IB Diploma Programme explained: subjects, core and scores

Last reviewed: November 2026 by Emma from ISA. Fee ranges are indicative; always confirm with the school.

The IB Diploma Programme (DP) is the International Baccalaureate's qualification for the last two years of school, the Spanish 1º and 2º de Bachillerato or the British Years 12 and 13. It is broader than most national routes: six subjects instead of three or four, a research paper, a philosophy course and a record of activities outside the classroom.

Below: how the programme is built, how the 45 points work, recognition in Spain and the UK, and 2026-27 costs in Madrid. If you are still choosing between routes, our comparison of IB and A Levels covers that decision.

What is the IB Diploma Programme?

It is a single two-year qualification awarded by the International Baccalaureate Organization in Geneva, made up of six subject courses and a compulsory core of three elements. Unlike A Levels, the subjects are not separate certificates: the diploma is awarded only if the whole package meets the IB's conditions.

A diploma candidate is a student registered for that full package. Students can also take individual DP subjects as course candidates and receive a certificate for each one; UCAS lists these separately as IBO Certificates at Higher and Standard Level.

Which IB Diploma subjects must a student take?

Every diploma candidate takes one subject from each of six groups, with the arts group optional. The IBO lists them as:

• Group 1, studies in language and literature: literature and language study in a language the student reads fluently.
• Group 2, language acquisition: a second language.
• Group 3, individuals and societies: history, geography, economics, psychology and similar.
• Group 4, sciences: biology, chemistry, physics and others.
• Group 5, mathematics: a compulsory group.
• Group 6, the arts: which can be replaced by a second science, individuals and societies subject or language.

Three or four subjects are taken at Higher Level, with 240 teaching hours each, and the rest at Standard Level, with 150. Some interdisciplinary subjects count for two groups at once. The key decision is which subjects go to Higher Level, because universities read those grades first.

The core: Theory of Knowledge, the extended essay and CAS

The core is compulsory for every diploma candidate.

• Theory of Knowledge (TOK): a course in which students reflect on the nature of knowledge and how we know what we claim to know. It is graded A to E.
• Extended essay (EE): an independent, self-directed piece of research ending in a 4,000-word paper, also graded A to E. Hastings School describes it as preparation for university.
• Creativity, activity, service (CAS): activities in each of the three strands outside the classroom. CAS earns no points, but without it there is no diploma.

TOK and the EE together add up to 3 points to the subject total. An E in either one fails the diploma outright, whatever the subject grades.

How many IB Diploma points do you need to pass?

At least 24 out of 45, plus a set of conditions that catch more candidates than the total does. Each of the six subjects is graded 1 to 7, usually combining internal assessment marked in school and moderated by the IB with external exams in May, for a maximum of 42; the core adds up to 3.

Sources: IBO Diploma Programme curriculum, core and passing criteria pages.

Even with 24 points or more, the diploma is not awarded if any of these apply:

• CAS requirements have not been met.
• An N (no grade) in TOK, the EE or any subject, or an E in TOK or the EE.
• A grade 1 in any subject, more than two grade 2s, or more than three grades of 3 or below.
• Fewer than 12 points across Higher Level subjects (with four HL subjects, the best three count) or fewer than 9 at Standard Level (5 with only two SL subjects).
• A penalty for academic misconduct.

Example. A student with 6, 5 and 4 at HL (15 points), 5, 4 and 3 at SL (12 points) and a B in both TOK and the EE has 27 subject points plus the core bonus, comfortably a pass. Swap the HL 4 for a 1 and the total still reaches 24, but the diploma fails on the grade 1 rule.

What happened in the May 2026 session?

Results for the May 2026 session went to 209,607 students in the Diploma and Career-related programmes, 3.7% more than a year earlier, and the global average DP score was 30.88 points, according to the IBO. Tes, the education weekly, reported that the average rose from 30.58 points in 2025, that 82.61% of candidates passed and that 10,526 scored above 40, across 3,442 schools.

SEK Education Group reported in July 2026 that its schools averaged 32.14 points and SEK-El Castillo 32.32. When a school quotes its average, ask how many students sat the full diploma.

Does the IB Diploma open Spanish and UK universities?

Yes. Article 6 of Royal Decree 534/2024 lists holders of the Diploma issued by the IB Organization in Geneva among students who can enter Spanish degrees without the PAU, and says they do not need to homologate it. Students then apply for a UNEDasiss accreditation, which converts their results into a Spanish access grade; UNEDasiss suggests sitting at least two specific competence exams (PCE) or requesting subject recognition to raise it, depending on what each university accepts.

For UK universities, applications go through UCAS and each course sets its own IB offer. The details by country, including how Higher Level choices affect admission grades, are in our guide to whether the IB helps you get into university.

What does the IB Diploma cost at Madrid schools in 2026-27?

Expect roughly €16,700 to €21,200 a year for the two Diploma years at private international schools in Madrid, before one-off joining fees.

Source: each school's published 2026-27 fee schedule.

Liceo Europeo

Liceo Europeo, on Camino Sur in La Moraleja, runs the Spanish Bachillerato, the IB Diploma and an American high school programme side by side. Its DP is the lowest-priced of the three schools with published fees, lunch is included, and the second year is billed from September to May, in line with the May exam session.

St. George School Madrid

St. George, on Calle de los Padres Dominicos in Hortaleza, lists the extended essay, TOK and CAS as the IB core of its two final years, which it calls Years 12 and 13. New pupils joining for the Diploma pay a €1,870 joining fee on top of the annual €19,440, so two years cost about €40,750 before the €550 enrolment fee.

SEK International School El Castillo

SEK-El Castillo, in Villafranca del Castillo, lets students choose at 16 between the DP and the Spanish Bachillerato. SEK says it was the first to introduce IB programmes in Spain, in 1977. Ask admissions for Diploma fees in writing, with exam fees itemised.

Before Year 12: questions to ask the school

• Which Higher Level combinations does the timetable allow, and what happens if a subject has too few students?
• Are IB registration and exam fees included in tuition or invoiced separately?
• Can my child take the Spanish Bachillerato alongside the DP, or switch in the first term?
• How are extended essay supervisors assigned, and when is the internal deadline?
• What were the school's average score and pass rate in May 2026, and how many full diploma candidates sat?

To compare the Madrid schools that teach the DP with those that offer A Levels or the Spanish route, see our list of the best international schools in Madrid.

More guides to schools in Madrid

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

Further reading: the IB PYP, the primary stage of the IB, the IB MYP explained, from ages 11 to 16, UNED conversion of IB grades for Spanish universities.

Frequently asked questions

How many subjects do you take in the IB Diploma?

Six, one from each subject group, with the arts replaceable by a second science, humanities or language subject. Three or four are taken at Higher Level, with 240 teaching hours each, and the rest at Standard Level, with 150 hours. On top come Theory of Knowledge, the 4,000-word extended essay and CAS, which every diploma candidate must complete.

What is a good IB Diploma score?

The pass mark is 24 of 45 points, and the global average in May 2026 was 30.88 according to the IBO. Tes reported that 10,526 students scored above 40. Selective universities usually ask for well above the average and for specific Higher Level grades, so check each course page before choosing subjects in Year 11.

Can you fail the IB Diploma with more than 24 points?

Yes. The diploma is also withheld for a grade 1 in any subject, more than two grade 2s, an E in Theory of Knowledge or the extended essay, fewer than 12 points across Higher Level subjects, incomplete CAS or academic misconduct. A comfortable total therefore does not guarantee the diploma if one subject collapses.