 6, 6 · EE A · TOK B | 42 | Awarded | 258 |
| HL 6, 5, 4, 2 · SL 3, 3 · EE B · TOK B | 25 | Awarded: four HL, the three highest count | 180 |
| HL 4, 4, 3 · SL 5, 5, 3 · EE D · TOK D | 24 | Not awarded: 11 points at HL | 152 |
| HL 7, 7, 7 · SL 7, 7, 7 · EE E · TOK A | 42 | Not awarded: an E in the extended essay | 268 |
Arithmetic on the IB's passing criteria and UCAS's Tariff values above. The examples assume CAS is complete.
Terms used in this article
- Core points
- The 0 to 3 points the extended essay and Theory of Knowledge add to the Diploma total, read from the IB's matrix.
- Failing condition
- A result that stops the award of the Diploma whatever the total, such as an E in the extended essay or a grade 1 in a subject.
- Higher Level and Standard Level (HL and SL)
- The two levels of a Diploma subject; each student takes three or four at HL and the rest at SL.
- UCAS Tariff
- UCAS's points scale for qualifications, which scores each IB subject and core component separately.
- Predicted grades
- The grades a school expects a student to achieve, sent to universities before the exams.
Questions about IB points and UCAS points
How many points do you need to pass the IB Diploma?
At least 24, and every other condition met. The IB also requires CAS, a grade of at least 2 in every subject, no more than two 2s and three grades of 3 or below, 12 points at HL and 9 at SL, and no E in the core.
What is the highest IB Diploma score?
45 points. Six subjects at 7 give 42, and the extended essay and Theory of Knowledge add up to 3.
Can you fail the IB Diploma with 24 points or more?
Yes. An E in the extended essay or Theory of Knowledge, a grade 1, or fewer than 12 points at HL each stop the Diploma whatever the total.
How many UCAS points is a 45 in the IB?
276 Tariff points, from 7s in three HL subjects (56 each) and three SL subjects (28 each) and an A in both core components (12 each).
How many UCAS points is a 7 at Higher Level?
56. A 7 at Standard Level is 28; at every grade, HL earns twice the Tariff points of SL.
Does CAS count towards the IB points?
No, but the Diploma needs it. CAS earns no points; meeting its requirements is one of the conditions for the award.
With four HL subjects, which count towards the 12 HL points?
The three highest. And with only two SL subjects, the SL floor is 5 points instead of 9.
Written by
Teaching IB since 2016. Seven years of IB reviews you can check on Google — and named results with the documents behind them.
Last reviewed October 8, 2026
Sources
The Diploma rules come from the IB's public DP passing criteria (updated 19 February 2026) and its DP curriculum and assessment pages, read on 8 October 2026; the Tariff values from UCAS's Tariff calculator, read on 7 October 2026. The calculator applies those published rules to the grades you enter; only the IB awards the Diploma. Its arithmetic is tested against the IB's own example and the cases in the worked examples.