IB Diploma Requirements: What You Actually Need to Graduate
Jamal Lewis
Getting a strong score in your strongest subjects doesn't automatically mean you'll be awarded the IB Diploma. The IB has a specific set of structural requirements, subject spread, CAS, TOK, the Extended Essay, and a points threshold that sit alongside your grades, and missing any one of them can matter as much as a low score in a subject.
Here's what's actually required to be awarded the full Diploma, separate from how individual subject grades are calculated.
The Six Subject Groups:
Diploma candidates take six subjects, with at least one from each of the following groups:
Of your six subjects, you'll typically take three or sometimes four at Higher Level (HL) and the remaining at Standard Level (SL), HL courses involve more teaching hours and depth, not just harder content.
The Core: TOK, EE, and CAS:
Beyond the six subjects, every Diploma candidate must complete three additional core components:
- Theory of Knowledge (TOK): An interdisciplinary course exploring how you know what you know, assessed through an exhibition and an essay.
- Extended Essay (EE): An independent, roughly 4,000-word research essay on a topic of your choice within subjects.
- Creativity, Activity, Service (CAS): A non-examined requirement completed through activities and reflections across all three strands, typically over the full two years of the DP.
CAS in particular is easy to underestimate, it isn't graded, but it's a genuine pass/fail requirement. A student can have excellent subject grades and still not be awarded the Diploma if CAS isn't completed.
The Points Threshold:
On top of completing every component, the total combined score six subjects plus the TOK/EE bonus points generally needs to reach at least 24 out of 45 to be awarded the Diploma though reaching 24 points alone isn't automatically enough if other conditions below aren't also met.
What Can Cause the Diploma to Be Withheld:
Even with a passing overall score, certain conditions can result in the Diploma not being awarded:
These are general IB-wide patterns; exact grade-combination rules are more detailed than shown here, and your school's DP coordinator can confirm exactly how they apply to your subject combination.
Plan Around the Full Requirement, Not Just Grades:
Because CAS, TOK, and the EE run in parallel with your subject teaching, it's easy to let one slip while focused on exam prep and by the time it's noticed, there's much less runway to fix it. Treating the full Diploma requirement as one connected checklist, rather than "grades" and "everything else," tends to prevent last-minute scrambles in the final months of DP2.
A realistic mock exam won't complete your CAS hours for you, but it will tell you honestly whether your subject scores are on track for the points threshold which is one less unknown to manage alongside the non-academic requirements.
FAQs:
Do I have to take a subject from every group?
Yes, one subject from each of Groups 1 to 5 is required, and either a Group 6 “Arts” subject or an additional subject from Groups 2 to 4 in its place.
How many subjects have to be at Higher Level?
Typically three or sometimes four, with the rest at Standard Level, though exact HL/SL combinations depend on your school and subject choices.
Is CAS graded?
No, CAS is not graded, but it is a genuine pass/fail requirement, and incomplete CAS can prevent the Diploma from being awarded regardless of subject scores.
What happens if I don't meet Diploma requirements?
Students who don't meet the full Diploma requirements but pass individual subjects typically receive IB Course Certificates for those subjects instead of the full Diploma.