The IB Subject Selection Guide

Only 2.6% of the 37,228 students who chose History HL achieved a grade 7. Compare that to Physics — traditionally considered one of the hardest IB subjects — where 19.2% of the 17,984 students who took it earned a grade 7.

Would History still be the most popular subject in Group 3 if students knew they were very unlikely to achieve the top grade?

This is the big question. As an IB Physics teacher turned tutor, I've spent a lot of time talking through subject choices with my students. I didn't want to give vague advice based on gut feelings, so I did some research. I found that the IB publishes detailed statistics for every grade scored in every exam season — the average grade, the percentage of students who scored a 7, pretty much everything you'd want to know.

But nobody seemed to know about this data. Nobody was using it to inform their decisions — probably because the IB presents it in a 25-page document full of hard-to-interpret tables.

I've created this guide so you can better understand the data and make informed choices based on what you want to achieve in the IB.

I've just finished analysing the complete IB May 2025 statistical bulletin — 202,102 students across 3,400 schools in 153 countries. What the data shows goes against common belief. The subjects everyone thinks are easier? They're often harder to get top grades in. The subjects that scare people off? They can actually give you a better shot at that 7.

Below is an interactive histogram tool to help you compare different subjects. Just select the two subjects you want to compare and see how their average grades stack up, and what percentage of students achieved a grade 7.