IB results day: dates, grades and what to do next

Last reviewed: November 2026 by Emma from ISA. Dates come from the International Baccalaureate, UCAS and UNED; always confirm times with your DP coordinator.

In early July, Year 13 families across Barcelona watch the clock for a single number out of 45. IB results day decides whether a conditional offer from a British university turns firm, and what access grade a student takes into a Spanish university application.

This guide sets out the official dates and times for the November 2026 and May 2027 sessions, what the score means and the next steps with UCAS and UNED.

When is IB results day in 2027?

IB results day for the May 2027 session is Tuesday 6 July 2027. The International Baccalaureate (IB) says Diploma results are released on the candidate website from 12.00 GMT on 6 July for every May session, and its examiner calendar lists the results as issued on 5 July. UCAS confirms that IB results reach schools and UCAS on 5 July 2027.

Source: IB assessment FAQ, transcripts FAQ and examiner calendar; UCAS adviser guide to the results process. Barcelona is on GMT plus 2 in July and GMT plus 1 in December.

Older guides still say November results arrive in early January. That was true of the November 2023 session, released on 2 January 2024. The IB moved the release to 16 December from the November 2024 session and said the date would apply in later years; its current FAQ, examiner calendar and transcripts page all give 16 December, and candidates find their exact time on the Individual PIN report from their coordinator.

How do you check IB results online?

You log in to the IB candidate website with the personal code and PIN that your school's DP coordinator gives you, then open the Results tab. The IB notes that the personal code is case-sensitive and the PIN is not, and recommends typing both rather than pasting them.

• Three wrong attempts block access until 30 minutes of inactivity have passed.
• Lost codes can only come from your coordinator: the IB will not issue them.
• Several sessions mean several PINs, one for each session you sat.
• No deadline applies: the IB says results stay available indefinitely.

Before results day, coordinators can send results to up to six universities free of charge if they request it by 5 July for May sessions or 16 December for November sessions, with no more than three in Canada and the USA.

What does your IB score mean?

The score is a total out of 45: six subjects graded from 1 to 7, plus up to three points for Theory of Knowledge and the Extended Essay together. The IB awards the diploma to candidates with at least 24 points who also take three or four subjects at Higher Level, the rest at Standard Level, and complete the core.

The conditions matter as much as the total. The IB gives examples of candidates who miss the diploma: one point short at 23, a failing grade in the Extended Essay, or CAS not completed. For context, several Barcelona schools quote a world average of 30.88 points for the May 2026 session, and our guide to the IB Diploma Programme, its subjects, core and scores explains how each component is assessed.

Re-marks and retakes after a disappointing score

Enquiry upon results. Only the school can request a re-mark, known as an enquiry upon results (EUR), and the IB reports the outcome to the coordinator. Article 12 of the IB's General regulations requires written consent from the student or a guardian first, because a grade can go down as well as up. The IB charges a fee per request and sets categories and deadlines in the assessment procedures it issues to schools for each session, so ask your coordinator for the cost and the school's cut-off. The examiner calendar shows enquiries running from July to September for May sessions and from January to March for November sessions. If a re-mark changes a grade after universities have your transcript, the IB sends a corrected one free.

Retakes. A candidate can retake a subject in any future session at any IB World School that offers the Diploma, although schools are not obliged to accept retake candidates. The IB removed its three-session limit in 2023, and the highest grade for a subject counts towards the diploma. If the syllabus has changed, the new requirements apply.

What happens to UCAS offers on IB results day?

UK universities usually see IB results within days without any action from you. UCAS asks schools to list it on the IB Information System as authorised to receive results, then forwards them to universities, and it tells advisers to contact its customer team if a university still has no results after 10 July.

In the 2026 cycle, Clearing opened on 2 July, IB results were published on 6 July, A level results followed on 13 August and remaining offer conditions had to be met by 2 September. If you narrowly miss an offer, UCAS says the university may still be flexible, so call admissions before searching Clearing. Check the insurance choice too, because it can confirm your place if the firm choice does not.

IB results and Spanish universities: the UNED route

Spanish public universities rank IB students by an access grade that UNEDasiss, the accreditation service of Spain's distance-learning university, calculates from the six subject grades. Orden EFD/550/2025, published in the Boletín Oficial del Estado on 31 May 2025, sets the formula: on the IB scale of 2 to 7 it works out as the subject average plus 3, so six grades of 6 give 9.000 out of 10.

UNEDasiss accepts applications from 4 February to 1 December each year and says files are usually resolved within three weeks, although it has up to three months. For 2026-27, the deadline for international students to apply to public universities was 7 July 2026, the day after results, with missing documents accepted until 31 July. Our guide to the IB Diploma and Spanish universities, with the UNED conversion explained, covers the specific competence tests that lift the grade towards 14.

Three Barcelona schools and their 2026 IB results

American School of Barcelona

Based in Esplugues de Llobregat, ASB says its class of 2026 averaged 37 points, its highest ever, against a world average it rounds to 31. The cohort had 89 students, and five years of published figures show averages between 35 and 37. The school says about 30% of graduates enrol in Spanish universities, so ask how it handles UNEDasiss files in July.

The British School of Barcelona

BSB teaches the Diploma at its Nexus sixth form centre in Castelldefels and at the City Lucà campus in Barcelona. For 2026 it reports an average of 34.5 points, fifteen students on 40 or more and one perfect 45. Entry to the IB pathway asks for five GCSEs at grades 9 to 4 or equivalent, plus English and maths assessments.

Benjamin Franklin International School

BFIS opens the Diploma to every student and entered a record 66 candidates in 2026. It reports an average of 34, a 90% pass rate and a top score of 44. Two counsellors support applications, one for local universities and one for universities abroad, which helps when a student holds offers in both systems.

Results-day checklist and next steps

1. Before July, confirm your personal code, PIN and release time with the DP coordinator.
2. Check that UCAS and up to six universities are on your free transcript list by 5 July.
3. Open UNEDasiss in the spring if a Spanish university is an option, and pre-register by the July deadline even without the accreditation.
4. On results day, log in from 2pm Barcelona time, then check UCAS Hub for your firm and insurance decisions.
5. If a grade looks wrong, ask the coordinator about an enquiry upon results the same day and sign the consent form.
6. If you miss your conditions, call the university before turning to Clearing or a November or May retake.

Families choosing a school with these results in mind can compare curricula, Diploma averages and fees in our guide to the best international schools in Barcelona.

Sources: International Baccalaureate assessment and transcripts FAQs, examiner calendar and General regulations 2026; UCAS 2026 key dates and results guidance; Orden EFD/550/2025 (BOE); UNEDasiss key dates 2026; the three schools' websites.

More guides to schools in Barcelona

• International school fees in Barcelona
• Bilingual schools in Barcelona
• International school admissions in Barcelona
• How to choose an international school in Barcelona
• Best international schools in Barcelona
• best international schools in Barcelona

Frequently asked questions

What time are IB results released in Spain?

For May sessions the IB opens the candidate website from 12.00 GMT on 6 July, which is 2pm in Barcelona and Madrid on summer time. For November sessions, schools receive results on 16 December from 9pm GMT, or 10pm in Spain, and candidate access is staggered by time zone, so check the time on your Individual PIN report.

Is 24 points always a pass in the IB Diploma?

No. Twenty-four out of 45 is the minimum, but the IB also requires three or four subjects at Higher Level, the rest at Standard Level, and the Extended Essay, Theory of Knowledge and CAS completed. A student with 30 points who has not finished CAS, or who fails the Extended Essay, will not receive the diploma.

Can my IB grade go down after a re-mark?

Yes. Under article 12 of the IB General regulations, the school must have written consent from the student or a guardian before requesting an enquiry upon results that could change a grade, because grades can go down as well as up. If a re-mark changes a grade after universities hold your transcript, the IB sends a corrected one free.